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Running trails in Kent, WA
Kent has 19 trails in the directory — 7 paved, 1 boardwalk, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, 2 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 15 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 9,414 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.
Lake Meridian Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 2,764 reviews
City park with a playground, picnic shelters & lighted paths, plus swimming & a boat launch.
Lake Fenwick Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 1,596 reviews
Lush green lakefront park with a boat launch, a disc golf course & jogging trails on its 141 acres.
Soos Creek Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,063 reviews
Wooded park with a playground, picnic shelter & BBQs, plus paved walking/biking trails & restrooms.
Clark Lake Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 837 reviews
A scenic 130-acre park around a lake offering fishing, walking trails & public art displays.
Morrill Meadows Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 786 reviews
Dog park offering a fenced-off area for small & shy dogs, as well as parking lots on both ends.
Mill Creek Canyon Earthworks Park
4 ★★★★☆ 565 reviews
Grassy open space with a walking trail & large landscape sculpture by Bauhaus artist Herbert Bayer.
Van Doren's Landing Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 405 reviews
This 10-acre park along the Green River Trail features picnic shelters, BBQs, fishing & restrooms.
Chestnut Ridge Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 278 reviews
Playground with covered picnic tables, a walking loop and grassy areas.
Soos Creek Park trailhead alternative
4.6 ★★★★★ 242 reviews
Park offering forest and lake views, plus trails suitable for walking, running, and horseback riding.
Kent Memorial Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 253 reviews
Public park offering tennis courts and a playground, plus facilities for baseball.
Scenic Hill Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 150 reviews
Peaceful spot for kids and adults alike to enjoy, with walking trails and picnic areas.
Briscoe Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 106 reviews
Clean but basic park with picnic shelters and a riverfront, plus a trail system for biking and walking.
Foster Park
4 ★★★★☆ 90 reviews
Green River Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 78 reviews
Park with a paved trail suitable for walking, biking, and running, plus picnic tables.
Gary Grant Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 60 reviews
Park sporting a playground and picnic tables, plus trails for running and walking.
North Green River Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 47 reviews
277th Street Corridor Trail
4 ★★★★☆ 46 reviews
City park that's good for kids and provides spaces for walking and running.
Lake Fenwick Pedestrian Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 13 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Kent
- Match the surface to your legs. Kent gives you a choice: 7 paved, 2 mixed, and 1 boardwalk. 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? 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. The longest stated distance in Kent is Soos Creek Park trailhead alternative at 7 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Kent are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 15 of the 19 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 17 have trailhead parking, 15 have restrooms, and 4 have a water fountain in Kent. 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, 9 that runners describe as quiet, 9 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 Kent trails by type
Running trails near Kent
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.