Road and trail running are both popular activities at Stone Mountain. Most road runners utilize Robert E. Lee Boulevard, the perimeter road around the mountain, which is 4.84 miles (7.78 kilometers) long and quite hilly. 2.72 miles (4.37 kilometers) of the road on the south side of the mountain is one-way (counter-clockwise for vehicles) and the remaining 2.12 miles (3.41 kilometers) is two-way. The one-way section has dedicated running and cycling lanes. Runners traditionally travel clockwise around the entire circuit, but some like to buck tradition and go the other direction.

Robert E. Lee Boulevard has distance markers accurately placed every half mile.

The Cherokee Trail is the most popular trail running choice. The Cherokee is a 4.6-mile (7.4-kilometer) hiking trail that encircles most of Stone Mountain. It is hilly, especially in the west where it crosses a portion of the mountain.