Best Running Trails in Omaha, Nebraska — The Complete Local Guide

Lifestyle & Neighborhoods  ·  Chris Jamison, Nebraska Realty  ·  2026

This past Saturday I was out at Lake Cunningham before 7am, watching steam rise off the water while a group of weekend runners did their thing on the far side of the loop. That's Omaha on a Saturday morning — and it happens at a dozen different spots around the metro, not just one.

If you're a runner scoping out Omaha — whether you're already here or thinking about making the move — the honest take is that this city runs deeper than people expect. Yes, there's a lot of flat. But there are also lake loops, wooded singletrack, river views, hilly connectors, and enough paved mileage to train for anything from a 5K to an ultra without repeating the same route twice.

I'm currently training for the Omaha Half Marathon in September and the Hitchcock Trail Half in December, so this isn't a desk-research list. I've run most of these personally and have logged miles on all the major ones. Below is the most complete guide to Omaha-area running trails I know how to write.

All Omaha Running Trails at a Glance

Use this table to find what you're looking for fast — click the trail name to jump to the full description.

Omaha Running Trails Map

Here's where everything sits across the metro — useful if you're figuring out which part of the city to live in or planning a multi-trail route.

Lake Loops

Omaha's lake loops are the backbone of the local running scene. Most are paved, well-maintained, and accessible year-round. Several have popular dirt trail options branching off the main loop. These are where weekend group runs happen, where half marathon training gets serious, and where you'll see the same faces week after week.

Zorinsky Lake Trail — Best Long Run Loop in Omaha

If Omaha had a running headquarters, this is it. The full loop around the lake logs at 7.34 miles on my Strava — the routing around the 168th Street Bridge shifted the number slightly from older estimates. It's gently rolling, reliably well-maintained, and easy to extend by looping again or connecting to other trails. If you're training for a fall race, this is where you'll stack your long summer miles.

The sunrise views over the water are genuinely hard to beat. Plan at least one early start before you decide this trail is just for training runs.

• Distance: 7.34 miles (full loop, per Strava)
• Terrain: Paved, gently rolling
• Runner vibe: Friendly but quietly competitive
• Connects to: Zorinsky Connector Trail → West Papio Trail

Nearby: Millard, The Palisades, Harrison Park. Southwest Omaha's strongest corridor for runners who want a serious training loop within 10 minutes of home.

Cunningham Lake Trail — Best Morning Run in Northeast Omaha

Cunningham draws a crowd — this isn't a hidden gem so much as a well-loved local staple. On weekend mornings you'll find group runs in progress, fishing regulars set up along the banks, and cyclists sharing the loop. There's a social energy here that you don't get at every trail, and the early mornings are genuinely something. I was out here last Saturday before 7am watching steam lift off the water while the sun came up — one of those runs that makes the whole week worth it.

Beyond the main paved loop, the dirt trails on the north end of the lake are popular in their own right — a different feel from the pavement and worth doing on a second visit.

• Distance: 6.2 miles (main loop)
• Terrain: Paved loop + dirt trails on the north end
• Shared with: Cyclists, fishers, weekend group runs
• Best for: Morning runs, social weekend miles, dirt trail variety

Nearby: Bennington and northeast Omaha. One of the better arguments for living in the north metro if outdoor access matters to you.

Standing Bear Lake Trail

A compact loop in northwest Omaha with one feature that makes it stand out: the floating trail on the west side of the lake. It's 975 feet long, eight feet wide, and ADA accessible — genuinely one of the more interesting stretches of running surface in the city. Named for Chief Standing Bear of the Ponca Nation, the park is a calm, well-kept spot that's ideal for an easy loop or a double.

• Distance: ~3 miles
• Terrain: Paved, flat, with floating trail section on west side
• Best for: Easy loops, strollers, runners new to the area

Wehrspann Lake Trail (Chalco Hills)

Wehrspann gives you options. The trail system at Chalco Hills loops the entire lake with two distance choices depending on whether you take the land bridge on the west side: cross it and you're at 4 miles; skip it and you're at 5.6. The terrain varies more than most Omaha lake loops — the northwest side runs through trees, the northeast side opens into a prairie setting, and there are real hills throughout that will test you in a way Zorinsky or Flanagan won't.

There are also paved and dirt trail options off the main loop if you want more mileage or variety. Southwest Omaha's best option for runners who want something with a little more character than a flat circle.

• Distance: 4 mi (with land bridge) or 5.6 mi (without)
• Terrain: Paved + dirt, hilly, varied scenery
• Notable: Land bridge on west side; NW section wooded, NE section prairie

Nearby: Papillion, Harrison Woods, Westmont. Five minutes from some of the southwest suburbs' most established neighborhoods — good schools, solid value.

Flanagan Lake Trail

One of the calmer loops in the metro — fewer cyclists than Zorinsky, flat terrain, big skies. Flanagan is ideal for stroller running, recovery miles, and pace work where you want to lock in a number without mental overhead. The northwest Omaha / Elkhorn corridor has been growing fast and this trail is a big part of what makes that area appealing for active buyers.

• Distance: 5.2 miles
• Terrain: Flat, paved
• Best for: Stroller running, tempo work, easy recovery

Nearby: Northwest Omaha / Elkhorn corridor. Newer construction, strong schools, and quick access to multiple trailheads.

Walnut Creek Lake Trail

Papillion's go-to quick loop — 3.1 miles with a few mild rolling sections that keep it from being completely flat. Popular with families and casual runners, and a good option if you live in the south metro and want a short mid-week run without driving far. The Papillion Recreation area around the lake adds to the overall experience on nicer days.

• Distance: 3.1 miles
• Terrain: Paved, a few mild hills
• Best for: Quick loops, families, south-metro runners

Prairie Queen Lake Trail

Similar feel to Flanagan — flat, paved, loop around a reservoir — but located in Sarpy County and a bit older. Prairie Queen has a pedestrian bridge and offers a choice of a 3-mile or 4-mile route depending on where you start and how you run it. It connects into the West Papio Trail system, which makes it a useful node for longer routes if you're building mileage in the south metro.

• Distance: 3 or 4 miles (route-dependent)
• Terrain: Paved, flat, pedestrian bridge
• Connects to: West Papio Trail system

Paved & Connector Trails

These are the trails that stitch the city together. Most follow creek corridors or road rights-of-way through Omaha's neighborhoods — flatter and more urban than the lake loops, but valuable for building mileage, running point-to-point, or connecting to other parts of the network.

Keystone Trail — Omaha's Mileage Machine

At 25+ miles, the Keystone is the longest and most connected trail in the Omaha metro. It runs north to south through much of the city, making it the closest thing Omaha has to an endless out-and-back — you can genuinely plan a point-to-point run and call an Uber back. Winter runners will appreciate that it's typically one of the first trails cleared after snow.

It's also Canada goose territory. They will plant themselves on the path and stare you down. That's the price of admission on the Keystone.

• Distance: 25+ miles
• Terrain: Mostly flat, paved
• Connects to: Big Papio Trail, Bellevue Loop, West Papio (east section)

Nearby: Aksarben, Dundee, Benson. Living near Keystone means the whole city's trail network is accessible from your front door.

Big Papio Trail

The Big Papio follows Big Papillion Creek for about 10 miles one-way from Hefflinger Park in the north down to Seymour Smith Park, where it connects to the Keystone Trail. It's flat, paved, and creek-side most of the way — a good option for east-central Omaha runners who want a longer out-and-back without getting in a car. The Keystone connection at the south end means you can build substantial mileage by linking the two together.

• Distance: ~10 miles one-way
• Terrain: Flat, paved, creek corridor
• Connects to: Keystone Trail at south end

West Papio Trail

The West Papio is a large trail system (23+ miles total) following Papillion Creek through the western and southwestern suburbs — but there's an important detail to know before you plan a long run: there is a gap in Millard where no trail connection exists. The western half of the system connects to Zorinsky Lake; the eastern half connects to the Keystone Trail. If you're planning a route that crosses that gap, you'll need to use surface roads to bridge it. Work around that and it's a solid choice for southwest Omaha runners who want long creek-side miles.

• Distance: 23+ miles total (two separate sections)
• Terrain: Flat, paved
• Note: Gap in Millard — no trail connection between west and east sections
• West section connects to: Zorinsky Lake Trail
• East section connects to: Keystone Trail

Riverfront Trail

The most scenic running you'll find in downtown Omaha. The usable stretch for most runners connects Heartland of America Park through the Gene Leahy Mall to Miller's Landing — roughly 4 miles of paved trail along the Missouri River with city views on one side and the river on the other. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge at the north end crosses into Iowa, where you can pick up trails on the Council Bluffs side. It's urban, it's flat, and it's one of those routes that reminds out-of-towners why Omaha's riverfront is underrated.

• Distance: ~4 miles (Heartland of America Park to Miller's Landing)
• Terrain: Flat, paved
• Connects to: Iowa trails via Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
• Best for: Downtown runs, visitors, river views

Bellevue Loop Trail

Think of the Bellevue Loop as a southward extension of the Keystone Trail — it picks up where Keystone ends and makes a paved loop through the Bellevue suburbs, 8.9 miles in total. It's concrete surface, solid condition, and gives south-metro runners a proper long loop option without having to drive up to the main Keystone corridor. Parking is available off Harlan Lewis Road near the midpoint and at Haworth Park.

• Distance: 8.9 miles
• Terrain: Paved/concrete
• Connects to: Keystone Trail at north end

Nearby: Bellevue. Worth knowing if you're looking at south metro neighborhoods — it's a proper loop you can run from home.

144th Street Trail

The 144th Street Trail runs roughly 8–10 miles north to south along 144th Street, connecting Standing Bear Lake at the north end to Wehrspann Lake and Chalco Hills at the south. It's useful as a connector if you're building a multi-trail long run through western Omaha — but go in knowing it's not a pure trail experience. Because it follows the road corridor, you're running with traffic nearby and crossing intersections at multiple points. The grade follows the road itself, which means real hills. More commuter infrastructure than running destination, but valuable for linking other trails together.

• Distance: ~8–10 miles
• Terrain: Paved, hilly, road crossings with crosswalks
• Connects: Standing Bear Lake (north) to Wehrspann/Chalco (south)

Zorinsky Connector Trail

A short paved connector that links Zorinsky Lake to the West Papio Trail. Not a destination on its own, but useful if you're building longer routes through southwest Omaha or want to chain Zorinsky into a bigger multi-trail loop.

• Best used as: A link between Zorinsky Lake and the West Papio Trail system

Parks & Natural Areas

Omaha's parks range from scenic urban routes through historic neighborhoods to wooded dirt trails that feel nothing like a city. A couple on this list have real mileage to offer; a couple are more interesting for what they are than how far you can run.

Elmwood Park + Memorial Park — Most Scenic Urban Run in Omaha

This is the run that converts people who moved to Omaha skeptical of the city's outdoor credentials. Old-growth trees, rolling paved paths through historic parkland, and a vibe that's hard to replicate in newer parts of the city. Running through Elmwood in the fall when the leaves are turning is one of those experiences that makes you slow down slightly, which is saying something when you're mid-run.

The Memorial Park side of the route sits in Dundee. Head south of Elmwood Park and you're in Aksarben, which is where the post-run coffee and brunch options stack up. Either way, the neighborhood is half the experience on this route.

• Distance: 3–5 miles (route-dependent)
• Terrain: Paved, rolling hills
• Post-run: Aksarben for brunch; Dundee for coffee

Nearby neighborhoods: Aksarben/Elmwood, Dundee, Happy Hollow, Morton Meadows. Character-filled, walkable, tree-lined — runners who move here tend to stay.

Field Club Trail / South Omaha Trail

The Field Club Trail is a former railroad corridor — about 1.8 miles that runs through one of Omaha's older, more established neighborhoods before connecting to the South Omaha Trail, which extends the route to roughly 9 miles total. It's a genuinely interesting run if you like history baked into your routes. You'll pass through the old Field Club neighborhood, and as you get closer to I-80, the massive grain bins you've driven past a hundred times on the highway suddenly appear up close at eye level. Worth seeing once.

• Distance: Field Club ~1.8 mi; South Omaha Trail adds to ~9 mi total connected
• Terrain: Paved, former rail corridor, mostly flat
• Notable: Passes through historic south Omaha; grain bins visible from trail near I-80

Hummel Park

North Omaha's most interesting trail — and possibly its most haunted. Hummel Park has a longstanding local reputation for the supernatural, complete with reportedly cursed stairs that are said to count differently on the way up than down. Whether you believe any of that is between you and the forest. What's not in dispute is that it's a short but legitimately hilly wooded trail in a part of the city where most runners never go. If someone in your running group wants to plan a Halloween morning run, this is the obvious answer.

• Distance: ~1.9 miles
• Terrain: Dirt, wooded, hilly
• Best for: The adventurous, the curious, or the seasonally themed

Fontenelle Forest & Neale Woods

Two of the most beautiful natural areas near Omaha — and worth including here with an important note: running is not permitted at either property. Fontenelle Forest (in Bellevue) and Neale Woods (in north Omaha, same ownership) are hiking-only, and both require a paid admission or membership to access. But if you want to spend a few hours on wooded trails with real elevation, river views, and genuine wilderness feel within 20 minutes of the city, both are worth knowing about. Just leave the Garmin in easy mode and enjoy the walk.

• Fontenelle Forest: 24 miles of trails, Bellevue — hiking only, admission required
• Neale Woods: 9 miles of trails, north Omaha — hiking only, admission required

Day Trips from Omaha

None of these are far — 20 to 40 minutes from most parts of the metro — and all are worth a Saturday or Sunday morning drive when you want something that feels less like the city and more like genuine trail running. These are places local runners make plans for. They're not vacation destinations; they're on the regular rotation.

Hitchcock Nature Center — Best Trail Running Near Omaha

If you're a trail runner in Omaha and you haven't been to Hitchcock, this is your to-do list item. Located about 20 minutes from downtown in the Loess Hills of western Iowa (Honey Creek, just past Council Bluffs), the nature center has 14 miles of trails that range from singletrack through the trees to wider fire roads along ridgelines — and the views over the Iowa bluffs are legitimately stunning. It's the only place within easy distance of Omaha where you get real backcountry trail feel without a long drive.

The Hitchcock Experience race series runs here annually and includes a half marathon, 50-miler, and 100-miler — it's a benchmark event for the local trail running community. I'm running the half there in December. A daily or annual parking pass is required.

• Distance: 14 miles of trail (singletrack + fire road)
• Terrain: Dirt, hilly, Loess Hills bluffs
• Drive from Omaha: ~20 minutes
• Pass required: Yes — daily or annual parking pass
• Race series: The Hitchcock Experience (half marathon, 50M, 100M)

Platte River State Park

The best dirt trail running day trip in the metro, about 35 minutes southwest of Omaha near Ashland. The park has 10+ miles of dirt trails through wooded terrain — a completely different running experience from anything you'll find in the city. It does require a Nebraska state park permit, and weekends can get busy with mountain bikers sharing the trails. Go early if you want the woods to yourself.

• Distance: 10+ miles of trail
• Terrain: Dirt, wooded, varied elevation
• Drive from Omaha: ~35 minutes
• Pass required: Nebraska State Park permit
• Note: Popular with mountain bikers — expect trail sharing on weekends

Finding a Home Near Omaha's Trails

When I work with buyers who run, I bring trail access into the neighborhood conversation early. It sounds like a nice-to-have until you're actually living somewhere and a 20-minute drive is the difference between going and not going on a Tuesday evening.

The best trail access by area: southwest Omaha (Millard, Zorinsky/Chalco corridor) gives you the highest density of lake loops. The Keystone corridor through Aksarben, Dundee, and Benson gives you flexibility and walkability. Bennington and the northwest corridor put you close to Cunningham and Flanagan. Bellevue has its own loop and easy Keystone access. Not sure which area fits your lifestyle? The neighborhood quiz is a good starting point, or start browsing by area here.

These listings update automatically with homes near Zorinsky and the southwest trail corridor:

Frequently Asked Questions About Running in Omaha