The Best Trail Running in and around National Parks

Brian Metzler | June 1, 2026 | Comments: 0

There are no trail running races within America’s National Parks, but many of the parks are home to some of the most spectacular trail running terrain in the U.S.—soaring mountain ridgelines, lush forests, stunning waterfalls, and glacial valleys that stretch far beyond anything visible from a car window or a visitor center overlook. And there are plenty of fastest known times (FKT) to measure yourself against on many of those routes.

What most sightseers and day hikers never discover is that the crowds thin dramatically after the first mile of nearly any trail, and just a few miles in, a runner can find themselves entirely alone in a wilderness that feels genuinely untouched. For trail runners willing to push deeper into the backcountry, many national parks offer something beyond scenic—they offer a raw, unmediated encounter with wild America that most visitors never come close to experiencing.

Yes, weekends can be crowded in most parks and parking can be a challenge. But when you lace up your shoes and run past the point where the day hikers turn around, the parks can reveal themselves in an entirely different way.

The National Park Service actively restricts competitive races and organized events inside park boundaries. The running boom of the 1970s brought runners to places like the Grand Canyon, and some began organizing races with NPS approval—but years of complaints about littering, human waste, conflict with hikers, and congestion eventually led the park to crack down. But there are trail running races in many areas directly adjacent to the parks, so it’s easy to plan an epic trail running vacation with both in mind.

Here’s a quick rundown about some of the best running trails inside some of the most prominent U.S. national parks and some races you’ll find a stone’s throw from those parks in the same region.

Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail Acadia National Park — A glimpse of the rocky terrain of Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail in Acadia National Park. Photo: National Park Service

Acadia National Park (Maine)

Acadia National Park is a spectacular blend of rugged Atlantic coastline, granite peaks, evergreen forests, and scenic carriage roads, offering some of the most diverse outdoor recreation and ocean vistas in the eastern U.S.. The 7-mile Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail is a favorite among trail runners for its mix of granite slabs, forested singletrack, and sweeping Atlantic Ocean views. Acadia’s rugged coastal terrain offers shorter but highly technical and scenic East Coast mountain running.

Select Trail Running Races in Maine

July 12, Bradbury Mountain Breaker 9-Mile Trail Race, Pownal, Maine

Aug. 1, Blue Hill Mountain Trail Fest, Blue Hill, Maine

Aug. 22, Freebird Trail Races, Windham, Maine

The Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. Photo: National Park Service

Big Bend National Park (Texas)

Big Bend National Park serves up classic west Texas terrain: a vast and remote desert wilderness where rugged mountains, the winding Rio Grande, dramatic canyons, and dark night skies combine to create one of America’s most adventurous national park experiences. The South Rim Loop in the Chisos Mountains is widely regarded as the signature trail-running route in Big Bend National Park, combining steep desert climbs, high mountain forests, exposed ridgelines, and panoramic views deep into West Texas and Mexico. Big Bend offers an unforgettable mix of remote wilderness, dramatic desert scenery, and challenging terrain unlike anywhere else in the United States.

Select Trail Running Races in Texas and New Mexico

June 13, Fire Trail Running Festival, Spring Branch, Texas

Aug. 15, Cloudcroft Ultra, Cloudcroft, New Mexico

Oct. 17, South Texas Ultra, Leakey, Texas

Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves a scenic corridor of forests, rolling hills, waterfalls, and historic landscapes between Cleveland and Akron, offering a surprisingly wild outdoor escape in the heart of northeastern Ohio. The Buckeye Trail and Ledges Trail network provide some of the best trail running in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, featuring rolling dirt singletrack, forested terrain, sandstone ledges, river corridors, and scenic waterfalls. While less mountainous than western parks, Cuyahoga Valley offers highly runnable trails and accessible terrain that make it a favorite Midwest destination for everyday trail running and endurance training.

Select Trail Running Races in Ohio

June 15, Nuthatch Nonsense, Akron, Ohio

July 11, Akron Trail Marathon, Akron, Ohio

Sept. 13, Crowell Hilaka Trail Run, Richfield, Ohio

Glacier National Park (Montana)

Glacier National Park is a spectacular mountain wilderness of jagged peaks, alpine lakes, glacier-carved valleys, and abundant wildlife. The Highline Trail is one of the park’s signature running routes, traversing alpine ridgelines with expansive mountain views, wildflowers, and remote wilderness scenery. Glacier National Park has several long mountain trails with alpine lakes, and rugged backcountry terrain make it one of the premier wilderness trail-running destinations in North America.

Select Trail Running Races in Montana

June 19, Moonlight on Mt. Ascension 12 Hour, Helena, Montana

June 20, Old Gabe, Bozeman, Montana

July 18, Little Blackfoot 15K/30K, Helena, Montana

The early morning view from South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. Photo: Brian Metzler

Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

If you’re a trail runner, a rim-to-rim-to-rim trail run should be on your bucket list. With the North Rim partially re-opened after a devastating fire last fall, running in the Grand Canyon can offer numerous long adventure run possibilities. The rim-to-rim-to-rim route is one of the world’s most iconic endurance trail runs, descending from one rim of the canyon to the other across extreme desert terrain and massive elevation changes. It’s a 42-mile route via South Kaibab Trail and North Kaibab Trail, and about 47 miles via Bright Angel Trail and North Kaibab Trail, but both have about 11,000 feet of vertical gain/loss. The combination of heat, vertical gain, and geological scale creates a uniquely demanding running experience.

Select Trail Running Races in Arizona

June 20, Flagstaff Extreme Big Pine, Flagstaff, Arizona

Aug. 15, Sierra Prieta 50K, Prescott, Arizona

Sept. 25-27, Flagstaff Sky Peaks, Flagstaff, Arizona

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee)

The 72-mile Appalachian Trail section crossing through Great Smoky Mountains National Park via Clingmans Dome and Charlie’s Bunion offers one of the best trail-running experiences in the Smokies, featuring rolling ridgelines, dense forests, rocky singletrack, and sweeping mountain views. The park’s endless network of rugged Appalachian trails, constant elevation changes, and misty backcountry terrain make it a premier destination for long East Coast mountain runs.

Select Trail Running Races in Tennessee

June 6, Three Sisters Ultra Festival, Maryville, Tennessee

Aug. 15, Fort Frenzy Ultra Festival, Vonore, Tennessee

Sept. 19, The Dirt Circuit, Morristown, Tennessee

Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

Grand Teton National Park is an exceptional destination for trail running because it combines dramatic mountain scenery, an extensive network of well-maintained trails, and routes that range from smooth valley singletrack to rugged alpine traverses. Compared to nearby Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park often feels more focused on mountainous singletrack and offers exceptional high-elevation trail running terrain.

Runners can explore iconic trails around Jenny Lake, cruise through wildflower-filled meadows beneath the Tetons, tackle long climbs into high mountain canyons such as Cascade Canyon and Paintbrush Canyon, or link together big backcountry adventures with thousands of feet of elevation gain. One of the best long runs in the park is the Teton Crest Trail, a 35- to 40-mile alpine route featuring mountain lakes, high passes, wildflower meadows, and stunning views beneath the Tetons.

Select Trail Running Races in Wyoming and Idaho

June 13, Sinks Canyon Trail Races, Lander, Wyoming

July 11, Bear River Trail Race, Evanston, Wyoming

Aug. 7, Wyoming Range 100 Mile, Hoback, Wyoming

Aug. 15. Harriman Trail Runs, Island Park, Idaho

Mount Rainier National Park
and Olympic National Park (Washington)

The Wonderland Trail is one of the most legendary long-distance trail-running routes in North America, circumnavigating Mount Rainier for roughly 93 miles through alpine meadows, glacier-fed valleys, volcanic ridgelines, dense forests, and remote mountain wilderness. The trail features relentless elevation gain and loss, technical mountain terrain, and constantly changing scenery, creating a rugged multi-day running adventure that showcases nearly every ecosystem in the park.

The 22-mile Seven Lakes Basin and High Divide Loop in Olympic National Park traverses alpine ridgelines with views of glaciers, rainforests, alpine lakes, and the Pacific Northwest wilderness. Olympic’s unique combination of coastal mountains, dense rainforest trails, and rugged alpine terrain creates one of the most diverse trail-running environments in the country.

Select Trail Running Races in Washington

June 27, Tiger Peak Challenge, Issaquah, Washington

June 27, SISU 24 Ultra PNW, Enumclaw, Washington

July 11, Grey Rock Trail Runs, Yakima, Washington

Aug. 1-2, The Beast of Big Creek, Hoodsport, Washington

Aug. 15-16, Olympic Mountain Trail Races, Quilcene, Washington

Trail Running in Rocky Mountain National Park — Running the Wild Basin Trail to three waterfalls in Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo: Brian Metzler

Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

Rocky Mountain National Park is renowned for its high-altitude terrain, tundra running, and long mountain traverses with dramatic elevation gain. The 9-mile Sky Pond route via Glacier Gorge is one of the park’s premier trail runs, featuring alpine lakes, waterfalls, rocky singletrack, and nearly 11,000-foot elevation. Another route is the Wild Basin Trail, a 5.5-mile out-and-back route that leads to three scenic waterfalls—Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades, and Ouzel Falls.

Select Trail Running Races in Colorado

June 27, Estes Park’s Backyard Ultra, Estes Park, Colorado

July 18, Thumb’s Up Summer Slam, Estes Park, Colorado

Aug. 1, Winter Park 50K, Winter Park, Colorado

Sept. 3-7, Front Range Ultra Dayze, Loveland, Colorado

Sept. 12, Snow Mountain Ranch Trail Races, Tabernash, Colorado

Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

Shenandoah National Park protects a long stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering lush forests, cascading waterfalls, rocky overlooks, and more than 500 miles of trails with sweeping views across the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont. The 19-mile Whiteoak Canyon–Old Rag loop is one of the classic mountain running adventures in Shenandoah National Park, featuring waterfalls, rocky scrambles, forested climbs, and scenic ridge running along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shenandoah’s long rolling trails and extensive Appalachian terrain make it ideal for high-mileage trail running and all-day mountain adventur

Select Trail Running Races in Virginia

June 20, Night Train Trail Runs, Farmville, Virginia

Aug. 1, Jarmans Marathon, Crozet, Virginia

Sept. 19, Woodstock Warrior, Woodstock, Virginia

Midway through an eastbound Zion Traverse, a 48-mile route with about 7,500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Photo: Ginger Bangs

Zion National Park
and Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

If you’re intrigued or have already done a rim-to-rim-to-rim run in the Grand Canyon, consider heading to Zion National Park and running the legendary Zion Traverse, a roughly 48-mile point-to-point route crossing the park from east to west with 7,500 feet of elevation gain and loss. The route combines steep canyon climbs, exposed slickrock, sandy desert terrain, and dramatic ridgelines while linking trails such as the West Rim Trail and East Rim Trail through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Southwest. Unlike a rim-to-rim-to-rim run in the Grand Canyon, you won’t see many other hikers or sightseers for most of the Zion Traverse route, except near the touristy Angel’s Landing area.

The 6.4-mile Figure Eight Loop combining the Fairyland Loop and Peekaboo Loop Trails is widely considered the best trail-running route in Bryce Canyon National Park. Smooth dirt paths, rolling elevation changes, and surreal hoodoo formations create an incredibly scenic and highly runnable experience.

While trail running inside Arches National Park itself is somewhat limited, nearby Moab routes such as Navajo Rocks, Gemini Bridges and the Klondike Bluffs trail system provide incredible runnable desert terrain with slickrock, sandy washes, and expansive red rock scenery. The combination of fast singletrack and iconic desert landscapes makes the area one of the premier trail-running destinations in the country.

Select Trail Running Races in Utah

June 27, Endless Day Backyard Ultra, Richfield, Utah

Aug. 1, Tushars Ultras, Beaver, Utah

Aug. 8-9, Ute 50/Ute 100, La Sal Mountains, Utah

Sept. 19, Bryce Canyon Ultras, Bryce Canyon, Utah

Oct. 3, Arches Marathon, Moab, UtahOct. 10, Cedar City Uphill, Cedar City, Utah

Authors

Brian Metzler

Why I run

I run to feel free and get loose from the rigidity of everyday life. Trail running has long been part of the foundation of my physical, mental and emotional health and has helped me remain grounded amid the many challenges and ebbs and flows of life. Running on trails through nature — whether it's a 30-minute easy jog or a 30-hour ultra-distance race — invigorates me like nothing else. That's why I run trails.

My favorite trail to run

I have hundreds of favorite trails, but the one I have been running with the most consistency is Mesa Trail in Boulder. It's flowy and fun, but challenging enough to require effort and numerous offshoots that can lead to bigger, more difficult adventures.

What I hope to convey with my writing

From the moment I took the role as the founding editor of Trail Runner magazine, my goal has been to share the joy, inspiration and life-changing vibe that I have so often experienced while trail running. It has introduced me to new people, taken me to amazing places around the world and has given me cues on how to approach other aspects of my life. Anyone can experience those things, no matter if they immerse in it once a week or as a way of life. That's what I hope to share with my writing.

More about Brian

I relish my experiences running the CCC 100K, several Boston, New York and Chicago marathons, and completing Leadman and four Ironman triathlons, but I'm more about long adventure runs and running up to high mountain peaks with friends than I am about pinning on a bib and racing. I've worked hard to build a career in the publishing industry by telling stories and sharing experiences about the things I like to do most: trail running, mountain biking, cycling, triathlon, mountaineering and all forms of skiing. In addition to being the founding editor of Trail Runner and Adventure Sports magazine, I've also worked and written for Running Times, Runner's World, Competitor, Outside, Men's Journal, Red Bulletin and authored several books, including "Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes," and "Trail Running Illustrated: The Art of Running Free," (with co-author and friend Doug Mayer). Find more about me, my running and my work at BrianMetzler.com.
Brian Metzler

UltraSignup Director of Media Brian Metzler was the founding editor of Trail Runner magazine, has written for Runner's World, Outside, and Sports Illustrated, and is the author “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences burro racing in Colorado and riding trains to trail runs in Chamonix.

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The Best Trail Running in and around National Parks