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Running trails in Calabasas, CA
Calabasas has 18 trails in the directory — 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 4 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 8 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 11,802 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.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
4.7 ★★★★★ 7,267 reviews
500+ miles of flat & mountainous hiking trails through coastal chaparral, with views & picnic stops.
Malibu Creek State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,616 reviews
Rugged state park in the Santa Monica Mountains with hiking trails & a rock pool swimming hole.
Calabasas Stairs
4.7 ★★★★★ 205 reviews
Staircase in a hillside spot popular for exercising.
Malibu Creek State Park Trailhead SMHC
4.8 ★★★★★ 142 reviews
Kid-friendly hiking area offering wildlife sightings and a trail to the historic M*A*S*H site.
Upper Las Virgenes Cyn Open Space Preserve LV Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 102 reviews
Extensive park featuring hiking and biking trails, plus open space.
Stunt Ranch
4.6 ★★★★★ 104 reviews
Educational programs are offered to students at this reserve with a creek & varied plant life.
Cheseboro Canyon Trailhead (North)
4.8 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding offered at an area featuring rolling hills.
Calabasas Peak Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 58 reviews
Hiking area with kid-friendly options and plenty of coyote droppings.
Juan Bautista de Anza East Trailhead
4.2 ★★★★☆ 22 reviews
Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 14 reviews
Oak Ridge Trail - Calabasas Peak Mountain Access
5 ★★★★★ 10 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Calabasas
- Match the surface to your legs. Calabasas gives you a choice: 2 natural surface and 2 mixed. 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? 3 trails here are loops, 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 Calabasas is Calabasas Peak Trailhead at 2.2 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Calabasas are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 8 of the 18 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 10 have trailhead parking, 3 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Calabasas. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 4 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 2 that runners describe as quiet, 7 dog-friendly, and 1 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. 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 Calabasas trails by type
Running trails near Calabasas
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.