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Santa Rosa gives runners a rare combination: a connected network of paved creek paths, wine country views inside city limits, and a beer scene waiting at the end of every long run. Whether you’re in town for the Beer City Half Santa Rosa or you’ve been logging miles here for years, the paved side of this city deserves more attention than it gets.
This guide covers 8 paved running routes in Santa Rosa and the surrounding Sonoma County towns. All of them are hard surface, most are car free, and every one of them is runnable year round.
Paved Routes vs Trail Running in Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa runners have two very different options, and it helps to know which one you want before you drive somewhere.
The paved network follows the creeks and old rail lines. These are flat to gently rolling, well graded, and built for steady effort, which makes them the right call for tempo work, long runs at goal pace, stroller miles, and anyone who wants to know exactly what the footing will be.
The dirt network is a separate world. Trione-Annadel State Park, Taylor Mountain, and the ridges east of town deliver singletrack, rolling hills, and real climbing across varied terrain.
The Best Paved Running Routes in Santa Rosa
1. Santa Rosa Creek Trail
The Santa Rosa Creek Trail is the backbone of the entire system and the closest thing Santa Rosa has to a signature route. The paved path runs 2.14 miles along the north side of Santa Rosa Creek between Willowside Road and Fulton Road, sitting on a raised bank with open views of farms, vineyards, and the Mayacamas Mountains separating Sonoma from Napa.
Three pedestrian bridges cross Wendel, Piner, and Peterson creeks along the way. Keep going east and the trail network stretches 6.18 miles from Willowside Road all the way to Santa Rosa Avenue, which is enough for a genuine long run without repeating yourself.
Parking’s limited to the shoulder along Willowside Road, so most runners start from A Place to Play at 2375 West Third Street instead. Note that the parallel path on the south side of the creek is gravel, not pavement.
2. Prince Memorial Greenway
The Prince Memorial Greenway is the downtown Santa Rosa link, running about 1.3 miles of concrete along both banks of the creek between Pierson Street and Santa Rosa Avenue. It passes under Highway 101 and through the heart of the city, lined with restored creek habitat, native plantings, and public murals.
This is the piece that ties everything together. From here you can continue west onto the Santa Rosa Creek Trail or drop south onto the Joe Rodota Trail via the bridge near the rail tracks.
There’s no dedicated lot, but street parking is available along Sonoma Avenue. Railroad Square sits a block away if you want coffee before or a beer after.
3. Joe Rodota Trail
The Joe Rodota Trail is the longest paved run in the area at 8.5 miles, connecting downtown Santa Rosa to Sebastopol along the former Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railway. For runners, the western half is the one to prioritize.
Start from the Fulton Road area or the west end of Sebastopol Road and head toward Sebastopol. That stretch is heavily used by local runners, families, and dog walkers, and it opens onto orchards, vineyards, and the Laguna de Santa Rosa wetlands.
The eastern miles closer to downtown are more urban in character. Run those in daylight and with company if you can.
4. West County Regional Trail
Pick up where the Joe Rodota leaves off and you get another 5.5 miles of mostly paved path linking Sebastopol, Graton, and Forestville. The West County Regional Trail’s separated from Highway 116 and rolls past farms, pasture, and vineyards the whole way.
Just north of Graton, an elevated boardwalk carries you through the Atascadero Creek Ecological Reserve. The northern end drops into downtown Forestville, close to the Russian River and worth building a run around.
Free parking’s at the Ross Station Road trailhead, with a portable toilet at Graton Road. Combined with the Joe Rodota, the two trails total roughly 14 paved miles.
5. Spring Lake Loop
Spring Lake Regional Park is the local go to for a clean, repeatable loop. The Spring Lake Loop Trail is 2.3 miles of paved path circling the lake, mostly flat with one short climb to the main dam.
The park covers nearly 10 miles of trails total, and the paved loop is partially accessible. Roughly 1.2 miles between the swimming lagoon parking area and the boat launch has moderate slopes and good accessibility.
Entrances are at 393 Violetti Road on the north side and 5585 Newanga Avenue on the south. The park’s open sunrise to sunset.
6. Howarth Park and Lake Ralphine
Howarth Park sits directly north of Spring Lake and connects to it by paved path. Start at the north end of Howarth’s upper parking lot, run alongside Lake Ralphine, and continue into Spring Lake Regional Park for a combined loop of about 3.6 miles.
This is the friendliest route in the city for a first visit. There’s shade, water, restrooms, and a cafe, and the wildlife count on any given morning includes turkeys, hawks, and every waterfowl species in Sonoma County.
Expect company on weekends. Early morning’s quieter and cooler.
7. SMART Multi-Use Path
The SMART path runs alongside the rail line in two paved sections through central Santa Rosa, with the southern portion spanning between Highway 12 and Bellevue Avenue. The north end of that section meets the Joe Rodota Trail and sits close to both the Greenway and the creek trail.
It isn’t the most scenic run on this list, but it’s the most useful. If you arrive by train, you can step off and start running.
8. Hunter Creek Trail
For south Santa Rosa runners, Hunter Creek Trail is a paved neighborhood path following Hunter Creek east from Santa Rosa Avenue to Hunter Lane. Sonoma County Regional Parks maintains it, and the creek corridor supports thick vegetation and steady bird activity.
There’s no formal parking at either end, so this one works best if you can run to it. It’s a solid easy day or recovery option rather than a destination.
Run These Routes With a Group
Most of these paths see regular group activity during the week, and joining one is the fastest way to learn which access points and parking spots actually work. Our guide to the best run clubs in Santa Rosa covers 8 local options, from free weeknight social runs to coached training groups.
Finish Your Run at Beer City
The Beer City Half Santa Rosa starts at A Place to Play and runs a beautiful course along Santa Rosa Creek, with half marathon, 10k, and 5k distances plus a 1-mile Beer Stroll. That means the training runs and the race happen on the same ground.
Every runner gets a shirt, a Key to Beer City finisher’s medal, a custom tasting glass, and unlimited tasting at the post-race festival. Sonoma County brewers pour local beer, kombucha, and cider, and the free Beer Trolley runs to the best breweries in Santa Rosa after the race.
Runners Also Ask These Questions About Santa Rosa Paved Paths
The Santa Rosa Creek Trail network gives you 6.18 miles point to point from Willowside Road to Santa Rosa Avenue. Link it to the Joe Rodota Trail at the Prince Memorial Greenway and you can push well past 15 miles without leaving pavement.
The paved routes are flat to gently rolling with easy grades throughout. The creek trails and rail trails follow old railway alignments and waterways, so the elevation change is minimal compared to the trails east of the city.
Downtown runners can access the Prince Memorial Greenway, the Joe Rodota Trail, and the SMART path directly from the city center. All three connect, which means you can build a route of almost any distance from Railroad Square.
The western section toward Sebastopol is the most popular with runners and gets steady daily traffic from locals. The eastern miles near downtown are more urban, so run them during daylight hours and consider bringing a partner.
Yes. Spring Lake and Howarth Park both link directly into Trione-Annadel State Park, where over 45 miles of dirt trails begin. That makes the Spring Lake area the natural handoff point between paved and unpaved running.