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Running trails in Burbank, CA
Burbank has 13 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 6 shaded, and 4 open 24 hours. 9 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 3,384 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.
Brace Canyon Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 788 reviews
City park tucked away in a residential area with tennis courts, a playground & lots of green space.
Johnny Carson Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 722 reviews
Named after the TV legend, this space features a picnic area, playground & small performance stage.
Wildwood Canyon Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 594 reviews
Hiking area with kid-friendly trails, picnic tables, a public restroom, and scenic mountain views.
Stough Canyon Nature Center
4.7 ★★★★★ 376 reviews
Modern nature center offering interpretive displays, a library, amphitheater & nature hikes.
Vickroy Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 352 reviews
Kid-friendly park, with a playground and basketball courts.
Whitnall Highway Park South
4.4 ★★★★☆ 133 reviews
Park featuring an outdoor circuit training area, a dirt trail, a dog-exercising section and exercise equipment.
Stough Canyon Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 121 reviews
Recreational area with hiking trails, golf, picnic tables, and a view of the city.
Wildwood Canyon Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 105 reviews
Recreational space featuring picnic tables and hiking trails with scenic views.
Whitnall Highway Park North
4.3 ★★★★☆ 107 reviews
Park where visitors can walk, run, and see flowers.
Burbank Channel Bikeway
4.5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Burbank
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is natural surface (1 of 13). 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. More natural surface trails →
- 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 4 trails in Burbank are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 9 of the 13 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 8 have restrooms, and 3 have a water fountain in Burbank. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 6 shaded, 2 that runners describe as quiet, and 7 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 Burbank trails by type
Running trails near Burbank
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.