Highlights
- Moncus Park offers a perfect 1-mile paved loop ideal for beginners and is wheelchair accessible
- Girard Park’s 1.25-mile jogging trail remains Lafayette’s most popular running spot near downtown
- Acadiana Park Nature Station features 6+ miles of interconnected trails through the woods
- UL Campus trails provide 3.6 miles of scenic, mostly paved paths around Cypress Lake
- Atakapa-Ishak Trail connects downtown Lafayette to the Vermilion River over 5.4 miles
Best Running/Walking Trails in Lafayette: Complete Distance & Difficulty Guide
Every paved path, nature trail, and jogging loop in Lafayette Parish—with real distances and honest reviews
LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Lafayette has better trails than most people know about. From the 1.25-mile loop at Girard Park to 6+ miles of woods at Acadiana Nature Station, you’ve got options whether you’re training for a race or just trying to get outside.
What Lafayette Runners Need to Know
According to Lafayette Consolidated Government, Lafayette has close to 20 miles of maintained trails inside city limits. Most are free. Moncus Park charges $2 per hour for parking (first 30 minutes free, $10 maximum per day). Mondays are free, and library cardholders can get free one-time passes.
Summer running here is brutal. Humidity hits hard from May through September. Run before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m., or suffer. Winter is perfect—50s and 60s most days.
Mosquitoes are real in the wooded trails. Bring bug spray to Acadiana Nature Station, or you’ll regret it.
Beginner-Friendly: Paved & Easy (Under 2 Miles)
Moncus Park Paved Loop
Distance: 0.8 miles (1-mile loop option available)Surface: Smooth concreteDifficulty: EasyElevation Gain: 9 feetAverage Time: 14 minutesBest For: Beginners, strollers, wheelchairs…