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Running trails in Dublin, CA
Dublin has 18 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 5 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 11 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 5,210 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.
Emerald Glen Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,330 reviews
40+ acres of land encompass various sports fields, a water park, skate park, trails & picnic areas.
Fallon Sports Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,028 reviews
Public facility with paths, lighted fields & courts for various sports, a BMX track & restrooms.
Shannon Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 309 reviews
Family-friendly park with multiple playgrounds that features a splash pad, picnic tables, a fountain, a creek, and a community center.
Don Biddle Community Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 271 reviews
Picnicking, basketball, and children's play areas are among the amenities at this park.
Kolb Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 265 reviews
Grassy park with a playground, ballfields, lighted tennis courts & a stone art installation.
Alamo Creek Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 252 reviews
Compact park with a playground and a basketball court, plus trails and picnic spots.
Dublin Hills Regional Open Space Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 223 reviews
Sprawling recreation area showcasing views of the area as well as wild cows, coyotes and birds.
Jordan Ranch Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 126 reviews
Neighborhood park with a playground and courts for volleyball and basketball.
Martin Canyon Creek Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 100 reviews
Trekking trail through a shaded woodland setting with steep climbs and views.
Positano Hills Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 99 reviews
Neighborhood facility with basketball courts & play equipment, walkways & picnic tables with grills.
Tassajara Creek Regional Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 78 reviews
Simple outdoor area with shade trees & a walking trail, plus a parking lot & basic toilet.
Schaefer Ranch Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 57 reviews
Windy park featuring multiple playgrounds and a spacious grass field.
Start of Martin Canyon trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 15 reviews
Donlon-Calavares Ridge Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 10 reviews
Dougherty Hills Trail Middle End
4.5 ★★★★★ 4 reviews
Tassajara Creek Trail
3.5 ★★★★☆ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Dublin
- Match the surface to your legs. Dublin gives you a choice: 1 paved, 1 natural surface, and 1 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 paved 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. 2 trails in Dublin are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 11 of the 18 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 5 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 11 have trailhead parking, 10 have restrooms, and 9 have a water fountain in Dublin. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 5 shaded, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 12 dog-friendly, and 4 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 Dublin trails by type
Running trails near Dublin
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.