Running trails in Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire has 15 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 boardwalk, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 13 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 7,471 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.
Carson Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,247 reviews
Serene lakeside park with a historic baseball stadium, kiddie train ride, local museum & playground.
Phoenix Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,170 reviews
This 9-acre riverbank park offers a walking labyrinth, picnic pavilion & year-round farmers' market.
Owen Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 631 reviews
Waterfront green space with trails & tennis courts, plus an outdoor concert stage built in 1938.
Mount Simon Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 484 reviews
This 49-acre park offers 2 picnic pavilions & a 9-hole disc-golf course, plus a boat landing & dock.
Rod & Gun Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 389 reviews
35-acre park featuring 8 spring-fed ponds & offering a volleyball court, playground & picnic spots.
Lowes Creek County Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 378 reviews
250-acre park providing a variety of hiking, skiing & biking trails, a fishing stream & picnic area.
Boyd Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 387 reviews
Riverfront acreage offering seasonal sporting activities, fishing, trails & picnicking with grills.
Pinehurst Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 218 reviews
Park offering trails, hills and skating rinks for sledding, hockey and ice skating, plus disc golf.
Putnam Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 166 reviews
Numerous native trees, plants, animals & birds populate this diverse wilderness area with trails.
Northwest Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 127 reviews
Local natural forest featuring biking and hiking trails, including a steep, narrow path.
Peak Of Mount Simon
4.8 ★★★★★ 121 reviews
Park known for hiking and scenic views of a river and cliffs, plus wildlife sightings.
Domer Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 107 reviews
Casual park featuring picnic tables, trails and riverside benches.
Town of Union Conservancy Area
4.9 ★★★★★ 34 reviews
Tranquil natural spot featuring hiking trails of varying difficulty, plus scenic views.
City Wells
3.7 ★★★★☆ 3 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Eau Claire
- Match the surface to your legs. Eau Claire gives you a choice: 2 boardwalk, 1 paved, 1 natural surface, 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 boardwalk 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Eau Claire are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 13 of the 15 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 5 have trailhead parking, 7 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Eau Claire. 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 with mile markers, 4 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 Eau Claire trails by type
- Boardwalk trails
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Mixed trails
- Loop trails
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Eau Claire
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.