Sacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California and its fourth largest city. It is at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California’s expansive Central Valley. Due to the city’s high vulnerability to floods, much of the land to the west of the city is permanently reserved for a vast flood control basin. There are some good spots for running in Sacramento, focused on routes along the water, and some pleasant parks and residential areas downtown.
The best places to run in Sacramento are paths along the American River, several centrally located parks, our ‘runseeing’ tour of the Capitol, some of the areas around UC David, and a taste of some of the farmland near town.
Runners should note that summers in Sacramento can be quite hot.