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Running trails in Arcadia, CA
Arcadia has 9 trails in the directory — 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 2 with a stated distance, 3 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 5 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 4,107 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Peck Road Water Conservation Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 1,195 reviews
This 5-acre green space on Mungi Lake has fishing & picnic areas, plus trails for biking & walking.
Big Santa Anita Canyon
4.6 ★★★★★ 414 reviews
Natural area & popular hiking spot with over 40 miles of trails, plus waterfalls & wildlife.
Tierra Verde Park
4 ★★★★☆ 24 reviews
Gabrielino Trail Eastern Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 6 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Arcadia
- Match the surface to your legs. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one.
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Arcadia is Big Santa Anita Canyon at 10 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Arcadia is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 5 of the 9 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 4 have trailhead parking, 6 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Arcadia. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 3 that runners describe as quiet, and 5 dog-friendly. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Arcadia trails by type
Running trails near Arcadia
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.