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Running trails in San Clemente, CA
San Clemente has 14 trails in the directory — 1 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 with a stated distance, and 4 open 24 hours. 11 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 5,099 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.
Calafia Beach Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,774 reviews
Picturesque beachfront park providing swimming, surfing & open recreational space with bluff views.
San Clemente State Beach
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,639 reviews
State park featuring a mile-long beach, picnic areas & campsites, plus biking & hiking trails.
Linda Lane Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 786 reviews
City park featuring a fish-themed playground, green spaces, seating areas & more.
Sea Summit Trail - North El Camino Real Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 113 reviews
Park with multiple groomed trails, some with ocean views, plus benches and restrooms.
Pico Park
4.4 ★★★★☆ 113 reviews
Basketball court in an informal park with a playscape, BBQ grills, picnic tables and ocean views.
Bonito Canyon Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 41 reviews
San Clemente Bike Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 6 reviews
San Clemente Walking Trail
4.2 ★★★★☆ 5 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in San Clemente
- Match the surface to your legs. San Clemente gives you a choice: 1 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? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance. The longest stated distance in San Clemente is Knob Hill at 4 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 4 trails in San Clemente are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 11 of the 14 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 7 have trailhead parking, 9 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in San Clemente. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 that runners describe as quiet, 2 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 San Clemente trails by type
Running trails near San Clemente
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.