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Running trails in Lead, SD
Lead has 6 trails in the directory — 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, and 1 shaded. 5 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 1,715 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.
Spearfish Canyon Nature Area
4.9 ★★★★★ 864 reviews
Popular scenic route for biking and driving, featuring canyon walls, waterfalls and trails.
Spearfish Canyon Nature Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 382 reviews
State park featuring picnic areas, trails, and multiple waterfalls.
Little Spearfish Falls Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 75 reviews
Well-maintained trail to a beautiful waterfall with clear water and wildlife sightings.
Spearfish Canyon Floor Nature Hiking Trail
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Lead
- Match the surface to your legs. Lead gives you a choice: 2 mixed, 1 crushed gravel, and 1 natural surface. 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 mixed 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.
- 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. 5 of the 6 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking and 1 has restrooms in Lead. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded, 1 that runners describe as quiet, and 2 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 Lead trails by type
Running trails near Lead
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.