Silicon Valley conjures up images of tech, cars, and sprawl. But if you plan it right, the opportunities for running in Silicon Valley are fantastic, featuring a great variety: gorgeous waterfont trails by the Bay; rolling, open hill runs; redwood forests; a great series of multi-use trails and linear parks; and beautiful residential neighborhoods. The caveat is that it takes some planning — you can easily get stuck at hotel on a busy road where a pleasant run is not outside your doorstep.
Our guide to the best places to run in Silicon Valley covers the area from San Francisco Airport south to Santa Clara, pointing out the best runs in the cities along the way, generally following Highway 101. There’s a separate guide for San Jose. East of the 101, the best runs center on the Bay and are more water-centric, incorporating the Bay Trail closer to SFO and the Baylands areas from Palo Alto to San Jose. West of the 101, and near I-280, there are numerous ‘Open Space’ parks & preserves offering scenic & hilly trail running. We’ve focused on runs near major corporate HQ and hotels — where travelers to Silicon Valley will end up — plus some ‘destination’ runs if you have time and a car. Palo Alto, the ‘heart’ of Silicon Valley, is also the location of some of the best and most accessible running in the area.
See also our separate guide to San Jose, which is at the Valley’s southern end, and to the East Bay, which is connected to the Valley by the San Mateo & Dumbarton bridges, and I-880.
