Running trails in El Paso, TX
El Paso has 37 trails in the directory — 4 paved and 6 on crushed gravel or dirt, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 6 with a stated distance, 5 shaded, and 6 open 24 hours. 21 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 11,014 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.
Franklin Mountains State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,937 reviews
24,247 acres of scenic desert offering climbing, hiking, wildlife, camping & views.
Westside Community Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,598 reviews
Charming park featuring a fenced-in dog run, children's play space, splash pad & athletic fields.
Chuck Heinrich Memorial Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 989 reviews
Clean park offering hiking trails and mountain biking, plus slides and swings.
Dick Shinaut Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 831 reviews
Paved, shady park offering a skate ramp, basketball courts, a playground, a soccer field, plus swinging and slide sets.
Murchison Rogers Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 585 reviews
Park featuring scenic views of both El Paso and Juárez, especially at sunset.
Reese McCord Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 558 reviews
Family-friendly open space with a playground and picnic tables, plus a baseball field.
Ron Coleman Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 356 reviews
Park featuring hiking trails with caves, scenic views and mountain backdrops.
Lost Dog Nature Preserve Trail Head
4.8 ★★★★★ 347 reviews
Popular spot for mountain biking, hiking, trail running and dog walking.
Rio Bosque Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 370 reviews
Varied wetland habitats provides diverse wildlife, guided tours & hard-surface & marked trails.
Sal Berroteran Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 331 reviews
Clean, grassy park featuring swings and slides for playgrounds and a basketball court.
Capistrano Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 318 reviews
Family-friendly 4-field locale featuring baseball fields as well as slides, swings and swings.
Edgemere Linear Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 265 reviews
Linear park with a 3-mile paved path for walking and cycling.
Billy Rogers Arroyo
4.5 ★★★★★ 219 reviews
Easygoing trail with native plants & birds offers trails for hiking & cycling enthusiasts.
Mary Frances Keisling Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 207 reviews
Park featuring open fields, playgrounds and access to the Rio Grande.
Thousand Steps Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 154 reviews
Popular trail featuring rocky terrain, caves and views of El Paso, plus airplane wreckage.
Ysleta Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 117 reviews
Park with a playground and picnic tables, as well as a skate trail.
Mammoth Rock
4.8 ★★★★★ 104 reviews
Popular spot for hiking with challenging sections and scenic views.
Rio Grande Riverpark Trail System
4.6 ★★★★★ 103 reviews
Scenic trail system with paved parts, popular for biking, running and walking.
Westside Open Reserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 105 reviews
Park with trails, a dog park, a playground & a recreation center amid picturesque desert scenery.
Franklin Mountains State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 72 reviews
Hiking area offering shade trees, sunset views, and a grilling area.
Resler Canyon
4.3 ★★★★☆ 77 reviews
Nature preserve offering kid-friendly hikes, though it's currently closed for maintenance.
Mundy's Gap
4.9 ★★★★★ 55 reviews
Steep, sometimes windy trail with rocky surfaces on a high peak offering scenic desert and river views.
Emerald Pass Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 49 reviews
Palisades Canyon Loop
4.6 ★★★★★ 50 reviews
Trail along the Franklin Mountains for hikers and mountain bikers, plus views.
stolley's riverwalk
4.6 ★★★★★ 49 reviews
Popular paved riverside path and park for biking, skating and strolls.
Roundhouse Trailhead
4.9 ★★★★★ 35 reviews
Cimarron Canyon Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 34 reviews
Pipeline Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 18 reviews
Thunderbird Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 14 reviews
Edgemere Linear Trail Western Start Point
4.6 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
Franklin Mountain Natural Cave
4.8 ★★★★★ 11 reviews
McKelligon Canyon Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 10 reviews
Bosque Park Windmill
4.8 ★★★★★ 8 reviews
Hike Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 5 reviews
Mesquite Trails Pocket Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in El Paso
- Match the surface to your legs. El Paso gives you a choice: 6 natural surface, 4 paved, and 3 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 natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 3 trails here are loops, 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 El Paso is Franklin Mountains State Park at 100 mi. 5 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 6 trails in El Paso are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 21 of the 37 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 4 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 19 have trailhead parking, 13 have restrooms, and 3 have a water fountain in El Paso. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 5 shaded, 3 with mile markers, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 11 dog-friendly, and 10 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 El Paso trails by type
- Natural surface trails
- Paved trails
- Mixed trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near El Paso
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.