Best Scenic Running Routes of San Francisco
Since San Francisco has pretty iconic landscapes with the Golden Gate Bridge, redwood trees, massive parks, proximity to the ocean, and of course those challenging, but ever so unique hills dispersed throughout the city, we’ve decided to recruit local runners to find the top must-run, scenic trails of San Francisco. It’s pretty difficult to justify staring at depressingly beige colored walls inside a gym with these picturesque trails to explore. Not to mention, the added benefit of avoiding the gym’s before/after work treadmill-hoarding game.
So, we bring you our scenic running guide for the Bay Area, where the locals have already taken each route on a trial “run”, discovering the nuances of each trail so that you’re fully prepped.
Batteries to Bluffs
If you’re a stairs person, this is for you. Not only will you get a great lower body workout, but hence the name, you’ll experience views of impressive bluffs, historic gun batteries, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The trail follows along the Pacific Ocean, so you’ll go from beach to cliffside, with a moderate, but relatively sleep incline at times. This trail can be uneven and busy, so be careful on your feet with those mesmerizing views and numerous steps.
- Mileage: 2.2mile loop
- Parking: You can park at the Baker Beach parking lot on the southern end of the trail or Langdon Court Parking and walk .6 miles along Lincoln Blvd to the trailhead.
- Dog Friendly: No
Glen Canyon Park
With wildflowers blooming along the hillside in the spring and summer, unique rock formations, and dense moments of overarching trees, you’ll have a true escape from the city on this trail. The surrounding canyon, spread over 60 acres, has various access points to additional trails and incline variants, though this particular route is fairly mild.
- Mileage: 1.8mile loop
- Parking: Can be difficult to find the beginning of the trail. Street parking is on Chenery Street, Paradise Avenue, or Bosworth Street, with the trailhead on Bosworth. Look for signs to Glen Park Trailhead.
- Dog Friendly: Yes (on-leash)
Lover’s Lane & Ecology Trail Loop (at the Presidio)
Starting in a residential area, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the sudden dense forest filled with redwoods and many other tree varieties. Lover’s Lane is paved, but the route breaks into a sand and dirt path once you hit the Ecology Trail. With an easy transition from city to nature, this urban path is fairly flat and provides plenty of shade. If you’re curious about the name, Lover’s Lane connected the City of San Francisco to the U.S. Army post in the 1800s and1900s, linking soldiers to their significant others.
- Mileage: 2mile loop
- Parking: Parking is fairly easy to find with street parking located on the south side of Presidio, inside Presidio, and the Inspiration Point Overlook parking lot.
- Dog Friendly: Yes (on-leash)
Ocean Beach
If the idea of running along the beach at sunset is a dream board vision of yours, but the execution of actually running through sand sounds quite miserable, Ocean Beach is your new favorite trail. This paved, straight path follows along the beach for the majority of the route, with the exception of a large hill towards Land’s End Park where you can stop and take photos of the cliffside and ocean landscapes from above.
- Mileage: 6.4mile out and back
- Parking: Street parking is along Great Highway and at the north end of the trail at Sutro Heights Park.
- Dog Friendly: Yes (on-leash)
Twin Peaks Trail
With a gradual, but obvious incline you’ll have to work more for your view on this one. But as a reward, you’ll get an iconic panoramic scene of the San Francisco cityscape. Just make sure to go on a clear day. Along the paved road, you’ll share your route with bikers, walkers, and cars at times. But you’ll share some of the best views of the city once you reach the top–we’re thinking this is an ideal sunrise or sunset spot, and one that’s worth running with your camera strapped to your back.
- Mileage: 2.1miles out and back
- Parking: Street parking is located at the bottom of the route off Burnett Avenue. If the trail is open to vehicles at the time, parking is available at the top at Christmas Tree Point Road.
- Dog Friendly: Yes (on-leash)
Land’s End Trail
Water crashing against the sea rocks, distant views of the Golden Gate Bridge, shipwreck remains, Sutro Baths, and historical landmarks, this trail is agood for interval running. You’ll need to dodge hikers on this narrower dirt route, as the views and steady incline appeal to several types of outdoor enthusiasts. We advise running on a weekday if you’re able. Located inside the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, you’ll be on the west edge of the city, with plenty of greenery and vast views of the ocean.
- Mileage: 3.4mile loop
- Parking: Parking is located off Pt. Lobos Avenue and El Camino Del Mar.
- Dog Friendly: Yes (on-leash)
The Coastal Trail (Marin Headlands)
To get a little outside the city and leave the crowds behind, you’ll be able to zone out on this trail just north of the city. The path will narrow quite a bit with a cliff face (acrophobics beware), but you’ll have vast beach and ocean views with colorful hillsides along the way. So that should erase your fear of heights, right?
- Mileage: 2.5mile loop
- Parking: Park at the dead end off Mitchell Road near Rodeo Beach.
- Dog Friendly: Yes (on-leash)
While experiencing the best places to run in San Francisco, you’ll notice the locals are smiling and nodding back as you pass (most likely with a dog in tow), which you might not expect in a big city. As a community-oriented city, San Francisco has plenty of running groups and meetups to join, so you’ll always have a strong community of runners available nearby. So have fun out there and remember to tag us on all your runs #onmyrun @salomonrunning so we can see the scenic routes you experience.
To get ready for your run
Contributors
Adrian Paul
Adrian is a Bay Area local who began his running journey back in high school in Brooklyn, casually trying out for the track team as a freshman and immediately making it onto varsity. His passion for running carried over to his adult life, where he would go on to qualify for the Boston Marathon and win the 2019 San Francisco Marathon for his age group. Originally hailing from Guyana and moving to Brooklyn at the age of five, he continues to honor his heritage through his cooking, another passion of his. When he’s not running, you’ll find him entertaining friends through Caribbean cuisine or binge-watching shows and playing video games.
Angelica Swaim
Angelica didn’t realize her running potential until a classmate noted how fast she was in a college health class. So, she started running for the fun of it, beginning with 5ks and eventually moving on to 50ks, winning the 2019 Skyline to the Sea 50k in first place overall for females. She very much enjoys the community aspect of running in the city and currently resides in the Bay Area with her husband, corgi named Falkor, and baby on the way. However, she notes she is the only runner of the family (Falkor’s more of a hiker) and likes finding running groups in the area while still enjoying the occasional solo trail run.