7 Best Urban Trails for New Off-road Runners

Instead of crowded city sidewalks and honking horns, imagine running through the woods, past towering trees on quiet dirt paths, feeling like you have the whole place to yourself. This is the allure of trail running, a growing movement enticing more road runners to ditch the pavement and head for the hills. And, although it may seem surprising, you don't even always need to venture far from the city to try it.

All you need is a pair of trail running shoes to get started, and a little know-how on where to run. Instead of getting lost in the mountains or taking on tough terrain, make your first foray into off-road running easy with these seven trails near major U.S. cities.

1. Forbidden Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cue the Rocky theme—just beyond the Philadelphia Museum of Art's famed 'Rocky Steps,' find Pennsylvania's Trail of the Year, Forbidden Drive. The foreboding moniker dates back to 1920, when automobiles were first banned from the road, and today the gravel lane is still just for pedestrians and cyclists.

Tucked within the city limits in the wilds of Wissahickon Valley Park, this forested oasis is a favorite of nature-starved urban dwellers. Run any portion of the 7-mile path as an out-and-back along Wissahickon Creek. Pass by Philadelphia's last covered bridge and colonial landmarks like Valley Green Inn, the last of many taverns that once lined the route.

2. Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Salt Lake City, Utah

Back when woolly mammoths roamed, Utah was home to a massive, ancient lake that covered half the state. Today, Lake Bonneville's old shore forms the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Salt Lake City's most accessible path for off-road running. This smooth trail stretches along the Wasatch Mountain foothills at 5,100 feet above sea level, and welcomes beginners with dazzling skyline and suburban-scapes.

Choosing where to run on the Shoreline Trail's 100-mile length is daunting, so head straight for a newbie-friendly section above downtown at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Follow the flat path southbound for a mile then test your mettle on rolling hills leading to Utah's Hogle Zoo. Return the way you came for a three-mile loop that ends at the museum and Red Butte Garden arboretum.

3. North Table Mountain Trail, Golden, Colorado

You have to work a bit to start this run—but the views are worth it. Drive 25 minutes from downtown Denver to the North Table Mountain parking lot and run (or walk—no one is judging you) up a steep, half-mile hill to a flat mesa top where a network of winding trails begins.

Take in downtown Denver skyline views atop the mesa then hang a left to follow the North Table Mountain Trail back to the parking lot for a 3.3-mile loop. Run back downhill, crossing wooden bridges on this straightforward, singletrack path showcasing prairie lands and wildflowers as it bends toward the mesa base.

4. Forest Park in Portland, Oregon

Explore 5,200 acres of woodland trails in Forest Park, where looping paths roll through lush Douglas fir trees above downtown Portland. As soon as you leave the city behind, you're engulfed in wild spaces so dense that you'll forget how close to civilization you really are.

Beginning just 10 minutes from downtown, the 30.2-mile Wildwood Trail cuts through Forest Park at mile 3 and leads to Portland landmarks like Hoyt Arboretum, the Oregon Zoo, and Pittock Mansion. While starting at this southern end by the Oregon Zoo offers the easiest urban access, it is often crowded. For a more solitary experience, run from the trail's northwest terminus at Newbury Road. Stick to the path by following blue diamond-blazed trees marked every quarter-mile.

5. Des Plaines River Trail, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago is a running city, and while roads dominate the scene, you can find quiet trails just beyond the hustle and bustle. Venture into Illinois forests and farmland on the 31.4-mile Des Plaines River Trail—one of Chicago's longest running paths.

Distance runners can follow the crushed limestone path all the way to the Wisconsin border, or run short, riverside sections that pass through 12 forest preserves.

6. Barton Creek Greenbelt, Austin, Texas

Watch climbers ascend limestone cliffs and splash your way across creeks on an Austin icon, the flat, crushed granite Barton Creek Greenbelt. This urban oasis is a welcome respite from soaring Texas temperatures with 12.68 miles of mostly flat trails leading to swimming holes and waterfalls.

Run at sunrise to beat the heat, or sport quick-dry apparel and take a dip in the waters along this scenic route. Start at downtown's Zilker Park and run to Campbell's Hole, a swimming spot near the one-mile mark, or continue another mile to Barton Springs Pool, a popular, year-round swimming destination fed by underground springs.

7. Rocky River Reservation, Cleveland, Ohio

Twenty minutes from downtown Cleveland, find the urban escape of Rocky River Reservation. A paved 13.6-mile paved trail network follows the Rocky River past waterfalls, wetlands, and massive shale cliffs and provides access to short, unpaved trails ideal for new trail runners.

Start with a wetlands warm-up run on the flat 1.5-mile Wildlife Management Loop Trail then circle the half-mile West Channel Pond Loop Trail to add distance.

Looking for more of an endurance challenge? Climb the 1.3-mile Fort Hill Loop Trail up 155 steps to the top for views of the Rocky River 100 feet below. This vista is most spectacular in autumn when crisp temperatures turn tall sycamore trees vibrant shades of goldenrod and crimson.

Trying out the trail

Whether you hail from the City of Brotherly Love, way out west, or far down south, see for yourself why trail running is booming with a jog on these seven scenic woodland and riverside paths.