Lake Fayetteville is the go-to running spot in Fayetteville. This lake, located 6 miles northeast of downtown Fayetteville, is a popular recreation area for its fishing and walking & biking trails. There are a couple of running options here. The paved Lake Fayetteville Trail is a 5.3 mile paved multi-use trail around the lake. A good part of this path is wooded. The best lake views are the ~1.2 miles at the northern & western ends.

There’s also a separate Lake Fayetteville Nature Trail, which is more of a dirt/gravel pedestrian path. It’s a good option if you don’t want to content with cyclists & other wheeled things. The section along the southern end passes closer to the lake. The distance is 5.2 miles. There’s also a small Botanical Garden at the eastern end of the lake.