The University of California at Santa Cruz is one of the most spectacular college campuses in the United States for running. The campus sits on 2,001 acres of rolling, forested hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay. There are literally miles of trails, through open meadows, redwood forests, and landscaped gardens. A series of footbridges crosses over ravines and provides great connections to different parts of campus. The southern part of the campus consists of the Great Meadow, and features a paved, 2 mile loop trail called the Great Meadow Bike Path, plus other dirt trails. Directly to the north are trails through an Arboretum. Many of the campus buildings are located within forested terrain, and the northern half of the campus property has remained in its undeveloped, forested state apart from fire roads and hiking and bicycle trails.
We’ve mapped the Great Meadow Bike Path, but we also suggest creating your own route, depending on the type of terrain you’d prefer. It’s easily possible to put together a 6-7 mile run on non-overlapping trails. Bonus: many of the the trails are well lit at night!
The University of California at Santa Cruz is one of the most spectacular college campuses in the United States for running. The campus sits on 2,001 acres of rolling, forested hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay. There are literally miles of trails, through open meadows, redwood forests, and landscaped gardens. A series of footbridges crosses over ravines and provides great connections to different parts of campus. The southern part of the campus consists of the Great Meadow, and features a paved, 2 mile loop trail called the Great Meadow Bike Path, plus other dirt trails. Directly to the north are trails through an Arboretum. Many of the campus buildings are located within forested terrain, and the northern half of the campus property has remained in its undeveloped, forested state apart from fire roads and hiking and bicycle trails.
We’ve mapped the Great Meadow Bike Path, but we also suggest creating your own route, depending on the type of terrain you’d prefer. It’s easily possible to put together a 6-7 mile run on non-overlapping trails. Bonus: many of the the trails are well lit at night!
Wonderful coastal running along a multi-use path that runs from Municipal Wharf to Natural Bridges State Park. It's 2.8 miles one-way. Great views, with Seal Rock/Lighthouse Point being one of the scenic highlights.
Several miles of wonderful dirt trails in this park sitting above the water. The classic route is the 2.5 mile loop along the beach bluffs on the Old Cove Landing and Ohlone Bluff Trails. Other trails lead back into wooded terraces.
A pleasant off-road running option along the San Lorenzo River, easily accessible from downtown. It's a great 4-mile loop, using paths on both sides of the river.
Classic California beach running in this spot 8 miles south of Santa Cruz. There are ~2 miles of beachside path, some 12 miles of continuous beach with great firm sand, and 150 stairs opposite the pier if you want to get the heart rate up.
Some 10,000 acres of second-growth redwood forest and 30 miles of trails that stretch from sea level up to 2,600 ft elevation. Best for running is the Aptos Creek Fire Rd. The first 4 miles of this 10.7 mile road are flat, then the hills begin!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!
Subscribe
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Essentials
Miles of trails run through the 2,000 acre campus. Great Meadow Bike Path is a ~2 mile loop
We’ve mapped the Great Meadow Bike Path, but we also suggest creating your own route, depending on the type of terrain you’d prefer. It’s easily possible to put together a 6-7 mile run on non-overlapping trails. Bonus: many of the the trails are well lit at night!
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!