Trail Running California

California is the beating heart of American trail and ultra running, and this guide maps the routes that made it. The Dipsea, first run in 1905, climbs 688 stairs out of Mill Valley and remains the oldest trail race in the country. The Western States Trail from Foresthill to the river is the crux of the sport's most famous hundred-miler. Marin's Coastal and Miwok loops, Matt Davis and Steep Ravine, Tennessee Valley and Mount Tam's Eldridge Grade make the Headlands the most-run singletrack in the state. Southern California answers with the Backbone Trail from Ray Miller to Sycamore, Mount Wilson's 1908 race course, Echo Mountain, Griffith Park and Cowles Mountain. Higher up, the Tahoe Rim Trail at Tahoe Meadows, the Mammoth Lakes Basin and Desolation Wilderness run above 8,000 feet. Filter by tier, race courses, terrain, dogs and beginner suitability.