Running trails in Alexandria, VA
Alexandria has 20 trails in the directory — 6 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 4 loops that return to the trailhead, 4 shaded, and 5 open 24 hours. Every one post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 10,893 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.
Huntley Meadows Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,968 reviews
Park with forests & a historic house, home to wildlife & wetlands, plus an observation platform.
Founders Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,829 reviews
Relaxed park along the Potomac River and near the Old Town waterfront.
Jones Point Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,452 reviews
Site of an 1800s lighthouse, this park offers an interpretive trail, 2 playgrounds & sports fields.
Belle Haven Park, Virginia
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,263 reviews
Riverside park with shaded nature trails, a small boardwalk & places to rent kayaks & canoes.
Oronoco Bay Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,088 reviews
Scenic city park featuring walkways and grassy areas for picnics, plus wildlife.
Fort Hunt Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 712 reviews
Land with war batteries once part of Mt. Vernon now used for picnicking, jogging, softball & more.
Dora Kelley Nature Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 561 reviews
Sizable park offering trails & a nature center with animals & environmental classes.
Fort Ward Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 479 reviews
Historic 43-acre park featuring a Civil War museum, dog exercise area, playground & amphitheater.
Mount Vernon Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 337 reviews
Nature-filled paved trail connecting DC and Mount Vernon.
Winkler Botanical Preserve
4.4 ★★★★☆ 302 reviews
Secluded area featuring a variety of nature trails, a mountain lodge & waterfall flanked by woods.
Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 190 reviews
Park along the Potomac River with peaceful trails and bald eagles.
Bren Mar Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 170 reviews
This large, wooded park in a residential area features a playground, a picnic shelter & trails.
Tide Lock Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 156 reviews
Tranquil waterside spot with views and a pathway popular with walkers and runners.
Monticello Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 65 reviews
Wooded, creek-filled, compact park, popular with dog-walkers and bird-watchers.
Holmes Run Scenic Easement
4.3 ★★★★☆ 66 reviews
Natural forested area with trails for hiking & biking, plus benches for resting.
Mount Vernon Trail Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 60 reviews
Long trail for biking and jogging through the woods, offering views of the Potomac River.
Chessie’s Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 54 reviews
Kid-friendly park featuring a playground and paved trail with animal sculptures and musical instruments for kids.
Chinquapin Park & Forest Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 26 reviews
Four Mile Run Wetlands Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 11 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Alexandria
- Match the surface to your legs. Alexandria gives you a choice: 6 paved, 6 mixed, and 1 natural surface. 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? 4 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. 5 trails in Alexandria are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 20 of the 20 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 16 have trailhead parking, 12 have restrooms, and 7 have a water fountain in Alexandria. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 4 shaded, 9 that runners describe as quiet, 11 dog-friendly, and 8 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 Alexandria trails by type
Running trails near Alexandria
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.