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Running trails in Malibu, CA
Malibu has 15 trails in the directory — 4 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 6 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 4 shaded, and 2 open 24 hours. 10 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 16,266 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.
Point Dume
4.8 ★★★★★ 8,204 reviews
Tranquil coastal area featuring trails & rocky coves, plus blufftop views of Santa Catalina Island.
Point Mugu State Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,476 reviews
Santa Monica Mountains' park has 5 miles of beach, river canyons, bluffs & 70+ miles of trails.
Malibu Bluffs Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,682 reviews
Scenic waterfront community park with sports fields & a playground, plus a whale watching station.
Solstice Canyon
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,120 reviews
Canyon offering trails of varying difficulty, plus picnicking, a waterfall, wildlife & dog walking.
Escondido Falls
4.5 ★★★★★ 936 reviews
A popular hiking trail that crosses creeks leads to this waterfall with upper & lower sections.
Tuna Canyon Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 552 reviews
Hiking trails lead to panoramic ocean & bay views in this 1,255-acre parkland area in the mountains.
Chumash Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 436 reviews
Steep summit trail with ocean views, inclines and a flag, featuring a moderate pace in some parts.
Corral Canyon Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 395 reviews
This tranquil 100-acre park with abundant wildlife is popular with hikers & offers picnic areas.
Zuma Canyon Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 147 reviews
Outdoor space with ocean-view hiking & horse-riding trails, plus a picnic area & portable toilets.
Point Dume Natural Preserve
4.9 ★★★★★ 89 reviews
Park with trails leading to ocean views, sea lions, and rock formations.
Backbone Trail Access at Kanan
4.7 ★★★★★ 91 reviews
Popular hiking area with waterfalls, streams, and views of hills and valleys, plus wildflowers in season.
Malibu Springs
4.6 ★★★★★ 63 reviews
Kid-friendly park featuring hiking trails and a public restroom.
Zuma Ridge Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 51 reviews
Hiking area with dirt roads featuring views of mountains, canyons, and the ocean.
Izumi Trail Coastal Overlook
5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Malibu
- Match the surface to your legs. Malibu gives you a choice: 4 paved, 3 mixed, and 2 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? 6 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 Malibu is Point Dume Natural Preserve at 1 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Malibu are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 10 of the 15 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 14 have trailhead parking, 10 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Malibu. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 4 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 4 that runners describe as quiet, 9 dog-friendly, and 3 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 Malibu trails by type
Running trails near Malibu
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.