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Running trails in Palm Springs, CA
Palm Springs has 23 trails in the directory — 7 on crushed gravel or dirt, 12 loops that return to the trailhead, 6 with a stated distance, 4 shaded, and 8 open 24 hours. 21 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 5,794 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.
Indian Canyons
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,134 reviews
This group of canyons has trails for hiking & horseback riding, plus picnic areas & a gift shop.
Andreas Canyon Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 985 reviews
Featuring palm trees and a stream, this hiking area offers picnic tables and a restroom.
Palm Canyon
4.8 ★★★★★ 973 reviews
Nature preserve featuring a canyon, palm trees, and pools, plus picnic areas.
Tahquitz Canyon
4.5 ★★★★★ 956 reviews
Canyon with a waterfall, rock art, plants & wildlife, along with a visitor center.
North Lykken Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 345 reviews
Popular trail with city views and a mountain backdrop, plus big-horn sheep sightings.
Cactus to Clouds Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 306 reviews
Hiking trail through mountainous desert terrain known for its steep elevation increase.
South Lykken Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 211 reviews
Scenic hiking site featuring steep and rocky paths, along with panoramic city views.
Murray Canyon Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 112 reviews
Hike along a creek or stream past palm trees to a waterfall, through a canyon and over rocks.
Araby Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 104 reviews
Hiking route offers views of the Coachella Valley and San Jacinto Mountains, plus Bob Hope's house.
Araby Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 100 reviews
Loop or out-and-back trail with steep stretches and panoramic views of the city, valley and mountains.
North Lykken Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 87 reviews
Hiking area featuring trails with scenic views and frequent big horn sheep sightings.
Garstin Trailhead
4.9 ★★★★★ 68 reviews
Steep trail leading to 360° views of Palm Springs and the surrounding mountains.
Long Valley Discovery Trail
5 ★★★★★ 66 reviews
Kid-friendly hiking area featuring desert terrain.
South Lykken Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 61 reviews
Bighorn-sheep sighting trail with scenic views of Palm Desert, Palm Springs and canyons.
Tahquitz Creek Footbridge and Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 42 reviews
Gravel, sandy, dirt, and paved paths for hiking and walking trails with mountain views and waterfall access.
Earl Henderson Trail
4.1 ★★★★☆ 27 reviews
Scenic mountain trail covering 2.9 miles, popular for walks, nature hikes & horseback riding.
Dunn Road Access Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 25 reviews
Clara Burgess Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 16 reviews
Challenging single 2.2-mi. national forest trail ascending 1,339 feet to a hilltop.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Palm Springs
- Match the surface to your legs. Palm Springs gives you a choice: 7 natural surface and 1 mixed. 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? 12 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 Palm Springs is Indian Canyons at 5 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 8 trails in Palm Springs are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 21 of the 23 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 19 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 3 have a water fountain in Palm Springs. 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, 5 with mile markers, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 6 dog-friendly, and 2 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 Palm Springs trails by type
Running trails near Palm Springs
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.