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Running trails in Thousand Oaks, CA
Thousand Oaks has 20 trails in the directory — 2 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 2 loops that return to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, 8 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 9 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 4,160 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.
Paradise Falls
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,293 reviews
40-ft. waterfall in a canyon in a rugged regional park, accessible by hiking trails.
Conejo Creek North Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 911 reviews
Outdoor recreation area with 2 ponds & a stream, plus a playground, picnic shelters & restrooms.
Wildwood Regional Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 692 reviews
Hilly, wooded park featuring a nature center & trails, plus picnic tables, grills & restrooms.
Los Robles Trail & Open Space System
4.7 ★★★★★ 191 reviews
Natural area known for its hiking/mountain biking trails & picturesque panoramas.
Wendy Trail Head
4.8 ★★★★★ 177 reviews
Green hills and fields of this area offer hiking trails, waterfalls, and ocean views.
Sapwi Trails Community Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 122 reviews
Landscaped space featuring multiple trails and a disc golf course plus picnic areas.
Arroyo Conejo Open Space
4.7 ★★★★★ 100 reviews
Open space featuring canyons, waterfalls and caves, along with biking and hiking trails.
Los Robles Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 92 reviews
Trail with views of the surrounding landscape that's also good for hiking, biking and dog walks.
Arroyo Conejo trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 95 reviews
Suburban park offering hiking trails and an easy trail, as well as cliff jumping and a waterfall.
Sapwi Trails Community Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 86 reviews
Skate park featuring a pump track, a BMX trail and a skate track.
Sycamore Canyon Falls
4.7 ★★★★★ 81 reviews
Hiking area with trails leading to a waterfall, plus streams, and oak and poison oak trees.
Tarantula Hill
4.8 ★★★★★ 65 reviews
Steep paved trail leading to a vantage point at the valley's apex.
Rosewood Trail Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 66 reviews
Hiking area with shady trails, running water, and views of Thousand Oaks.
Autumn Ridge Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 54 reviews
Green hiking area featuring wildflowers, challenges, and views.
Conejo Ridge Open Space
4.7 ★★★★★ 38 reviews
Mountainous nature preserve of undeveloped chaparral, woodlands & sage scrub, with a walking trail.
Hillcrest Open Space Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 28 reviews
Hiking locale with views of the city and valley.
Los Robles Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 18 reviews
Mission Trail
5 ★★★★★ 2 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Thousand Oaks
- Match the surface to your legs. Thousand Oaks gives you a choice: 2 paved and 2 natural surface. 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? 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 Thousand Oaks is Autumn Ridge Trail at 3 mi.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Thousand Oaks are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 9 of the 20 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 14 have trailhead parking, 6 have restrooms, and 6 have a water fountain in Thousand Oaks. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 8 shaded, 2 that runners describe as quiet, 5 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 Thousand Oaks trails by type
Running trails near Thousand Oaks
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.