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Running trails in Rock Hill, SC
Rock Hill has 12 trails in the directory — 5 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 3 with a stated distance, and 3 shaded. 11 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 3,575 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Cherry Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,966 reviews
Green space, a 1.5-mile trail, picnic areas & fields, including 5 baseball diamonds, on 68 acres.
Westminster Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 557 reviews
Outdoor park featuring disc golf, wooded hiking trails and soccer fields.
Rock Hill Riverwalk
4.8 ★★★★★ 380 reviews
Scenic path along the Catawba River with benches offering kayaking and cycling.
Rock Hill River Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 255 reviews
Natural parkland ranging across 70 acres along the Catawba River, with trails & a boat launch.
Piedmont Medical Center Trail - North Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 150 reviews
Paved trail alongside the Catawba River with benches for resting.
Piedmont Medical Center Trail - Celriver Road Access
4.8 ★★★★★ 138 reviews
Scenic paved trail along the river offering views of wildlife, and multiple parking areas.
Piedmont Medical Center Trail Extension - Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 49 reviews
Paved cycling path and hiking trail featuring views of the Catawba River.
Manchester Creek Trails
4.5 ★★★★★ 6 reviews
Rawlinson Road Walking Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 4 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Rock Hill
- Match the surface to your legs. Rock Hill gives you a choice: 5 paved, 3 mixed, and 1 crushed gravel. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Rock Hill is Tech Park Trail Trailhead at 6 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 11 of the 12 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 4 have trailhead parking, 5 have restrooms, and 5 have a water fountain in Rock Hill. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 2 with mile markers, 2 that runners describe as quiet, 4 dog-friendly, and 4 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Rock Hill trails by type
Running trails near Rock Hill
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.