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Running trails in San Rafael, CA
San Rafael has 19 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 shaded, and 6 open 24 hours. 16 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 1,862 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.
San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 634 reviews
Nature reserve & hiking spot featuring trails, local wildlife & scenic views of the SF Bay.
Gerstle Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 295 reviews
Historic estate with 12 ornate rooms & cottages in a 2-acre park setting used for community events.
Boyd Memorial Park
4.3 ★★★★☆ 189 reviews
This 4.2-acre green space offers a creek & picnic tables, plus redwood-forest trails & a playground.
Jean & John Starkweather Shoreline Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 138 reviews
Paved path along the waterfront of a serene beach for walking the dog or just enjoying the views.
Terra Linda Sleepy Hollow Ridge
4.8 ★★★★★ 101 reviews
Nature preserve featuring miles of hiking trails for people, horses, and dogs.
Lucas Valley Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 91 reviews
A 1,271-acre preserve with valley views featuring lots of open space & trails for hiking & riding.
Marinwood Open Space
4.6 ★★★★★ 89 reviews
Nature preserve featuring trails and mountain biking, plus opportunities for children.
Santa Venetia Marsh Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 72 reviews
Nature preserve with trails and marshes where dogs and people can enjoy the scenery.
Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop
4.7 ★★★★★ 57 reviews
Nature preserve with a walking path for birding.
Pacheco Valley Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 48 reviews
Kid-friendly hiking area featuring a waterfall.
Robert Dollar Hiking Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 18 reviews
Harry Barbier Memorial Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 19 reviews
Woodoaks Trailhead - San Pedro Mountain
4.5 ★★★★★ 15 reviews
Bench rock
5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
Shoreline Trail
5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in San Rafael
- Match the surface to your legs. San Rafael gives you a choice: 2 natural surface and 1 paved. 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.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 6 trails in San Rafael are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 16 of the 19 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking, 2 have restrooms, and 2 have a water fountain in San Rafael. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 1 shaded, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 4 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 Rafael trails by type
Running trails near San Rafael
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.