Running trails in Baraboo, WI
Baraboo has 13 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 5 on crushed gravel or dirt, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 2 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 8 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 4,700 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.
Mirror Lake State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,184 reviews
2,200-acre park featuring a lake, woods & cliffs with a beach, hiking trails & canoe rentals.
Pewit's Nest
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,131 reviews
Popular for scenic hiking, this picturesque outdoor preserve features a glacier-carved gorge.
Lower Narrows State Natural Area
4.5 ★★★★★ 85 reviews
Former quarry that's now a nature preserve with hiking and opportunities to observe wildlife.
East Bluff Trailhead
4.9 ★★★★★ 54 reviews
Hiking area featuring trails with views of a lake, some that are kid-friendly.
Riverwalk Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 47 reviews
Park with picnic tables and benches offering scenic views, good for kids.
South Bluff / Devil's Nose State Natural Area
4.8 ★★★★★ 44 reviews
Nature preserve offering a trail and climbing opportunities.
Baraboo's Riverwalk
4.8 ★★★★★ 37 reviews
Shaded area for strolling and bike riding with views of the river.
Natural Bridge State Park
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Baraboo
- Match the surface to your legs. Baraboo gives you a choice: 5 natural surface, 3 paved, and 1 mixed. 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? 3 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. 3 trails in Baraboo are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 8 of the 13 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 8 have trailhead parking, 8 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Baraboo. 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, 1 that runners describe as quiet, 3 dog-friendly, and 5 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 Baraboo trails by type
Running trails near Baraboo
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.