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Best Parks and Scenic Running Paths in Baltimore

Take advantage of Baltimore's vast green spaces to get outside and stretch your legs.

One of the best ways to enjoy Baltimore is by foot—whether running on one of our scenic waterfront paths, or enjoying the more than 4,000 acres of parkland in the city. During your stay in Charm City, check out these popular parks for scenic and challenging workouts. Or if you just want to take a leisurely stroll, that works too.

Hop Around

If you want a view of the waterfront

Federal Hill Park

With show-stopping views of the Inner Harbor, the multi-level Federal Hill is the perfect challenge for sprints. Bring the kids who are sure to enjoy the playground at the very top.

View of the city from the top of Federal Hill Park.

Federal Hill Park has the best view of Baltimore’s skyline.

Canton Waterfront Park

Sitting directly on the Baltimore Harbor, Canton Waterfront Park is an eight-acre space to have a picnic, practice meditation or take a few quick laps. It’s also home to popular events like WTMD First Thursday concerts and the Baltimore Seafood Festival.

People running along waterfront

Enjoy the fresh air and beautiful views at Canton Waterfront Park.

Fort McHenry

Perched on a peninsula in Locust Point, the .9 mile paved winding walkway around historic Fort McHenry offers spectacular views of the Harbor. The grounds surrounding the fort are free to explore, but you’ll want to go in to learn more about the its history and enjoy the museum.

Inner Harbor Promenade

family walking along Inner Harbor

Winding around Baltimore’s Inner Harbor from Locust Point to historic Fell’s Point is an almost 7-mile paved promenade. It’s the perfect place to take in scenic views of the waterfront and the charming neighborhoods that surround it, whether out for a casual stroll or a run.

Rash Field

If you’re staying downtown, Rash Field is an ideal spot for an express workout. There are sand volleyball courts available for a quick game, plus a skatepark, nature park and a playground with wooden climbing towers.

Wide shot of newly opened Rash Field Park and Jake's Skate Park

Opened in 2021, Rash Field contains three parks, a cafe and shaded overlook of the Harbor.

If you want more than just a park

Carroll Park

Just west of Pigtown and Camden Yards, 117-acre Carroll Park offers a welcome stretch of green just right for a run, or take advantage of the baseball fields, basketball courts, skate park or 9-hole golf course. Carroll Park is also the site of the historic Mount Clare Museum House.

Druid Hill Park

The popular mile-long loop at the base of Druid Hill Park wraps around the drinking water reservoir, and offers sweeping views of the city below. The park is also home to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens.

Man walks his dog next to the reservoir in Druid Hill Park

Take in the views from the reservoir.

Patterson Park

This historic park bordering Highlandtown, an artsy neighborhood on Baltimore’s east side, offers a variety of picturesque pathways to knock out a couple of miles. Be sure to pass by the historic and ornate Patterson Park Observatory, or enjoy one of Patterson Park‘s many amenities: tennis courts, a swimming pool, an indoor ice skating rink, playgrounds and a dog park.

The ornate Patterson Park Pagoda located in Patterson Park in Highlandtown.

The ornate Patterson Park observatory located in Patterson Park in Highlandtown.

Wyman Park Dell

Hidden between the Remington and Charles Village neighborhoods, this scenic, 16-acre wooded hollow offers paved walkways and grassy expanses just right for warm-ups and cool-downs. Be sure to stop by the nearby Baltimore Museum of Art.

If you want to see some nature

Jones Falls Trail

This ten-mile hiking and biking trail follows its namesake Jones Falls waterway, which winds through the woods, past Cylburn Arboretum and Druid Hill Park and down to the Inner Harbor. It’s so lush and hidden away, you won’t feel like you’re in the city at all.

Jones Falls Trail

Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park

Composed of 1200 acres of woods, streams and trails, Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is one of the largest urban woodland areas in the country. It’s also home to the Carrie Murray Nature Center where you can learn about native species and their habitats.

Loch Raven Reservoir

For those who don’t mind traveling a little farther to the north, Loch Raven Reservoir, which provides the drinking water for Baltimore City, offers miles of woodsy trails for running, hiking and spotting wildlife. On most weekends throughout the year, a stretch of road through the watershed is closed to vehicle traffic and open to pedestrians.

Loch Raven Reservoir

Loch Raven Reservoir

Cylburn Arboretum

Tucked along the Jones Falls waterway, this 200-acre urban oasis boasts a variety of plantlife and terrains for nature lovers to explore. Unlike other area parks, Cylburn is devoid of courts and recreational facilities, making it the perfect place to peacefully connect with your surroundings. Explore the three miles of woodland trails, wander through the gardens or beat the heat inside the historic Cylburn mansion.

Man and woman walk dogs at Cylburn Arboretum

At 200 acres, there’s so much for you and your dog to explore at Cylburn!

If you have kids

West Shore Park

Try a refreshing romp on the splash pad at the Walter Sondheim Fountain followed by a picnic in the shade. Situated between the Maryland Science Center and the Baltimore Visitor Center, the water is on from May through September from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends.

Kids playing in water fountain

The Walter Sondheim Fountain is the perfect place to splash around during the warmer months.

Pierce’s Park

Located near the Pier 5 Hotel, Pierce’s Park is much more than a playground. It’s an imaginative space of discovery, where children can interact with locally created sculptures intended for climbing, a living willow tunnel and even a musical fence.

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