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Running trails in Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica has 6 trails in the directory — 2 paved, 2 boardwalk, and 1 open 24 hours. Every one post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 15,973 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.
Palisades Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 8,100 reviews
This sizable strip of grass, palm trees & walking trails features expansive ocean views.
Crescent Bay Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 2,993 reviews
Tranquil park featuring grassy areas, benches & a pergola, plus views of the ocean.
Ocean View Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 2,357 reviews
Busy beachfront park features paddle tennis, basketball & tennis courts, plus a grassy lawn & hill.
Clover Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,736 reviews
This 17.9-acre park includes lighted ball fields & tennis courts, plus playgrounds & picnic spots.
Santa Monica Stairs
4.7 ★★★★★ 432 reviews
Challenging outdoor cardio workout spot featuring concrete and wooden stairs and scenic views.
Barnard Way Linear Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 355 reviews
Narrow park above the beach featuring a walking path with water views & many benches.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Santa Monica
- Match the surface to your legs. Santa Monica gives you a choice: 2 paved and 2 boardwalk. 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? A loop finishes back at the car with no backtracking; on an out-and-back you simply turn round at half your distance.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Santa Monica is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 6 of the 6 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 2 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 6 have trailhead parking, 5 have restrooms, and 3 have a water fountain in Santa Monica. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 that runners describe as quiet, 4 dog-friendly, and 1 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 Santa Monica trails by type
Running trails near Santa Monica
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.