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Running trails in Los Altos, CA
Los Altos has 10 trails in the directory — 2 boardwalk, 3 loops that return to the trailhead, 5 with a stated distance, and 6 shaded. 5 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 3,545 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.
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,107 reviews
This 6-acre Redwood forest features a boardwalk, observation decks, picnic tables & a rose garden.
Shoup Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 960 reviews
This 4-acre community gathering place features a playground, drop-in teen center & rentable venues.
Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 624 reviews
Large area with views of Santa Clara Valley & trails, including one for biking & horseback riding.
Heritage Oaks Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 232 reviews
Public park offering a picnic area, a playground, and a restroom.
High Meadow Vista Point
4.7 ★★★★★ 210 reviews
Scenic hilltop overlooking the South Bay and San Jose with loop trails, deer and a petting zoo.
Los Trancos
4.6 ★★★★★ 211 reviews
Mountainside preserve featuring interpretive hiking trails amid a picturesque woodland landscape.
Foothills Open Space Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 95 reviews
Nature preserve with 212-acres of wooded ridges & ravines & an uphill trail leading to bay vistas.
Black Mountain Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 76 reviews
9.7 miles of oak- & chaparral-studded hiking track, with sweeping Bay Area views from the top.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Los Altos
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is boardwalk (2 of 10). 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 boardwalk trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 3 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 Los Altos is High Meadow Vista Point at 25 mi. 2 trails are 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. 5 of the 10 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 8 have trailhead parking, 8 have restrooms, and 6 have a water fountain in Los Altos. 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, 4 that runners describe as quiet, 7 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 Los Altos trails by type
Running trails near Los Altos
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.