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Running trails in San Diego, CA
San Diego has 35 trails in the directory — 12 on crushed gravel or dirt, 6 loops that return to the trailhead, 6 with a stated distance, 10 shaded, and 14 open 24 hours. 25 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 27,684 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.
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 8,856 reviews
Natural cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean offer views of the coast & the occasional cliff diver.
Mission Trails Regional Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 7,818 reviews
8,000-acre recreational park featuring 60 miles of trails, along with a lake for boating & camping.
Cowles Mountain Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,024 reviews
Picturesque uphill hiking trail known for its panoramic views at the summit.
Chollas Lake Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,603 reviews
Casual park with picnic tables and playgrounds, plus a lake with ducks and geese.
Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and Nature Center
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,456 reviews
This park running along the coast & up to the mouth of Tecolote Canyon includes a visitors center.
Black Mountain Open Space Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 762 reviews
2,352 acres of hills, ridges & canyons. Hike or bike to a central peak offering a 360-degree view.
Cowles Mountain
4.8 ★★★★★ 725 reviews
Popular hiking area with trails leading to a summit with panoramic views.
Sunset Cliffs Coastal Trail (Linear Park)
4.8 ★★★★★ 687 reviews
Hiking trail atop the Pacific Ocean bluffs offering sunset views & seasonal gray whale watching.
Otay Valley Regional Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 571 reviews
200-acre park offers 8 miles of hiking, biking & equestrian trails amid salt ponds & rolling hills.
Piedras Pintadas Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 513 reviews
Mostly flat, kid-friendly hiking area with a stone/gravel trailhead and some hills.
Rose Canyon Open Space Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 431 reviews
Rugged venue offering trails, wildlife-viewing & bird-watching among canyons & valleys.
Kwaay Paay Peak East Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 371 reviews
Trail boasting views of mountains and the sea, with some steep climbs.
Mission Trails Clairemont Mesa Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 279 reviews
Recreational area offering hiking and mountain biking trails, plus a horse riding path.
Los Penasquitos Canyon Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 262 reviews
Starting point for moderate hiking & biking trail across rugged canyon landscape with a parking lot.
San Clemente Canyon
4.5 ★★★★★ 152 reviews
Park, canyon and trail network offering hikes, walks and bike rides.
Chollas Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 130 reviews
Family-friendly park with a lake, playground, picnic tables, and barbecue grills.
Juniper Canyon
4.3 ★★★★☆ 110 reviews
Nature area featuring hiking paths and wildlife amid canyon scenery.
Mission Trails Rim Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 96 reviews
This trail for hiking, running & mountain biking offers scenic views over San Diego.
Rose Canyon Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 64 reviews
Linear park featuring fire roads, creeks and bridges, as well as hiking and mountain biking trails along the floor of a canyon.
Radio Canyon Open Space
4.3 ★★★★☆ 51 reviews
Bayside Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 45 reviews
Easy, short walk (to and from) overlooking the harbor and the bay , plus some city views.
Tecolote Canyon Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 34 reviews
Rose Canyon Trail Head
4.6 ★★★★★ 26 reviews
Stonecrest Village Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 11 reviews
Old Sea World Drive Bay Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 11 reviews
Southcrest Trails Park
4.1 ★★★★☆ 7 reviews
Seawall Running Trail (Start)
3.9 ★★★★☆ 7 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in San Diego
- Match the surface to your legs. San Diego gives you a choice: 12 natural surface and 3 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? 6 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 San Diego is Piedras Pintadas Trailhead at 65 mi. 4 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 14 trails in San Diego are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 25 of the 35 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 1 is lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 21 have trailhead parking, 12 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in San Diego. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 10 shaded, 7 that runners describe as quiet, 14 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 San Diego trails by type
Running trails near San Diego
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.