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Hiking Trails Under 5 km near Salinas

The directory currently contains 49 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Salinas. Their average mapped distance is 2.0 km and average recorded ascent is 113 m (371 ft); the longest route in the set is 4.7 km.

This subset represents 71% of the 69 quality-checked routes near Salinas. Its average distance is 2.0 km, compared with 4.9 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 113 m (371 ft), versus 257 m (843 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 5 routes (10%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 7 (14%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

1.3 km

Branciforte Creek Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

41 m

Branciforte Creek Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Moderate

California · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
1 hr 2 min
  • Coastal
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
106 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Mountain
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
195 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • River
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • River
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
105 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Forest
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
678 m
Typical duration
1 hr 52 min
Pinnacles National Park is a U.S. National Park protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Soledad and 80 miles (130 km) southeast of San Jose. The park's namesakes
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
364 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
Easy

California · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
9 min
  • Coastal
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
36 min
Aptos Creek
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
139 m
Typical duration
47 min
Inside Balconies Cave at w:Pinnacles National Monument
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
165 m
Typical duration
53 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
108 m
Typical duration
30 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
164 m
Typical duration
37 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
163 m
Typical duration
43 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
14 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
19 min
Sunny Pinnacles
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
105 m
Typical duration
50 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
117 m
Typical duration
28 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
36 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
49 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
54 m
Typical duration
14 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
165 m
Typical duration
50 min
Easy

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
20 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
22 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
43 m
Typical duration
20 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
115 m
Typical duration
21 min
Easy

California · United States

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
48 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
589 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
68 m
Typical duration
27 min
Easy

California · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
39 m
Typical duration
32 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
60 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • River
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
145 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
249 m
Typical duration
47 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
184 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
12 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
5 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
176 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • River
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
70 m
Typical duration
37 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
70 m
Typical duration
37 min
Easy

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
9 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
33 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
14 m
Typical duration
29 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
351 m
Typical duration
1 hr 30 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
23 m
Typical duration
10 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
43 m
Typical duration
25 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
7 min
Moderate

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
76 m
Typical duration
12 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Coastal Rail TrailCalifornia4.7 km45 m1 hr 2 minModerateApril to October
Fremont Peak State Park TrailsCalifornia1.7 km109 m32 minModerateApril to October
Oak Ridge TrailCalifornia1.4 km106 m27 minModerateApril to October
Bridge Creek TrailCalifornia3.1 km195 m56 minModerateApril to October
Branciforte Creek TrailCalifornia1.3 km41 m20 minModerateApril to October
Vienna Woods TrailCalifornia1.4 km105 m27 minModerateApril to October
Bear Basin TrailCalifornia4.0 km678 m1 hr 52 minModerateApril to October
Condor Gulch TrailCalifornia2.7 km364 m1 hr 6 minModerateApril to October
Coast RoadCalifornia0.7 km0 m9 minEasyApril to October
Corral RoadCalifornia2.8 km7 m36 minModerateApril to October

Coastal Rail Trail, Oak Ridge Trail, Fremont Peak State Park Trails currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

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