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Running trails in South Burlington, VT
South Burlington has 10 trails in the directory — 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 6 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 1,475 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.
Red Rocks Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 715 reviews
Green spot with a public beach & trails for hiking, jogging, snowshoeing & cross-country skiing.
Overlook Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 490 reviews
Popular forested park featuring a bikeable path and picnic tables, plus lookout points for lake views.
Winooski Gorge Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 95 reviews
Small park featuring forest trails that lead to river panoramas as well as views of the gorge.
Muddy Brook Park
3.9 ★★★★☆ 34 reviews
Public park featuring kid-friendly trails and a river.
Wheeler Park Trail Head
4.7 ★★★★★ 3 reviews
Wheeler Park Trail Head
4.5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in South Burlington
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is natural surface (3 of 10). 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? 2 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in South Burlington is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 6 of the 10 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 4 have trailhead parking, 1 has restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in South Burlington. 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, 2 that runners describe as quiet, 3 dog-friendly, and 2 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 South Burlington trails by type
Running trails near South Burlington
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.