Running trails in Amarillo, TX
Amarillo has 20 trails in the directory — 2 paved, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 4 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 18 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 6,713 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.
John Ward Memorial Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,029 reviews
Traditional waterside park offering a children's playground, splash pad, ducks & picnic tables.
Memorial Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 764 reviews
Rose-filled park featuring playground equipment, basketball courts, tennis courts and a splash pad.
Sam Houston Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 601 reviews
Small community park with picnic areas, a playground & tennis courts, plus weekly summer concerts.
Thompson Memorial Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 567 reviews
Urban green space offering a disc-golf course, a dog park, picnic areas & a children's playground.
Ellwood Park
4 ★★★★☆ 424 reviews
Leafy public park with green expanses, beach volleyball courts, a dog run & picnic tables.
El Alamo Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 348 reviews
Picnic & park areas can be reserved at this park with restrooms, playgrounds & a splash pad.
Martin Road Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 324 reviews
City park with BBQ/picnic areas, ball fields, a pond & a playground, plus a skate park & restrooms.
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center
4.7 ★★★★★ 232 reviews
Preserve with miles of hiking trails and historical exhibits including a dig pit, plus picnic areas.
Southeast Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 255 reviews
Popular spot featuring a pond with a dock for fishing as well as a dog park.
John Stiff Memorial Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 234 reviews
Large open space, mainly for organized sports, featuring soccer and baseball fields.
San Jacinto Park
3.7 ★★★★☆ 269 reviews
Public park with a playground, basketball court, and facilities for picnicking.
Benton Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 212 reviews
Park featuring a playground, picnic areas, restrooms, a basketball court, an athletic field & more.
Belmar School Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 140 reviews
Tennis-equipped park featuring a playground and a ball field for softball and soccer.
Rick Klein Park North
4 ★★★★☆ 119 reviews
Green space offering a playground with swings and picnic tables, along with a walking trail.
Paramount Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 56 reviews
Clean outdoor recreation area, hosting a playground, tennis courts, a picnic area, and more.
Oliver Eakle Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 29 reviews
Sleepy Hollow School Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 21 reviews
The Trails at 9th
4.6 ★★★★★ 19 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Amarillo
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (2 of 20). 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 Amarillo is Wildcat Bluff Nature Center at 9 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Amarillo are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 18 of the 20 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking, 10 have restrooms, and 6 have a water fountain in Amarillo. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 4 shaded, 6 that runners describe as quiet, and 10 dog-friendly. 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 Amarillo trails by type
Running trails near Amarillo
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.