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Running trails in San Jose, CA
San Jose has 33 trails in the directory — 10 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 7 loops that return to the trailhead, 6 with a stated distance, 13 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 24 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 17,857 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.
Alum Rock Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,599 reviews
Spacious park featuring hiking & biking trails, mineral springs & several picnic areas.
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 3,070 reviews
Nature preserve with hiking/biking/equestrian trails through varied landscapes with valley views.
Hellyer County Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 3,161 reviews
Green space featuring a 15-mile paved trail, plus picnicking, disc golf, a dog park & a velodrome.
Almaden Quicksilver County Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,932 reviews
County park with a history of mining offers hiking, biking & equestrian trails amid wildflowers.
Santa Teresa County Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,670 reviews
Diverse county park with a variety of hiking trails providing views of the numerous hills & valleys.
Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 733 reviews
18,000-acre wilderness area in mountainous terrain with hiking trails, wildlife & valley views.
Guadalupe Oak Grove Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 464 reviews
Hilly park with sparse trees, walking paths & open fields, offering a few picnicking locales.
Saratoga Creek Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 457 reviews
Modest tree-lined public park with playground, open fields, benches & a fenced-in dog run.
Montgomery Hill Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 456 reviews
Nature-focused hike-and-bike hill park featuring trails, views, and green hills.
Penitencia Creek County Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 435 reviews
Linear park following a creek with a 4-mile hiking/biking trail plus a nature center & picnic areas.
Lower Guadalupe River Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 230 reviews
Scenic, paved trail for jogging, cycling or walking that passes the airport.
Eagle Rock
4.7 ★★★★★ 187 reviews
Popular park featuring a hiking trail with scenic views of San Jose.
Boccardo Loop Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 186 reviews
Open to hikers, bikers & equestrians, the 2.7-mile stretch passes though grasslands & oak woodlands.
Inspiration Point
4.6 ★★★★★ 167 reviews
Spacious park with hiking trails and views of the surrounding area.
Rancho San Vicente Open Space Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 149 reviews
Nature preserve offering trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Coyote Creek Trail, San Jose, CA
4.7 ★★★★★ 137 reviews
Shaded hiking area offering paved trails, bird life, benches, squirrels and a pond.
Canyon Creek Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 132 reviews
Recreational area with a playground, picnic tables, and spots for soccer and other sports.
Communications Hill
4.7 ★★★★★ 93 reviews
Neighborhood hiking area providing uphill and downhill trails that offer views.
Los Gatos Creek Trail, St. Elizabeth Dr Entrance
4.2 ★★★★☆ 103 reviews
Paved and scenic trail alongside a creek popular for hiking, biking and dog-walking.
Coyote Creek
4.1 ★★★★☆ 104 reviews
Trail beside namesake creek for walking, jogging & biking in a tranquil woodland setting.
Los Gatos Creek Trail and Bridge
4.4 ★★★★☆ 83 reviews
Nature trail featuring a creek, picnic tables, and ducks popular among families.
Los Gatos Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 75 reviews
Popular spot for dog walkers, hikers, runners and bikers featuring paved paths and creekside treks.
Odette Morrow Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 40 reviews
Trail-laden open area with an exercise area, plus a playground and shade-filled woods.
Coyote Creek Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 28 reviews
San Tomas Aquino/ Saratoga Creek Trail
4.2 ★★★★☆ 21 reviews
Penitencia Creek Trailhead - Noble Ave.
4.7 ★★★★★ 15 reviews
Three Creeks Trail
4 ★★★★☆ 6 reviews
Coyote Creek Trail Berryessa
2.6 ★★★☆☆ 9 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in San Jose
- Match the surface to your legs. San Jose gives you a choice: 10 paved, 2 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 paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 7 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 Jose is Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve at 26 mi. 3 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in San Jose are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 24 of the 33 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. 18 have trailhead parking, 9 have restrooms, and 5 have a water fountain in San Jose. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 13 shaded, 1 with mile markers, 9 that runners describe as quiet, 11 dog-friendly, and 4 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 Jose trails by type
- Paved trails
- Natural surface 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 Jose
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.