LA's Best Running Routes

LA's Best Running Routes

From verdant city parks to beachy boardwalks, here are four of the LA’s best trails to get your jog on – see you at the finish line. 

For challenging off-road trails backdropped by city views, zip to Griffith Park, which has a whopping 4,210 acres of landscaped and natural terrain to run wild around. A top choice for runners of all levels, the route to Griffith Park Drive from the Los Feliz Boulevard entrance is by far the most popular; the park is also home to organised events and races throughout the year if you’re looking to up your game.

Thanks to its flat and shady paths, Silver Lake Reservoir is ideal for novices, while the calming waterside location provides much-needed headspace. Part urban, part natural, the 3.5km trail circumventing the reservoir is a good option for city slickers who want to escape LA’s hubbub with ease.

Join the buff and the beautiful on the well-trodden stretch between Santa Monica Beachfront and Venice Boardwalk, the ultimate route for style and scene. This dedicated running track, which takes in the notorious Muscle Beach and skatepark gets packed on weekends, so don your boldest athleisure and elbows at the ready.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, central Elysian Park is the city’s oldest and one of the most tranquil green spaces; the just shy of 5 km jogging loop is less busy than other LA trails, so you can focus on your klicks, rather than other people’s kicks. The rugged, tree-dotted surrounds peak at a 228-metre-high summit which affords Insta-worthy city views, with glimpses of the Pacific Ocean on a good day. On your marks, get, set, go! 

Griffith Park / 5am-10.30pm daily / +1 323 644 2050 / laparks.org

Silver Lake Reservoir / 24-hours daily / Silver Lake

Santa Monica Beachfront to Venice Boardwalk / Santa Monica to Venice / +1 310 396 6764 / 24-hours daily / smgov.net & venicebeach.com

Elysian Park / 929 Academy Rd / Echo Park / +1 213 485 5054 / 5am-9pm daily / laparks.org