Searching for the best places to run in Los Angeles?
This city offers countless routes to run for locals, runners of all levels, and simply health-conscious people. You can explore gorgeous parks and excellent running trails with spectacular coastal views.
If you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and just go on a nice run, here are some of the best places to run in Los Angeles, California. Happy Running!
1. Ray Miller Backbone Trail
Details About the Place
Safety Tips
Poison oak, ticks, rattle snakes in summer and fall. Good year-around, but perhaps best in April-June when the waterfall runs strong and flowers abound. Avoid on the hottest days of summer.
2. San Vicente Boulevard
Details About the Place
3. Silver Lake Reservoir
Details About the Place
Safety Tips
Silver Lake Reservoir is not close enough to any freeways or huge roads to make them audible from the area, but it does make parking and getting there a bit complicated. The best bet is to exit the Fletcher Drive exit off of 5 Freeway and take it until you hit Silver Lake Drive. This is a free park, but it does not have great parking. Once you see the reservoir, try to find parking on the side streets in the area. They are, for the most part, free but they may not be easy to find.
4. Griffith Park
Details About the Place
Safety Tips
Sun - Sat: 5 am - 10:30 pm
Since the park is filled with different hiking trails, you’ll want to be particular in choosing which ones to run along to avoid injury.
5.The Strand
Details About the Place
Safety Tips
Pedestrians must cross the trail to gain access to the beach, so you need to be alert to that in any case. Unless your aim is to 'people watch', you will be better off making this trip in the morning hours on a weekday.
The Marvin Braude Bicycle Path is considered a 'shared-use path' wherever an adequate adjacent pedestrian facility does not exist. In fact, this is the case for the majority of it's 22-mile stretch. Notable exceptions are portions within City of Santa Monica and City of Redondo Beach. Please note, the California Vehicle Code, section 21966 states: "No pedestrian shall proceed along a bicycle path or lane where there is an adjacent adequate pedestrian facility." As such, all path users, regardless of location or situation, are expected to exercise due caution to ensure their own safety and the safety of others.
6.Ocean Trails Reserve
Details About the Place
Safety Tips
Park Hours: One hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.
Follow Trail Use Designations
Not Allowed in This Preserve
7. Lake Balboa
Details About the Place
Safety Tips
Park Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
PHONE: (818) 756-8187
Park patrons must enter through the Balboa Boulevard entrance and park in designated parking slots. Overflow parking on the dirt field to the northwest of the park is available during periods of heavy usage.
8. Elysian Park
Safety Tips
The park is very hilly.
It would be better if you avoid Stadium Way as it is busy with no sidewalks.
9. Runyon Canyon Park
Safety Tips
Runyon Canyon Trail is a DIFFICULT hike due to loose ground and potential to slip on the descent.
HOURS OF OPERATION: 7 Days a Week - Dawn to Dusk
Runyon Canyon is a public facility and does not have a staff on the premises. It's unlocked during the hours of operation, and locked from dusk until dawn each night. Questions regarding the park can be directed to 323-666-5046.
Land Manager: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
10. UCLA Drake Stadium
Safety Tips
Regular Hours:
Mon-Fri: Dawn-12:00pm / 5:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday: Dawn-9:00am / 12:00pm-10:00pm
Sunday: Dawn-10:00pm
*Stadium stairs & limited lanes available 9:00am-12:00pm
Drake Stadium is often used by UCLA’s soccer, football, and track & field teams; check for hours of operation that are open to the public.
You can park in meters surrounding the stadium, but please note that they require payment daily from 7:00am-7:00pm and that quarters will buy you 8 minutes.
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