Running trails in Arlington, TX
Arlington has 11 trails in the directory — 4 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 10 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 4,794 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.
Bowman Springs Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,787 reviews
This 14-acre waterfront park features a paddling trail, a fishing pier & an 8-lane boat ramp.
Crystal Canyon Natural Area
4.4 ★★★★☆ 695 reviews
This hilly 40-acre preserve offers a 0.5-mile trail & interpretive signs amid forest & rock terrain.
Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 672 reviews
Picturesque 58-acre preserve featuring hiking trails & 3 ponds for catch-&-release fishing.
Fish Creek Linear Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 612 reviews
Walkers, runners bikers & rollerbladers head to this wide, concrete path along Fish Creek.
Gateway Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 577 reviews
Park offering a peaceful space for watching and feeding geese and ducks.
Lynn Creek Linear Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 176 reviews
This narrow, mostly flat park features a 1.16-mile paved trail for walking & biking.
Marrow Bone Spring Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 135 reviews
Park featuring a skate park, a pool, play equipment and trails for walking, plus a creek.
O.W. Fannin Natural Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 78 reviews
Park (or nature preserve) featuring hiking, walking and bike trails, plus picnic tables.
Center Street Trail Connection
4.1 ★★★★☆ 41 reviews
Green Oaks Blvd./ Rush-Village Creek Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 15 reviews
River Trail View
4.3 ★★★★☆ 6 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Arlington
- Match the surface to your legs. Arlington gives you a choice: 4 paved, 1 crushed gravel, and 1 mixed. 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Arlington is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 10 of the 11 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking, 3 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Arlington. 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, 5 that runners describe as quiet, and 4 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 Arlington trails by type
Running trails near Arlington
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.