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Running trails in Gilroy, CA
Gilroy has 10 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 3 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 6 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 2,839 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.
Christmas Hill Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 803 reviews
This 51-acre park offers trails through natural wilderness, sports fields & shaded picnic areas.
Las Animas Park - Veterans Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 723 reviews
Large park featuring a skateboard arena and playgrounds, as well as some picnic areas and dog runs.
Gilroy Sports Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 374 reviews
A 79-acre park with soccer fields, baseball & softball courts, a jogging track, trails & playground.
San Ysidro Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 263 reviews
Pleasant grounds for picnicking and playing handball and basketball, as well as playgrounds.
Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 243 reviews
Small park offering a trail, views of a creek, and educational opportunities about the Ohlone Tribe.
Hunting Hollow Park Entrance
4.6 ★★★★★ 139 reviews
Mountain-biking and hiking trails wind through this large state park with an abundance of wildflowers, plus scenic views.
Henry Miller Site Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 84 reviews
Hiking area with redwoods and old building ruins, plus picnic opportunities.
Gilroy Gateway Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 8 reviews
Debell Uvas Creek Preserve
5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Gilroy
- Match the surface to your legs. Gilroy gives you a choice: 1 paved 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? 2 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 Gilroy is Hunting Hollow Park Entrance at 3.5 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Gilroy is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 6 of the 10 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 6 have restrooms, and 1 has a water fountain in Gilroy. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 4 dog-friendly, and 2 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 Gilroy trails by type
Running trails near Gilroy
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.