Muir Woods National Monument, run by the National Park Service, is a fantastic opportunity to run among old growth coastal redwoods. There’s also a massive network of other trails in the area, ranging from coastal trails to some steeper, more challenging terrain in adjacent Mount Tamalpais State Park.
The main trails featuring the redwoods are gorgeous, and flat for easy running. The issue is that this area can be very crowded, so it might be difficult — or inappropriate — to run. Go early, or off-season, or in bad weather(!). We’ve also found that if you get 1-2 miles beyond the Visitor Center, things get a lot less crowded and it’s more runnable. This link is an excellent guide to area hiking/walking/running, with details on the trails, distance and elevation. Best to buy a trail map at the Visitor Center.
Deer Park Fire Rd. Google Street View
The easiest running is on the Main Trail, up to 2 miles out and back. But crowded! There are also some nice opportunities to get in some hills on the Canopy View and Fern Creek trails. The Ben Johnson Trail is great, with wonderful variety, but it’s a 925 foot gain.
For a run on a wider trail with good footing, we recommend the Deer Park Fire Road, which parallels the Dipsea Trail. You’ll emerge from the redwood forest and run through exposed grasslands, with great views. It’s a steady, steep climb, rising 1200 feet over 2.4 miles to where it meets the Coastal Fire Road. Up to 4.8 miles out and back, 1,193 foot gain.
Muir Woods National Monument, run by the National Park Service, is a fantastic opportunity to run among old growth coastal redwoods. There’s also a massive network of other trails in the area, ranging from coastal trails to some steeper, more challenging terrain in adjacent Mount Tamalpais State Park.
The main trails featuring the redwoods are gorgeous, and flat for easy running. The issue is that this area can be very crowded, so it might be difficult — or inappropriate — to run. Go early, or off-season, or in bad weather(!). We’ve also found that if you get 1-2 miles beyond the Visitor Center, things get a lot less crowded and it’s more runnable. This link is an excellent guide to area hiking/walking/running, with details on the trails, distance and elevation. Best to buy a trail map at the Visitor Center.
Deer Park Fire Rd. Google Street View
The easiest running is on the Main Trail, up to 2 miles out and back. But crowded! There are also some nice opportunities to get in some hills on the Canopy View and Fern Creek trails. The Ben Johnson Trail is great, with wonderful variety, but it’s a 925 foot gain.
For a run on a wider trail with good footing, we recommend the Deer Park Fire Road, which parallels the Dipsea Trail. You’ll emerge from the redwood forest and run through exposed grasslands, with great views. It’s a steady, steep climb, rising 1200 feet over 2.4 miles to where it meets the Coastal Fire Road. Up to 4.8 miles out and back, 1,193 foot gain.
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Essentials
Visitor Center
20 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitor Center with extensive parking
One of the most spectacular areas for running close to a city. Fantastic views of the GG Bridge, Bay, city. Run the 5 miles to Rodeo Beach or do loop options involving Bunker Rd. in the valley. Great trail running options.
Iconic area just north of the GG Bridge. Incredible panoramas from its 2,571 summit. 60+ miles of trails and fire roads, with options for all abilities, through canyons, redwood forests, oak woodlands, open grasslands, and sturdy chaparral. Be prepared for hills!
Some decent running options in this area 20 miles north of SF off the Shoreline Highway: 2.75-mile beach, quiet roads above the highway with nice views, and some gorgeous (but hilly) trail running.
Just north of Salinas. Some nice road running around Bolinas Park and the Quail Refuge. Rugged beach running on Agate Beach. Coastal Trail is a great trail run - first 1.5 miles from Palomarin Trailhead is fairly flat.
This National Seashore is a fantastic 'destination run', 90 minutes north of San Francisco. There are spectacular coastal trails, open ranch lands, & historic sites. Best trail: Coast Trail; Great Beach for running: Limantour Beach.
Lovely waterfront run in the tony town of Sausalito, located in Marin County across the Golden Gate Strait from San Francisco. Up to 5 miles one-way to Bayfront Park, mainly on the Mill Valley-Sausalito multi-use path. Great water & skyline views.
Nice waterfront running in Belvedere and Tiburon. Our 4-mile out and back features attractive homes, water views, and parks. Add-on with the 3-mile loop around Belvedere Island, or get the lungs going in the hilly residential streets above the harbor.
Nice running options in San Rafael. Enjoy great SF Bay views from the shoreline San Francisco Bay Trail, 5 miles out and back. China Camp State Park is another favorite, with 15 miles of trails through tidal wetlands, forests, meadows, and grasslands.
A scenic but hilly 5-miler, incorporating the pretty, residential streets near downtown, the Gerstle Park estate, and the Robert Dollar Trail through Boyd Memorial Park. Note this includes a 550-foot climb over 1 mile!
Very scenic but challenging running in this series of parks and preserves that combine for 3,000 acres of contiguous open space. Wide open fire roads and more rugged trails through grasslands, meadows, scrub, and forests. VERY HILLY!
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Essentials
Visitor Center
20 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitor Center with extensive parking
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