276 official trails lie within 25 miles of Gilroy — 601 miles in total, 154 rated easy and 22 hard or expert. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the agency centerline and a 10 m elevation model, not crowd-sourced.
The biggest climb nearby gains 2,425 ft; the median trail gains 427 ft.
| Trail | Miles | Climb | Difficulty | Drive from town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aptos Creek Fire Rd | 12.0 | 2,425 ft | Expert | 48 min · 28 mi |
| Manzanita Trail | 8.8 | 1,036 ft | Expert | 1 h 07 min · 46 mi |
| Limekiln Trail | 5.0 | 2,177 ft | Hard | 1 h 23 min · 38 mi |
| Woods Trail | 6.4 | 1,693 ft | Hard | 52 min · 31 mi |
| West Ridge Trail | 5.3 | 1,373 ft | Hard | 50 min · 29 mi |
| Mine Hill Trail | 6.9 | 1,273 ft | Hard | 44 min · 28 mi |
| San Felipe Trail | 6.8 | 1,008 ft | Hard | 1 h 09 min · 32 mi |
| Kennedy Trail | 3.9 | 1,831 ft | Hard | 49 min · 34 mi |
| Mount Stakes Trl | 2.9 | 1,944 ft | Hard | 2 h 52 min · 72 mi |
| Middle Ridge Trl | 3.6 | 1,629 ft | Hard | 1 h 03 min · 26 mi |
| Ridge Trl | 3.4 | 1,272 ft | Hard | 1 h 11 min · 33 mi |
| Lyman Willson Ridge Trl | 2.6 | 1,668 ft | Moderate | 29 min · 11 mi |
| New Almaden Trail | 5.9 | 466 ft | Hard | 46 min · 31 mi |
| China Hole Trl | 4.7 | 1,102 ft | Hard | 43 min · 23 mi |
| Middle Steer Ridge Trl | 2.3 | 1,682 ft | Moderate | 29 min · 11 mi |
| Aptos Creek Trl | 3.1 | 700 ft | Hard | 54 min · 30 mi |
| Dutch Flat Trail | 4.8 | 895 ft | Hard | 1 h 11 min · 32 mi |
| Knibbs Knob Trail | 2.2 | 1,546 ft | Moderate | 1 h 00 min · 20 mi |
| Rock House Ridge Trl | 2.7 | 1,417 ft | Moderate | 2 h 28 min · 72 mi |
| Ridge Trail | 3.4 | 1,220 ft | Moderate | 1 h 11 min · 33 mi |
| Grizzly Gulch Trl | 3.9 | 1,001 ft | Moderate | 35 min · 13 mi |
| Tie Down Trl | 3.7 | 1,014 ft | Moderate | 1 h 01 min · 30 mi |
| Jim Donnelly Trl | 3.1 | 1,305 ft | Moderate | 29 min · 11 mi |
| Robinson Creek Trl | 5.6 | 791 ft | Hard | 2 h 26 min · 72 mi |
Waterfalls: Aptos Creek Trl to Fiver Finger Falls; Contour Trail to Upper Falls
Summits: Aptos Creek Fire Rd to Santa Rosalia Mountain; Woods Trail to El Sombroso; Mine Hill Trail to Mine Hill; Mount Stakes Trl to Mount Stakes
Lakes: Sprig Trail to Sprig Lake; South Boundary Loop to Bear Hide Lake; Halls Valley Trail to Halls Valley Lake; Dinosaur Lake Trl to Dinosaur Lake
Viewpoints: Aptos Creek Fire Rd to Sand Point Overlook; West Ridge Trail to Hinckley Ridge Viewpoint; Ridge Trl to Santa Rosalia Viewpoint; China Hole Trl to Manzanita Point
Mountain passes: Mine Hill Trail to Cape Horn Pass; Randol Trail to Cape Horn Pass
Springs: Manzanita Trail to Divide Springs; Sycamore Canyon Trl to Madrone Soda Springs; Bear Spring Trail to Bear Springs; Nun Lake Trl to Pigs Bath Tub
Beaches: Capitola Beach to Capitola Beach; West Cliff Drive to Cowell Beach; Santa Cruz Harbor Path to Twin Lakes Beach; Sunset State Beach Route to Sunset Beach
Nearby towns: Salinas (22 mi) · San Jose (24 mi) · Santa Cruz (25 mi) · Patterson (40 mi)
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