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Running trails in Monterey, CA
Monterey has 8 trails in the directory — 1 paved, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, and 2 open 24 hours. 7 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 4,169 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.
Laguna Grande Regional Park, Monterey side
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,719 reviews
Green space on the water offering a volleyball court, play area, picnic tables & public barbecues.
El Estero Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,479 reviews
Popular playground that's good for kids, with swans, geese and other birds.
Jacks Peak Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 540 reviews
Hiking & horseback trails wind 8+ miles through a Monterey pine forest to a peak with vista views.
Monterey Bay Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 262 reviews
Small lawned oceanfront park with a sand volleyball court allowing dogs on leashes.
Huckleberry Hill Loop Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 46 reviews
Family-friendly area featuring steep trails through hills and forests, plus a campground and views of the bay.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Monterey
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is paved (1 of 8). 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 2 trails in Monterey are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 7 of the 8 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 5 have trailhead parking and 2 have restrooms in Monterey. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 that runners describe as quiet, 3 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 Monterey trails by type
Running trails near Monterey
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.