Running trails in Layton, UT
Layton has 14 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 4 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, 8 shaded, and 5 open 24 hours. 11 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 6,958 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.
Layton Commons Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 3,264 reviews
47-acre park with a duck pond, 2 baseball fields & playgrounds, plus many picnic shelters & BBQs.
Adams Canyon Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,211 reviews
Challenging outing on a sandy-and-rocky trail to a waterfall and other cascades.
Grey Hawk Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 445 reviews
Newer park featuring a zip line, basketball and pickleball courts and a playground plus a disc golf course.
Fernwood Recreation Site
4.7 ★★★★★ 376 reviews
Trails lead up the hills to a picnic site overlooking the city at this public recreation area.
Sand Ridge Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 399 reviews
Park featuring a playground and open fields for sports, along with picnic benches and gazebos.
Adams Canyon Lower Falls - Access by Adams Canyon main trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 350 reviews
Kid-friendly hiking area featuring a waterfall and a mix of wide and narrow paths.
Kays Creek Parkway
4.6 ★★★★★ 300 reviews
This 100-acre area includes 2.5 mi. of paved trail, 4 trailheads & wildlife-information placards.
Adams Canyon Waterfall
4.9 ★★★★★ 263 reviews
Waterfall hike, known for its canyon vistas, and also popular for dog walking.
Chelsie Meadows Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 231 reviews
8-acre park offering a picnic pavilion & walking trail, plus tennis/basketball courts & playgrounds.
Bonneville Shoreline Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 51 reviews
Popular and wildlife-rich hiking trail running from Salt Lake City to Ogden.
Fernwood trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 14 reviews
Great Western Trail / Bonneville Shoreline Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 9 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Layton
- Match the surface to your legs. Layton gives you a choice: 3 paved, 3 natural surface, and 1 crushed gravel. 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 Layton is Adams Canyon Waterfall at 5 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 5 trails in Layton are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 11 of the 14 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 3 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 11 have trailhead parking, 8 have restrooms, and 5 have a water fountain in Layton. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 8 shaded, 2 that runners describe as quiet, 6 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 Layton trails by type
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Crushed gravel 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
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Layton
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.