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Running trails in San Francisco, CA
San Francisco has 23 trails in the directory — 3 paved and 7 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 3 with a stated distance, 3 shaded, and 9 open 24 hours. 19 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 10,382 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.
Lake Merced Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 1,871 reviews
614-acre park with a recreational trail encircling a freshwater lake, popular for fishing & boating.
Glen Canyon Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,610 reviews
A deep canyon runs through this park, which features sports fields, tennis courts & playgrounds.
Grandview Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,054 reviews
Elevated park area offering hiking trails to the top of a hill with views of the city & the sea.
Lower Great Highway Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 929 reviews
This 3.5-mile beachfront recreational trail winds by the remains of a 19th-century swimming complex.
Mt. Davidson Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 740 reviews
Wooded park at the city's highest peak offering a few walking trails & sweeping urban vistas.
Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 737 reviews
Peaceful green space features a variety of meandering trails through lush forest surrounds.
Lands End Trail Eagles Point
4.8 ★★★★★ 648 reviews
Scenic trail along the cliff coast with vistas and a labyrinth.
Batteries to Bluffs Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 416 reviews
0.7-mi. pedestrian walkway along the shoreline, offering elevated views of the ocean & bluffs.
Lovers’ Lane at the Presidio
4.7 ★★★★★ 385 reviews
Quiet, tree-lined hike-friendly walkway often called Lover's Lane for its romantic appeal.
Strawberry Hill
4.7 ★★★★★ 323 reviews
Hill in a lake reaching 430 feet with Golden Gate views & a man-made waterfall, accessed by bridges.
Lands End Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 293 reviews
Scenic hiking trails and outlooks for the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pacific and the bay, plus for sunset.
Coastal Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 269 reviews
Beachside trail network for walking and hiking, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean.
Philosopher's Way Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 175 reviews
2.7-mi. forest trail featuring 14 stone markers with artwork, quotes & educational information.
Interior Greenbelt
4.8 ★★★★★ 147 reviews
Lush park features a eucalyptus forest, an old creek bed with seasonal streams & a half-mile trail.
Mount Davidson Hiking Path Entrance
4.8 ★★★★★ 103 reviews
Scenic hiking to the area's verdant highest peak, topped by a soaring 100-ft. cross.
Glen Canyon Creeks to Peaks Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 100 reviews
Hiking area with public restroom and picnic tables, plus a marked field where dogs are not allowed.
Sand Ladder
4.7 ★★★★★ 101 reviews
Beachfront hiking trail with a steep, rustic stairway offers sweeping views of the ocean & bridge.
Ecology Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 67 reviews
A 1.4-mi. trail with hiking & cycling sections via grassland & redwoods, with a bay-view lookout.
Visitacion Valley Greenway Community Garden
4.9 ★★★★★ 13 reviews
Glen Park Greenway
4.7 ★★★★★ 12 reviews
The San Francisco Bay Trail Project
4.5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in San Francisco
- Match the surface to your legs. San Francisco gives you a choice: 7 natural surface, 3 paved, and 2 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? 2 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 Francisco is Philosopher's Way Trailhead at 7 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 9 trails in San Francisco are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 19 of the 23 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. 17 have trailhead parking, 15 have restrooms, and 3 have a water fountain in San Francisco. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 3 shaded, 2 with mile markers, 10 that runners describe as quiet, 10 dog-friendly, and 7 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 Francisco trails by type
- Natural surface trails
- Paved trails
- Mixed trails
- Loop trails
- Long-run trails (5+ mi)
- Shaded trails
- Lit for early & night runs
- Flat & fast
- Hilly trails
- Scenic trails
- Trails with restrooms
- Trails with water fountains
- Trailhead parking
- Trails with mile markers
- Quiet, uncrowded trails
- Dog-friendly
- Stroller & wheelchair-accessible
Running trails near San Francisco
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.