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Running trails in Guadalupe, CA
Guadalupe has 2 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 1 with a stated distance. 1 of them posts opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 1,161 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.
Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 977 reviews
This tranquil park with miles of sand dunes & beach access offers fishing, hiking & picnicking.
Point Sal Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 184 reviews
Scenic hiking spot offering an out-and-back trail to secluded beaches and ridgeline views.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Guadalupe
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (1 of 2). 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? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance. The longest stated distance in Guadalupe is Point Sal Trail at 10 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. Plenty of trails sit inside parks that gate at dusk and don't unlock until well after sunrise, so a trail that's perfect at lunchtime can be locked at 6am. 1 of the 2 listing carries posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking and 1 has restrooms in Guadalupe. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 that runners describe as quiet and 1 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 Guadalupe trails by type
Running trails near Guadalupe
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.