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Running trails in Ripon, CA
Ripon has 7 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 shaded, and 1 open 24 hours. 6 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 3,455 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.
Caswell Memorial State Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 1,317 reviews
Covering more than 250 acres along Stanislaus River, this park is home to many endangered species.
Mistlin Sports Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,142 reviews
This 80-acre community space features a gazebo, play area with splash pad & multiple sports fields.
Mavis Stouffer Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 724 reviews
Scenic nature spot on the river with a picnic pavilion, walking trails, sports fields & a stadium.
Mistlin Park on Oak Avenue
4.4 ★★★★☆ 117 reviews
Laid-back park and tourist attraction featuring a fountain for photos, plus two playgrounds.
Army Corps Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 81 reviews
Peaceful park with kid-friendly hikes, trails, and a river.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Ripon
- Match the surface to your legs. Most of what's here is natural surface (1 of 7). 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? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Ripon is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 6 of the 7 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 3 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 2 have trailhead parking, 4 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in Ripon. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 3 that runners describe as quiet, 3 dog-friendly, and 1 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 Ripon trails by type
Running trails near Ripon
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.