Running trails in Menomonie, WI
Menomonie has 16 trails in the directory — 2 on crushed gravel or dirt and 2 open 24 hours. 12 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 2,112 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.
Devil's Punchbowl Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 739 reviews
Serene, tranquil nature preserve featuring a 45-foot waterfall and a rock amphitheater.
Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 377 reviews
Hilly state park providing trails for hiking of varying difficulty as well as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Wakanda Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 366 reviews
Trails, baseball fields, play equipment, an 18-hole disc-golf course & a seasonal water park.
Phelan Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 176 reviews
Relaxed venue with a playground, skate park, and disc golf course.
Lake Menomin Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 114 reviews
Park with views on Lake Menomin featuring picnic areas and hiking trails, plus mountain biking and dog trails.
Elmwood Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 93 reviews
Wooded park featuring baseball fields, a playground, swings and picnic tables.
Keil Birch Creek Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 15 reviews
Junction Trail
5 ★★★★★ 7 reviews
Red Cedar Trail Irvington Trailhead
5 ★★★★★ 6 reviews
Lakebank Nature Trail
3.2 ★★★☆☆ 9 reviews
Lion Ted Wiehe Nature Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 3 reviews
Stokke Trail
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Menomonie
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is natural surface (2 of 16). 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? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Menomonie are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 12 of the 16 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. 4 have trailhead parking, 6 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Menomonie. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 that runners describe as quiet, 1 dog-friendly, and 3 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 Menomonie trails by type
Running trails near Menomonie
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.