Broaden Your Horizons With These 3 Trail Runs In Southern California

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May 15, 2016

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To our fellow Southern Californians ~ this one’s for you. From the beach to the mountains to the dessert: With the diverse landscape we’re blessed with, you’d be hard-pressed to run bored in So-Cal.

But we all get stuck in our routines. . . the trail to the park out your back door that you find yourself running 5 days a week, or that hill by your office that you do repeats on week in and week out. We all have our go-to’s, and while we’d never advise to throw out your old favorites, we do recommend exploring all that So-Cal has to offer once in awhile! Who knows, you may soon be adding a “new” old-favorite to the mix.

Santa Monica’s Palisades Park

A slender, 26-acre park set on a cliff and running from Colorado Avenue to just north of San Vicente Boulevard, running on these gravel and dirt paths while taking in the beautiful views of views of the Pier, the Pacific, and Malibu will probably make you forget that you’re exerting yourself at all. With a variety of paths mileage may vary depending on which you choose, but a run from the Pier to San Vicente will put you at about a mile and a half (3 miles roundtrip). A breathtaking workout before Sunday brunch on 3rd Street Promenade, anyone?

Oso Creek Trail (Mission Viejo)

If you usually find yourself thumbing your nose at the words “urban trail” we challenge you to check out this pathway in Orange County. Only completed about 7 years ago, the Oso Creek Trail has about 5 miles of trails for all you runners and hikers, and even better --it is scattered with unique points of interest (such as a garden maze and beautiful pieces of art!) that will make you want to keep running around every twist and turn. Stop for a sip from your INVIGORADE bottle while taking a picture with the peace obelisk, inscribed with the word “peace” in a dozen languages and displaying hundreds of copper relief peace emblems fashioned by community members. If that’s not cool, we don’t know what is!

Mt Rubidoux (Riverside)

Craving a good ole’ fashion hill that holds a bit of history to boot? Then head to the I.E. for a run up Mt Rubidoux. There are a few trials to choose from depending on your mood: A longer trail that is around two miles, a shorter trail that is around one mile and a backside way that is less than a mile but basically straight up the whole time (hello, thigh muscles!) You’ll catch sight of a few historical landmarks on these trails like the Peace Bridge which was built in 1925 and dedicated to Frank Miller, the owner of the famous Mission Inn in the area. When you get to the top don’t just run back down --take in the view at the summit. For all you history buffs out there, the monuments, memorials, and plaques that dot the trailsides give these trails the feeling of a pilgrimage.

We hope these 3 options help to broaden your horizons a bit and if YOU know a hidden gem of a place to run, tell us in the comments below! Perhaps we’ll feature it in another blog!