Kat Piantka | Newsroom Manager & Head Editor
November 22, 2024
San Clemente’s coastal environment and scenic destinations create an enticing and ideal community for all runners ranging from marathoners to beginners to the San Clemente High School cross-country team members. There are many popular running destinations in this beach town that borders the Pacific Coast, even adventurous hilly trails cresting the highest peaks of San Clemente which leave hikers and runners entranced by views of our beach community.
The cool climate and beach-town atmosphere encourage an active and healthy lifestyle in San Clemente. On weekends, the local trails are packed with go-getters walking dogs, running with friends, riding bikes, or just enjoying the beautiful day in San Clemente. Sea Summit Trail near the Outlets encompasses spectacular ocean views and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and shows off the picturesque homes that border the shore. This trail and neighboring parks are in pristine condition perfect for runners and walkers alike. The trails have easily accessible entrances such as the Sea Summit Homes’ entrance, and the trail is connected to the following parks: Pico, Vista del Sol, Canyon View, and Ocean View. These parks all have parking; however, it is limited. Some pathways lead to the PCH bike path, another popular running and biking destination. With rolling hills and navigable loops, runners can take in the scene surrounding them. The trail is built around a canyon of native California plant species and the homes of the Sea Summit community, allowing runners to have constant distractions making it easy to forget about the pain involved in the sport. And if a quick hydration break is needed, there are numerous benches to relax and enjoy the views.
San Clemente’s girls cross country has hill-circuit workouts at the steepest parts of Sea Summit Trail every Thursday where they improve their speed for hill courses. Even though these workouts can cause the girl’s team to have love-hate feelings towards hill training, Sea Summit Trail views are therapeutic, making the effort more than worthwhile. Sea Summit Trail is also a great place for recovery runs on the rolling hills. Freshmen Pearl Homeshelby, a member of the San Clemente girls cross country team, is an advocate for Sea Summit Trail runs. She believes that what makes the trail “really nice” is how close “the ocean is [to it],” making it never “[too] hot so, it is a great place to run with the team,” and some may say it’s even “fun.”
Whether you enjoy running or not, Sea Summit Trail is a great place to walk your dog, exercise with friends, or just admire the beautiful city.
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