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Running trails in Claremont, CA
Claremont has 12 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 6 loops that return to the trailhead, 3 with a stated distance, 7 shaded, and 3 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 4,151 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.
Claremont Hills Wilderness Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,641 reviews
This winding trail for hiking & mountain biking provides moderate elevation & dramatic views.
Higginbotham Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 593 reviews
Park featuring a jungle gym shaped like a train and climbing rocks, plus a sandbox and green space.
Potato Mountain
4.8 ★★★★★ 422 reviews
Hiking area with scenic views, oak trees, and a peaceful atmosphere.
Claremont Wilderness Park, 5 Mile Loop Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 372 reviews
Popular 5-mile hike and mountain bike circuit featuring views, a climb and loops.
Wheeler Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 283 reviews
Small park featuring a roller hockey court, seasonal wading pool, playground & picnic area.
Barrett-Stoddard Canyon Falls
4.6 ★★★★★ 264 reviews
Short, rugged trail featuring a waterfall and a pool suitable for swimming.
Mt. Baldy Wilderness Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 205 reviews
Park featuring kid-friendly hiking trails that lead to a waterfall.
La Puerta Sports Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 161 reviews
Baseball and softball park with playgrounds, dog-friendly areas, shade trees, and mountain views.
Padua Avenue Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 150 reviews
Park offering exercise equipment as well as areas for soccer practice and matches.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Claremont
- Match the surface to your legs. Claremont gives you a choice: 3 paved, 1 crushed gravel, and 1 natural surface. 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 paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 6 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 Claremont is Claremont Hills Wilderness Park at 5 mi. 2 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Claremont 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 12 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 8 have trailhead parking, 7 have restrooms, and 5 have a water fountain in Claremont. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 7 shaded, 1 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 Claremont trails by type
Running trails near Claremont
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.