Running trails in Irving, TX
Irving has 20 trails in the directory — 9 paved, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, 2 shaded, and 4 open 24 hours. 14 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 10,574 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.
Victoria Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,852 reviews
Green space with a large playground, an amphitheater, trails, picnic tables & a pond.
Centennial Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,224 reviews
Commemorative town park with a history pavilion, picnic areas, large fountain & walking trail.
Cottonwood Creek Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,020 reviews
Picnic tables & a large-scale playground at a city park bordering Cottonwood Creek.
Sam Houston Trail Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 965 reviews
Greenbelt providing a paved 22-mile pathway for walking, biking & rollerblading alongside the river.
Thomas Jefferson Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,007 reviews
Public park with a basketball court, grill, picnic shelters, a playground & a pond.
Northwest Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 985 reviews
Recreational park featuring a central pond with ducks & turtles, plus a playground & picnic area.
Running Bear Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 890 reviews
Popular park with playgrounds, ponds & picnic areas plus courts for basketball & sand volleyball.
Bird's Fort Trail Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 671 reviews
A 58-acre preserve on a historic riverfront site featuring trails, a pavilion & picnic areas.
Trinity View Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 521 reviews
Large park boasting several athletic fields plus playgrounds, picnic areas & barbecue grills.
Trinity River Mountain Creek - Dallas County Nature Preserve
4.4 ★★★★☆ 254 reviews
Waterfront park featuring a playground, picnic pavilion, nature trail, fishing area & green space.
Keenan Crossing Trail Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 209 reviews
Riverside city park featuring a paved walking/cycling tail in a scenic setting.
T.W. Richardson Grove
4.6 ★★★★★ 199 reviews
Curvy urban park along the Elm Fork Trinity River, offering a canoe launch, paths & picnic areas.
Campion Trails Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 196 reviews
Family-friendly park featuring paved trails for walking, biking, bird watching, and paddling.
Spring Trail Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 171 reviews
Green space with a river view connecting other parks features equestrian trails & a walking trail.
Shady Grove Trail Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 172 reviews
Basketball court and playground-equipped park with a walking trail and picnic areas.
California Crossing Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 119 reviews
Park with hiking and biking trails, a shooting range, and a river suitable for paddling.
Running Bear Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 57 reviews
Lively Jogging Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 23 reviews
Campion Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 9 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Irving
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (9 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 Irving is Sam Houston Trail Park at 22 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 4 trails in Irving are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 14 of the 20 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 10 have restrooms, and 11 have a water fountain in Irving. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 2 with mile markers, 10 that runners describe as quiet, 5 dog-friendly, and 1 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 Irving trails by type
Running trails near Irving
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.