Best Running Trails in Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia — updated August 22, 2026
From the paved climb up to Monticello to a 16-mile trail network north of town, here are the Charlottesville-area routes runners actually log miles on, ranked by how well each one holds up.
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Charlottesville runners have an unusual range within a short drive: a paved parkway path on an old rail bed, a city loop that circles the whole town, and Blue Ridge trails that climb hard enough to double as hill work. What follows is ordered by how well each route serves a run rather than a walk, with review counts noted so you can tell a settled rating from a promising one.
1. Preddy Creek Trail Park
The most trail mileage of anything on this list: 571 acres with 16 miles of trails, and running is one of the uses the park explicitly lists alongside mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding. That makes it the obvious choice for anyone who wants to string together a long run without repeating a loop. At 4.8 from 405 reviews, this is a proven rating rather than a small-sample one. The park is open daily from 7:00am to dark. Routes are mapped on Trailforks with difficulty ratings and user-reported conditions, which is worth checking after rain since the trails are shared with bikes and horses.
2. Saunders-Monticello Trail
About four miles in total, wide and well-groomed, with enough sustained grade toward Monticello that it works as a hill session rather than a flat shakeout. It rates 4.7 from 311 reviews, the second-largest sample here, and the trail and parkway are free and open daily. Note that sections can close periodically for management activities, so check before driving out for a specific distance. Because of the width and surface, this is the rare Charlottesville route that suits early-morning runs and stroller traffic at the same time, which also means it gets busy on clear weekends.
3. Rivanna Trail
The loop that circumnavigates the City of Charlottesville, and the default answer for runners who want distance without leaving town. The Rivanna Trails Foundation publishes maps and a section-by-section guide, which matters because the trail is best run in segments rather than attempted whole. The Google rating is 4.6, but from only 16 reviews, so treat that figure as thin rather than settled. One reviewer on TripAdvisor reported feeling unsafe and recommended the Monticello trail instead; that is a single account, but it is worth knowing if you run alone or before dawn.
4. John Warner Parkway Trailhead
A paved, no-biking path built largely on an old Southern rail bed, running 1.6 miles from East Rio Road south to Route 250 at McIntire Park. The flat grade and hard surface make it the most reliable option in bad weather: a Charlottesville thread on winter running paths named it as one of the routes that clears early. Access is from McIntire Road. Evidence here is very thin, just two Google reviews, so the rating tells you nothing useful; the case for it is the surface and the location, not the score.
5. Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail
An out-and-back through a disused railroad tunnel in Afton, rated 4.8 from 165 reviews, which is a solid sample for a trail this specific. The grade is easy enough that reviewers recommend it for children, so runners should expect a steady, even effort rather than a climb. Parking and access are free, the trail and tunnel are open daily from sunrise to sunset, and there is no staff on site. Bring a headlamp for the tunnel section and plan around the fact that it is a drive from town, not a lunchtime loop.
6. Foxhaven Trails Parking
Trails at Foxhaven Farm just west of the University, with a small parking area as the access point. The rating is 4.6 from 14 reviews, which is too small a sample to lean on, and runners on local Facebook groups have asked about maps without finding much online, so go in expecting to explore rather than follow a marked route. Neighbors have posted repeatedly about dogs off leash near homes and yards; if you run with a dog here, keep it leashed. Worth it mainly for proximity to town.
7. White Rock Falls Trailhead
A Blue Ridge Parkway trail at Milepost 18.5, listed as a 4.7-mile loop on AllTrails and described elsewhere as a moderate route of roughly 2.5 to 5 miles through a gorge to a wading-friendly waterfall. Guides estimate two to three and a half hours on foot, which gives a sense of the terrain: this is technical trail running, not tempo work. It holds 4.7 from 73 reviews. March through November is the recommended window, and dogs are allowed on leash. From Charlottesville, head west on I-64.
8. Chimney Rock Trailhead
Included for the climb: AllTrails lists Chimney Rocks Trail at 3.3 miles with 849 feet of elevation gain, and the National Park Service puts the average hike at two to three hours, or about two and a half. Pets are allowed. The Google rating is a perfect 5.0, but from only four reviews, so it carries almost no weight as evidence. Treat this as a hard, short hill effort out past the edge of the Charlottesville area rather than a regular training route, and give yourself more time than the mileage suggests.