5 Best Beaches For Running On The West Coast, According To Athletes

Bicoastal travelers quickly learn that East Coast beaches are very different from West Coast beaches. While the beaches on the East Coast are made for lounging with a book and a beer, the beaches along the wild, chilly Pacific are better suited to sporty activities like surfing, kayaking, and hiking. Of course, few things will warm you up on the West Coast's chilly beaches better than a nice run.

Many scenic shores have paved trails with ocean views, but we've sought out those where you can actually get some or all of your workout right on the sand. "It's such a great feeling running at the edge of the surf where the water, land and air meet," one Redditor rhapsodizes. They go on to describe finishing a marathon in Santa Cruz, California, by running right out into the surf. Sounds like a pretty refreshing cool-down, doesn't it?

Beach runners are divided on the subject of going barefoot vs. running shod. One Harvard Study concluded that our human ancestors may have suffered fewer injuries by running barefoot, since doing so encourages a safer fore-foot or mid-foot strike, whereas runners in cushioned shoes are more likely to employ a less-ideal heel strike. Just be aware of the risks of walking or running barefoot at the beach, which include sharp rocks and shells, jellyfish stings, or even burns from hot sand. If you decide to wear shoes, a pair of trail running gaiters will go a long way toward keeping the sand out. One more caveat to be aware of: Since you'll be using different muscles running on sand than you do running on firmer trails or pavement, keep your ambitions modest and think about dialing back on the distance, lest you risk injury.

Washington's Kalaloch Beaches Trail is a windswept, gorgeous wonder, with the kind of postcard scenery that makes your heart swell. It's also frequently cold — the kind of damp cold that really gets under your skin. It's a scientific fact that the high amount of relative humidity found in environments like the Washington coast makes cold air feel even colder, as the moisture in the air conducts heat away from your body. Even in July and August, the hottest months of the year at Kalaloch Beach, the average daily temperature is just 61 degrees Fahrenheit. In April, it's a brisk 50 degrees. However, running solves this temperature problem by getting your blood moving. At just over 3 miles, this route is the perfect length for a warming jog, and that inner glow should last long enough that you can sit and watch the sunset after.

The Kalaloch Beaches Trail is a nearly flat route along the sand that hugs the jagged coastline, connecting four small, jewel-like beaches, including Ruby Beach, one of the best beaches in America. You can access the water from seven different trailheads, including the day use area at Kalaloch Campground. You'll see jutting rock formations called sea stacks, piles of driftwood, and twisted, wind-carved trees. You might even see harbor seals, porpoises, and sea otters. Time your run for low tide, and you'll have flat, well-packed sand underfoot most of the way. If you feel like extending your run another 0.8 miles, you can add on the Kalaloch Creek Nature Trail for a glimpse of the Olympic Peninsula's famous rain forest.

The artsy little Oregon Coast city of Cannon Beach is nestled right up against a broad, pristine, 3-mile-long beach that's perfect for a leisurely jog. The sand here is soft and silvery, and the beach is wide enough that you can choose the kind of workout you want to pursue. Cling to the foamy surf line to pound your feet along packed, flat sand, or sprint through the dry stuff for a low-impact, calf-searing workout.

If your best running buddy happens to be a dog, you're in luck, as Cannon Beach has a reputation as one of the most dog-friendly beaches in America. Rules in Cannon Beach allow for off-leash cavorting, as long as your pet is under voice-control. Thanks to this reputation, it's also pretty easy to find dog-friendly restaurants, hotels, and vacation rentals. If you don't have a dog, think about getting one, as dog owners are scientifically shown to get more exercise than non-dog-owners.

As you run along Cannon Beach, the iconic Haystack Rock will be in constant view, often shrouded in moody mist. At low tide, you can finish your run at the rock, stopping to catch your breath as you peer into tide pools brimming with sea stars and anemones. Then, you can jog right over to the charming vintage Wayfarer Restaurant, right on the beach, to replenish the calories you burned with a dish of razor clams, an Oregon Coast delicacy.

The Oregon Dunes are a trail runner's Mecca. If you want to build sculpted calves and the lung capacity of an Olympic athlete, this is the place to really challenge yourself. Few activities are better for building muscle and endurance than running on soft sand, and that's what you have here in abundance. The unstable surface means your feet will be constantly compensating, working small muscles you didn't even know you had. Prepare to be sore.

Sandwiched between Florence and Coos Bay, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area stretches along 40 miles of coastline, and it offers many trails for runners to choose from, with a variety of surfaces. The John Dellenback Dunes Trail is a moderately challenging 5.1-mile run that begins in a pine forest, then crosses the open dunes, where you'll be surrounded by rolling sand as far as the eye can see. Lastly, you'll break out onto the firmer sand of the shoreline, where you can dip your toes in the surf for a cool-down before heading back. Short and sweet, the 1.8 mile Oregon Dunes Trail loops you through an ocean of sand dotted with "tree islands" for an otherworldly adventure.

If you're visiting the Oregon Dunes during snowy plover nesting season (March 15 through September 15), you'll need to pay close attention to signage noting restricted areas. These fluffy little birds tend to nest in shallow depressions in soft, open sand, so you'll be asked to stay on marked trails to avoid disturbing them. Although dogs are welcome throughout the Oregon Dunes, plover nesting areas will be closed to them temporarily.

The charming, artsy town of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino coast is a popular weekend getaway from the San Francisco Bay Area. It has lots of wineries and nearby redwoods to explore, but it also has a truly great running destination in Ten Mile Beach. If you stay at the picturesque Beachcomber Motel, you can run out the door of your room and onto the beach. Just remember to layer, because this region can be foggy and windy, even in summer, but that mild Mediterranean climate means this is a great year-round destination for active recreation. Since this is wine country, you can unwind after your exertions with a glass of Cabernet or Semillon at Pacific Star Winery, which boasts a tasting room with an ocean view.

Don't let the name fool you — Mendocino's Ten Mile Beach is just 3.5 miles long, but you can get quite a workout here over varied terrain. The north end of this beach is a great place to practice your High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), with soft, steep dunes to sprint up and slide down for a lung-searing workout. Try it barefoot to feel like a kid again. You can warm up closer to the shore by loping along on firm, compacted sand by the surf's edge. Keep an eye out and you might spot sea lions, otters, and migrating whales. At the south end, you'll find Fort Bragg's famous Glass Beach, littered with sea glass — broken bottles that have been burnished into gems by the pounding of the waves.

Running the 3.3 miles between the Santa Monica Pier and kooky, colorful Venice Beach is a quintessential Los Angeles experience. You'll be following a segment of the 22-mile-long paved Marvin Braude Path. For much of its length, this path is right along the sand, so you can give your joints a break from pounding pavement and avoid most of the bike traffic by jogging on the beach.

The closer the trail gets to Venice, the more crowds you'll encounter. Even on weekdays, you'll share this one with bicyclists, roller skaters, strollers, and pedestrians. All that traffic might slow you down, but this fun run is more about the joyful experience of the carnival atmosphere than it is about getting in a well-paced workout. If you're new to running, all the sights will give you plenty of opportunities to stop and catch your breath. You'll pass right by the famous Muscle Beach Gym, the outdoor gym where Arnold Schwarzenegger once trained. When the trail veers close to the Venice Boardwalk, you may see street musicians, jugglers, and more.

One advantage of a city-based run like this is that you can easily run one way, then grab a rideshare or take public transportation back to your starting point. When you do get back to the Santa Monica Pier, you can take a spin on the Pacific Wheel, which will give you a different perspective of the miles you've just logged.

To find the best beach runs on the West Coast, we scoured running resources like GreatRuns.com and Trail Runner Magazine for inspiration, and we looked for anecdotal user experiences on Tripadvisor, AllTrails, and Reddit. We looked to trail websites like AllTrails and Komoot to verify mileages, as well as National and State Park websites to make sure the trails we recommend are currently open, as beachfront trails can sometimes be obstructed by landslides, coastal erosion, or storm damage (the dreamy San Clemente Beach Trail would have made our list were it not for such a closure, but do check it out in the future). Lastly, since running is a sport, and sports injuries are a concern, we checked our recommendations against scientific literature.