Running trails in River Falls, WI

How to pick a trail in River Falls

• Match the surface to your legs. River Falls 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? 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. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 12 of the 16 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
• Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 7 have trailhead parking and 4 have restrooms in River Falls. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
• The small things that decide it. 2 that runners describe as quiet, 2 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 River Falls trails by type

• Natural surface trails (5 in River Falls)
• Paved trails (3 in River Falls)
• Mixed trails (1 in River Falls)
• Loop trails (1 in River Falls)
• Flat & fast (1 in River Falls)
• Hilly trails (5 in River Falls)
• Scenic trails (8 in River Falls)
• Trails with restrooms (4 in River Falls)
• Trailhead parking (7 in River Falls)
• Quiet, uncrowded trails (2 in River Falls)
• Dog-friendly (2 in River Falls)
• Stroller & wheelchair-accessible (2 in River Falls)

Running trails near River Falls

Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.

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