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McDaniel Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 409 Google reviews · Running trail in Springfield, Missouri · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from McDaniel Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Public park with a playground, picnic tables, and walking trails, plus a restroom.
What runners say about McDaniel Park
“In the mid morning we were in the shade on the playground but not on the swings.”
Awesome little park, I used to play as a kid and it’s especially nice now as it’s the trail head for the South Creek Trail. The trail is 5.6 miles, and then it ends near a neighborhood and then you repeat it.
It would be nice if the trail markers were legible and maybe a restroom available every mile or so but I love the trail all the way from national where I park to the Japanese gardens, the bridgesare fun!
Great little park with a large field, park equipment on one end and a nice long trail and wooded area to walk.
McDaniel Park is nice in that it is the starting area of one of the Greenway Trails. However, it is right next to a busy road and there is not a fence between the playground and the street. The grass was very high when we visited and kept my kids from playing in it too long. I also wish there were benches in the shade.
Trail conditions & character
“Great little park with a large field, park equipment on one end and a nice long trail and wooded area to walk.”
“There is limited parking places unless you park in the field.”
“Lots of green space if you want to play frisbee or let a dog roam.”
Plan your run at McDaniel Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websiteparkboard.org
- Phone(417) 864-1049
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 5:30 AM–9 PM |
| Tuesday | 5:30 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 5:30 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 5:30 AM–9 PM |
| Friday | 5:30 AM–9 PM |
| Saturday | 5:30 AM–9 PM |
| Sunday | 5:30 AM–9 PM |
Running trails near Springfield
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Phelps Grove Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,637 reviews
Roomy park with mature trees, a picnic pavilion, tennis courts & playground equipment.
Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park
4.9 ★★★★★ 4,735 reviews
20+ landscaped botanical gardens, with BBQ/picnic areas, a lake & a native butterfly house.
