To get the most out of a visit to Hollywood, go for a run in Runyon Canyon. The park’s trails take you high on ridges overlooking the city, and the inclines make a substantial workout. You may even spot a celebrity sharing the trail, as this park is a go-to outdoor escape for Hollywood residents.

Griffith Park, LA’s huge public space surrounding Mount Hollywood, is loaded with trails to incredible vistas over the city. With multiple park entrances and even more trailheads, it can be hard to pick the best routes for running. The one described here is ideal for a challenging run that’s mostly on dirt trails and hits some of the park’s best viewpoints.

Franklin Canyon Park is a pocket of forest very close to Beverly Hills. Though Suburbia sprawls on either side, this sliver of the Santa Monica Mountains has been largely spared from development. Instead of swimming pools, trimmed gardens, or planted palm trees, Franklin Canyon has ponds, brushy chapparal, and oak woodlands.

This running loop connects Sullivan Canyon and Mandeville Canyon in a big climb and big descent, all on dirt trails and fire roads. As mapped here, the loop begins from Mandeville Canyon Park on Westridge Road. This trailhead has more parking than the alternative trailhead at Sullivan Canyon on Queensferry Road, but Sullivan Canyon is another good starting point for a similar loop.

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook is a public park on 500-foot-tall Baldwin Hill, which spectacularly overlooks downtown LA and the entire Los Angeles Basin. Its the classic view of city skyline with a mountain backdrop. The park is also a restored nature sanctuary, with grasses, trees, and wildflowers covering the hills. It’s an especially beautiful run in spring, when yellow blooms crown the hilltop.

Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area is a surprisingly green and spacious park, especially considering its location in the urban area. It’s a popular place for family activities and casual exercise, but runners will enjoy the dirt trails that extend beyond the main use areas. The convenient access and quality terrain make it one of the best places for a trail in the city.

Ocean Trails Reserve is one of the most scenic places to trail run on the coast near LA. Its location in between Long Beach and Redondo Beach is convenient for afternoon exercise, and the natural scenery is hard to beat anywhere else in this area. The reserve is an expanse of green hills atop golden bluffs overlooking the ocean. The vegetation is sparse and desert-like, leaving wide-open views of the sky and sea. Trails weave along the top of the cliffs and also switchback down to the beach.

The Betty B. Dearing Cross Mountain Trail is kind of a hidden gem in the LA area. It’s no secret, but most people hike only at one end of the trail or the other and miss out on what's in between. It’s a surprisingly long and scenic trail, considering its location in the metro area. The full distance is ideal for a hilly trail run with a healthy dose of nature.

Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park is an easily-accessible park that provides a variety of activities. You’ll find grassy picnic areas with sun and shade, playgrounds, a lake with a swim beach and kayak rentals, a campground, and hiking trails. The Middlecrest Loop described here is one of the best trail runs in the park. It climbs to a grassy ridgetop with 360-degree views over the park and the surrounding city.

For a dose of nature and a breath of fresh air in the hills above the Pacific Coast Highway, make the scenic side trip to Tuna Canyon Park. Its handful of trails roll along ridges that tumble down to the sea along the quiet stretch of coast between Santa Monica and Malibu. The Budwood Motorway is one of the best trails for running (though it’s named “motorway,” it is closed to motorized vehicles). It’s not as wide as surrounding fire roads, and it narrows down to little more than a footpath.