Run (Click for details/pics)	Mi.	Run
Treks starting from campus...
Dish loop	3.3 loop	Very Hilly, Paved
Oak Creek	3.75	Flat, Paved and dirt
Polo Fields	7.25	Flat, Paved
Gunn High School	6.0	Gradual inclines, Paved
Alpine to the Dish	5	Very Hilly, Paved, Cows
Sharon Heights	5-5.5	Flat with rolling hills, Paved
Portola Run	11.8	Long inclines, Paved with dirt trails
Arastradero West	9	Inclined with rolling hills, Paved and dirt
Arastradero East	9	Inclined with rolling hills, Paved
Bathtub Run	7	Very hilly, Some paved with long dirt trails
Go running without ever leaving campus...
Campus Drive	4.0 (outside) 3.8 (inside)	Gradual inclines, Paved and dirt
Lake Lag	0.9 loop	Flat, Dirt
Golf Course	3-6	Can be very hilly but with soft ground
Galvez Eucalyptus Grove	1-2 loop	Flat, mulch paths
Stanford Stadium	400m	Old track, but runnable
Stanford Track	400m	Nice, but odd hours

 

*Campus Drive - 3.8/4.0 miles
    This is a nice and easy run that keeps you on campus. There are some gradual inclines as you head towards Lake Lag at the south-western part of campus, but they are hardly noticeable. Usually, there is a dirt path next to the paved sidewalks and bike paths that is easy on the knees.

 

*Dish loop - 3.3 miles
    A runner hasn't really run at Stanford until he or she has done the dish loop. Very hilly, the loop rewards you at the top with spectacular view of the bay area; when visibility is good, you can see all the way to San Francisco. The paved loop has some very large ups and downs, making it a good place to do hill repeats or get a tough run in a short span of time. Taking it slow can be very relaxing as you are often greeted by passing joggers, dish wildlife (apparently there is an endangered species of salamander up there, although most "wildlife" consists of grazing cows), and the scenery. Along the way, you get to see the two large satellite dishes, giving the run its name, pointed at whatever scientists look at. Although both directions around the loop are steep, the loop done counter-clockwise is usually the way most people go because it takes about two miles to reach the top instead of a laborious one mile. For a really cool run, do the loop in the morning when the fog is dissipating and you can see the entire bay unveiled in under twenty minutes. The run is very safe as every thirty minutes, a guard on a golf-cart goes humming by (see if you can beat them up a hill -- they're always up for a race.) Also, the dish loop is also a nice place to hike so take a group of friends on a lazy afternoon or bring some books up and study.
    There are several entrances to the loop. Most of the time, when heading from the claw, the dish is entered near the intersection of Campus Drive and Junipero-Serra. There is another entrance at the intersection of Stanford Ave and Junipero-Serra. For the back entrance, see "Alpine to the Dish." The loops itself is 3.3 miles.

 

Some personal pictures, taken while the grass was growing back. There are some gooood hills out here. Plus, it is so scenic.

 

 

*Lake Lag - 0.9 miles
    This short dirt path goes around Lake Lag, or around the former location of Lake Lag depending on the season. This run is flat and can be used as nice turn-around point for runs or as a place to add on mileage at the end of runs. It's a nice place for mile repeats too.

*Golf Course - 3 to 6 miles
   The golf course is a large expanse for runners (the golfers might disagree) on the southwestern side of campus. It is divided by Junipero Serra which runs through the middle of it, although there are bridges under which paths run. On the Campus side of Junipero Serra, the course is very flat and fairly shaded. On the other side, parts of the course become hilly, as the course nears the foothills. Depending on where you want to go, the run can be extended fairly long. There is a Stanford cross-country meet held there in the fall with full 5k and 8k courses. The run is a great place for tired knees; the grass feels soo good. You might want to check for official hours of the course before showing up.

 

*Oak Creek - 3.75 miles
    A pleasant little run, Oak Creek, or the Creek Run, is a shorter run often used for recovery and for introducing people to running. Heading out west, from the claw, you go down Mayfield and then turn right on Campus Drive and then left on Searsville Road. Travel on the path until you hit Sandhill Rd. Turn left and travel for a hundred yards until you hit a dirt path on the right, just before a small bridge. The path starts out narrow and runs to the right of Oak Creek and to the left of a residence complex, sometime disappearing onto parking spaces and then reappearing shortly afterwards. Eventually, you will come to wider mulch trail, which still follows the creek and dumps you out at a field with an intersection of Sandhill Rd. and Vineyard Rd. on the other side. Follow Vineyard Rd past the mall until you hit a parking lot with a fence at the far end. Cross it and head towards the Mausoleum. Run out from behind it and go down the path (below) until you hit Palm Drive, which will take you back to the center of campus.

 

 

*Polo Fields - 7.25 miles
    A good introduction to the neighborhoods of Palo Alto, where you can see nice little houses that cost millions of dollars. The run goes out the same way Oak Creek does, only right before you hit the field, you instead turn left and go over a bridge. The bridge leaves you at San Mateo Dr. Use it to cross Middle Ave and then take a right at a fork and go on Wallea Dr. That then turns back into San Mateo Dr., which you should follow down to Valpariso Ave. Take a left and then turn right on Elena Ave. Run down that and you can see the Polo fields. Come back the same way and go over the bridge and you can then finish the Oak Creek run.

  *Portola Run - 11.8 miles
    One of the longer loops, this run gradually takes a runner up into the foothills over a small incline over six miles and then slowly descends back down to Stanford. The run elevates so slowly that you might not realize that you are climbing a mountain until you reach the top. This run is a great way to get in the longer mileage. For a 16-17 mile run, combine the Portola Run with the Arastradero West Run. The Portola Run run starts out along the same way Sharon Heights does. Instead of turning on Sharon Park Drive, however, continue on Sandhill Road for about 3.5 miles. Then turn left on Portola Road and follow that for another 3.5 miles until you hit Alpine. Turn left on Alpine and run 4 miles back down to Junipero Serra.

 

*Gunn High School - 6 miles
    The Gunn High School run is a relatively short and straight run that goes to the east of campus. Follow Escondido out past Campus Drive until it hits Stanford Avenue. Turn right on to Stanford and then immediately left onto Hanover St. Follow that past the intersection of Page Mill. Eventually, the road will begin to curve, and a paved bike path will appear on the left. You can follow that all the way to Arastradero, on which you turn left, going in front of Gunn HS. Run into its parking lot and go on the bike path on the right. That will then run into the bike path you ran out on, which you can use to go back. This run is essentially flat except for a small incline near the half-way point.

 

*Alpine to the Dish - 5 miles
    This run makes use of the back entrance of the dish. This is quite an intense addition to the dish loop as the path goes up a mile-long hill with no descents, just changes in steepness. Nonetheless, it is a scenic run, with cows and horses often grazing on the side of the road. Once the path meets with the dish loop at the dish, you can turn left and easily run downhill back to campus or turn right and get in a few more hills. To get to the entrance, go west on Junipero Serra and turn left (south) on Alpine. After a mile or so, you will come to a gravel parking lot right off Alpine. Follow the trail at the back of the parking lot to the entrance of the dish.

 

*Sharon Heights (Duck Pond) - 5 to 5.5 miles
    This is a little run with a couple of small hills thrown in. It also takes you past the Secret Safeway. You go west across campus along Santa Theresa until you hit Campus Drive. Turn left on that and then right on Junipero Serra. Follow that down to the traffic light and then turn right on Alpine, using the small footpath that dips down. Shortly, turn left on Sandhill Rd and then right onto Sharon Park Dr. That takes you over a series of good hills and drops you off at the duck pond. To the north of the course, there's a pretty interesting neighborhood that we usually run through, containing such amazing landmarks as Ben's old apartment. 

*Arastradero West - 9 miles

The Arastradero West Run is a scenic medium-long run. It has some slight inclines but generally is flat with one a hill in the middle. Along Arastradero, there is a dirt trail that runs parallel to the road; this section of Arastradero  passes through the Arastradero Open Space Preserve, which contains the hill and many other back trails. Depending which direction you want to go, you'll either have to get to Alpine or Old Page Mill. If you go in the Old Page Mill direction, head out on Escondido and then turn right on Stanford Avenue. Turn left onto Junipero Serra at the light and then right at Page Mill. Stay to the right and get on Old Page Mill, following that until it intersects with Page Mill again. Run along the shoulder of Page Mill past 280 until you come to Arastradero on the right. Turn on that and follow the bike path until a dirt trail appears on the left. This is one of the trails in the Preserve. Follow the path closest to the road, going over hills until it finally dead ends at a dirt shoulder. Start running on Arastradero again and take that until you get to Alpine. Use Alpine to go back to campus, passing a baseball diamond, a shopping center, 280, and the back dish entrance. Eventually, you will run into Junipero, which will lead you back to campus. The run is actually not as complicated as it sounds once you've seen it. Doing the run in the clockwise direction might be more favorable because more of the elevation come in short bursts. The course run counter-clockwise gives a long ascent, which makes you feel out of shape because you don't realize that you are climbing. Note: if it has been raining recently, you might want to run on the road instead of the trails. Nothing can upset a good pace like mud.

           
*Arastradero East - 9 miles

This run is similar to the Arastradero West run, each about the same distance and the same difficulty -- this run has gradual inclines heading towards the south and a single, fairly short hill along Arastradero. The course is less scenic though, as it is entirely on roads and does not pass through the preserve. To run it, head out by way of the Gunn HS run, only turn right instead of left onto the paved bike path next to Arastradero. Arastradero goes up and down a little bit and then turns right, going under 280 and up and then down a hill. You will then be left on Page Mill Rd, joined with the Arastradero West. If you turn right, you can follow that run back to campus. Turning left and following Arastradero West will give a 12-13 miler. You'll come back along Stanford Avenue.

*Bathtub Run - 7 miles
    Great run that starts with the beginning of the normal, counter-clockwise dish loop but follows a service road down the back of the foothill towards 280. The service road is the last road on the right before you hit the top of the loop. After about 3/4 of a mile when the road begins to level, turn on a small trail that appears on the left which winds back up in the direction of the loop. You should pass over a small crevice that is easily jumpable and up and over a small hill until you come to a bathtub. The bathtub is used as a water trough for the local horses. There, you can either go down a paved road to the right of the bathtub, or you can travel down a fun and bumpy path that runs parallel to the road, until you hit Old Page Mill Road. Take a left onto the road and follow it until you hit Junipero Serra. Use that to get back to the campus.
DISCLAIMER:    This run is not advocated as it involves leaving the designated road on the dish loop. Oh well.

Here's an aerial view of the run starting at the dish loop and ending at Old Page Mill. The first, southward leg of the trail is actually to the left of the green dashed line so you can see it.

Galvez Eucalyptus Grove - 1 to 2 mile loops
    Right between the Stadium and Palm Drive there lies a semi-hidden dirt and mulch path. Surrounded by Eucalyptus trees, the path loops around and crosses over itself several times, giving a nicely shaded run in a small area. This place is great for mile repeats, which you can sometimes see the track team doing here. The path is bounded by Arboretum Rd on the north, Palm Dr on the west, Campus Dr on the south, and Galvez St on the east. (See the map below)