Places to Run near Calamigos: De Anza Park

Hello, my name is Kyle McCabe, and I am a member of the Pepperdine Cross Country team that lives at Calamigos. Some of my teammates and I have written blog posts about our favorite places to run in the area. We hope you enjoy them!

Running from Juan Bautista de Anza Park could take you on many different routes since it accesses the trails in Malibu Creek State Park. The main route that my teammates and I run from the park is an out-and-back path that follows the main trail — meaning you can turn around whenever you please. We normally run 8 to 10 miles on this route, but you could do even more if you explored the trails in the state park.

The park is near the intersection of Lost Hills Road and Las Virgenes Road in Agoura Hills, meaning you take the Las Virgenes exit off of the 101 and drive north to get there from Calamigos. I mapped out the basic route on mapmyrun.com, but below are some written instructions to help you find your way.

The trail is easy to follow, as long as you keep running south, you will likely end up at Mulholland Highway. Crossing Mulholland is where you enter the Malibu Creek State Park and get on the Grasslands Trail. Stay on Grasslands until it ends at its intersection with Crags Road. Take a right there, and follow Crags for as long as you would like, or even take a couple lefts to loop back around.

There are a few hills along the route, but the two largest ones are a mile and three miles from the park. Both are less than a quarter mile, but they are steep enough that you may want to stop for a breath of fresh air at the top. Overall, the de Anza to Malibu Creek route is a great trail run that provides opportunities to explore as you get more familiar with the area.

By: Kyle McCabe