Thousand Oaks Trail Running Options

There’s a huge network of trail running in the Thousand Oaks area.  This is mainly hilly trail running territory, with trails switchbacking the area’s hills, affording fantastic views, especially of the ocean closer to the coast. Here are some good options:

Big Sycamore Canyon/Rancho Portero. 5.8 miles out and back, 454 foot gain. The most moderate and scenic trail run in the area combines the Rancho Portero Trail and the Wendy Trail. It’s in the inland section of Sycamore Canyon, and is wide, open, and features good footing. There are numerous access points. At the west end, off Portero Rd., is the West Entrance of the Portero Open Space. The trail runs for 2.9 miles to the Wendy Trailhead at the eastern end. It’s hilly, but less so and with better footing than some other trails in the canyon. ROUTE MAP

Wildwood Park.  Beautiful park through open space in Thousand Oaks with 17 miles of trails. A big range of terrain and ability. The more moderate trail run is 1-mile Mesa Trail, accessed from the Paradise Falls trailhead. Also, some more moderate trails accessible from the Wildwood Neighborhood Park, accessible from W Avenida De Los Arboles.  See THIS PAGE for trail recommendations by level of difficulty. PARK INFO & TRAIL MAP

Rosewood Trail/Hope Nature Preserve. A tough, popular trail run is to combine the Rosewood Trail/Space Mountain loop in the 360-acre Hope Nature Preserve. Sections are narrow and steep. Rosewood Trailhead: 398 Regal Oak Rd.

Point Mugu State Park.  Just north of Malibu, there’s some very scenic running in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. A highlight is the 60 miles of hiking trails in Point Mugu State Park —  heaven for trail runners! The signature trail is the Scenic Trail & Overlook Trail. Starting just near the coast off Sycamore Canyon Road, the trail climbs through gorgeous open terrain, featuring spectacular water views. This is very hilly and steep terrain, with some narrow sections and uneven footing. 

Beach & Coastal Running: It’s possible to run ~3 miles between Sycamore Beach and Point Mugu Beach along a section of the Pacific Coast Highway — there’s a decent shoulder and ocean views. Thornhill Broome Beach is also runnable.