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Running trails in Novato, CA
Novato has 19 trails in the directory — 3 on crushed gravel or dirt, 4 loops that return to the trailhead, 3 with a stated distance, 5 shaded, and 10 open 24 hours. 15 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 1,806 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.
Olompali State Historic Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 442 reviews
This tranquil former Coast Miwok village offers hiking & equestrian trails & a picnic area.
Miwok Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 423 reviews
Family-friendly park with a museum devoted to Native Americans and a playground.
Ohair Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 153 reviews
Park with trails for walking and biking, as well as farm animals to view.
Mt Burdell Hike
4.5 ★★★★★ 116 reviews
Preserved space for hiking and biking, with kid-friendly options.
Ignacio Valley Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 98 reviews
Undeveloped, 906-acre open space with trails for hiking, mountain biking & horseback riding.
Deer Island Open Space
4.5 ★★★★★ 96 reviews
Kid-friendly area featuring a well-maintained, tree-lined loop trail with scenic views.
Mount Burdell Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 90 reviews
Park with oak trees, hiking trails, and a peak that features a plateau and views.
Big Trees Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 81 reviews
Hiking, horseback riding, and picnics are popular activities at this area with scenic redwoods.
Ponti Ridge Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 13 reviews
Reservoir Hill Vista Trail
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Novato
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is natural surface (3 of 19). 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 natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 4 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 Novato is Mt Burdell Hike at 5.2 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 10 trails in Novato are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 15 of the 19 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 8 have trailhead parking, 3 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Novato. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 5 shaded, 2 that runners describe as quiet, 10 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 Novato trails by type
Running trails near Novato
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.