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Running trails in Fremont, CA
Fremont has 29 trails in the directory — 6 paved and 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 boardwalk, 11 loops that return to the trailhead, 4 with a stated distance, 6 shaded, and 5 open 24 hours. 27 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 22,833 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.
Central Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 7,192 reviews
Lakeside park with a golf course, 4 playgrounds, boat rentals, a fishing area, picnic sites & paths.
Mission Peak Regional Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 4,513 reviews
Vast mountain preserve popular for biking, hiking, horseback riding, R/C flying and hang-gliding.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,384 reviews
1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,942 reviews
Large nature preserve housing various migrating birds, as well as native flora & fauna.
Mission Peak Trail Head
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,566 reviews
Open space featuring a steep hiking trail with sweeping valley & bay views from the summit.
Alameda Creek Regional Trail - Isherwood Staging Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,572 reviews
Trails running along either side of Alameda Creek, used for running, biking & horseback riding.
Vargas Plateau Regional Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 989 reviews
Grasslands & wooded canyons home to eagles & hawks, with gentle walking routes leading to bay views.
Niles Staging Area | Alameda Creek
4.4 ★★★★☆ 379 reviews
Creek views and serene park featuring picnic tables, barbecue grills, a running and biking trail, and a train depot.
Sabercat Creek Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 354 reviews
Calm trail featuring hiking, jogging and dog walking opportunities.
Mission Peak Trailhead - Ohlone College
4.7 ★★★★★ 174 reviews
Part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, this spot offers hiking routes to Mission Peak with scenic views.
Alameda Creek Regional Trail - Isherwood Staging Area
4.6 ★★★★★ 156 reviews
Area featuring trails for walking and running as well as a peaceful lake for hiking and fishing.
Blacow Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 148 reviews
Neighborhood park, with a playground, picnic tables, and a basketball court.
Alameda Creek Regional Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 131 reviews
Flat loop along Alameda Creek that's popular for walking, jogging, biking, and horseback riding.
Coyote Creek Lagoon Trail
4.3 ★★★★☆ 79 reviews
Park with walking, jogging, and birding, plus fishing, and kids' activities.
Beard Staging Area, Alameda Creek Regional Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 63 reviews
Nature preserve with trails for hiking, biking,, and jogging, plus picnic areas.
Trail Head, Sabercat Creek Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 48 reviews
Paved walking trail featuring scenic views and a stream, plus deer and birds.
Coyote Creek Lagoon Trail - South
4.1 ★★★★☆ 16 reviews
Peak Meadow Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 8 reviews
Panorama Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 5 reviews
Californio Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 3 reviews
Western Pacific Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 3 reviews
Spring Valley Trail
5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Fremont
- Match the surface to your legs. Fremont gives you a choice: 6 paved, 3 natural surface, 3 mixed, and 1 boardwalk. 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? 11 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 Fremont is Coyote Hills Regional Park at 12 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 5 trails in Fremont are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 27 of the 29 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. 13 have trailhead parking, 10 have restrooms, and 4 have a water fountain in Fremont. 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 with mile markers, 10 that runners describe as quiet, 7 dog-friendly, and 13 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 Fremont trails by type
- Paved trails
- Natural surface trails
- Mixed trails
- Boardwalk trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near Fremont
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.