COVER STORY : Paths to Fitness : The holidays are over and it’s time to work off that seasonal weight gain. There are many opportunities to jog off the pounds on the trails around the Valley.

It’s called the season of giving, of hope, of sharing.

In reality, the holiday period should be called the season of gorging, the time of year to loosen your belts and stuff yourselves like Thanksgiving turkeys.

But that is all over now and you no longer have the excuse to eat until your hips resemble saddlebags and your belly looks like the last Malibu landslide.

It’s time to stop gnawing on Aunt Mae’s fruitcake and get back in shape.

But before you whip out your well-worn credit card to buy one of those exercise machines that looks like it was built by NASA and priced by the Pentagon, consider an alternative for staying in shape that costs no more than a good pair of sneakers: jogging.

You remember jogging? It’s the activity your high school gym teacher told you would keep you fit for life, increase your stamina, strengthen your cardiovascular system and exorcise the demons of a lackadaisical soul.

Surprisingly, developers and street pavers in the San Fernando Valley have left just enough open space so that a motivated runner can still find an enjoyable and scenic run without fighting for elbow room with a Mack truck.

In and around the Valley, jogging trails can be found snaking through the Santa Monica Mountains, ringing the parks in the Sepulveda Basin and lining the base of the Santa Susana Mountains.

The topography and characteristics range from smooth, flat trails bordered by benches and water fountains to steep, dusty fire roads sidelined by chaparral and impressive, sky-scraping rock formations.

Few of these trails are specifically designed for jogging. Many are simply hiking or equestrian trails. But some can provide for an excellent run as well as a glimpse at some of Southern California’s most scenic open space.

The following are examples of some popular and some other often-unexplored trails and paths:

BALBOA GOLF COURSE PATH Located within the 1,200-acre Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area, this 2.5-mile path around the Balboa Golf Course is ideal for beginners. It is a mostly flat, even and well-maintained, tree-lined dirt path circling the 18-hole golf course. However, to complete the circuit you have to run on a paved bicycle path for a short distance, fighting for elbow room with bicyclists and roller-bladers.

Start your run at the Balboa Golf Course clubhouse, 16821 Burbank Blvd., Encino, and follow the well-marked path around the course. If you don’t mind mingling with bicyclists and you want a longer run--about twice as long--stay on the bicycle path, which follows Balboa Boulevard, Victory Boulevard and Woodley Avenue, over the Los Angeles River and around the Woodley Golf Course. Park at the clubhouse lot or any other nearby parking lot.

VIEW: On one side of the path, runners gaze at the lush green golf course and the plaid-wearing golfers who tread upon it. About half of the circuit parallels busy roadways, either Woodley Avenue or Balboa and Burbank boulevards. But the back stretch of the dirt path runs alongside the Los Angeles River, giving runners a view of the trees, brush and wildlife that thrive on its banks.

ATTRIBUTES: Drinking faucets and benches can be found along the path. Trees shade some portions of the trail.

HAZARDS: Many runners and cyclists like to bring their dogs along, but often neglect to put old Rex on a leash, leaving the little mutt free to chase, bite or trip an unsuspecting runner.

VAN NUYS / SHERMAN OAKS PARK PATH

Another prime pathway for beginners circles this a well-manicured neighborhood park. This light gravel path is slightly less than one mile long but is heavily used because of its convenient location in the heart of a residential district. It is ideal for workers from nearby Ventura Boulevard businesses looking for a quick lunch-hour run. The course is flat, even and shaded in some spots. But runners interested in putting in more than a couple of miles may fast become bored repeatedly circling this small park. Parking is at 14201 Huston St. in Sherman Oaks.

VIEW: The view is simple but appealing: The park and the folks who frolic there.

ATTRIBUTES: Bathrooms and drinking fountains can be found along the path. A shorter path circles four baseball diamonds within the park that are floodlighted nightly until 10 p.m., giving runners the opportunity to run after dark.

HANSEN DAM RECREATION AREA

This 1,400-acre recreation area in Lake View Terrace offers 12 miles of bike and equestrian trails through mostly flat, tree-studded parkland. The problem here is that the trails are not all continuous: In some spots they unexpectedly end, forcing you to explore a path to the next trail or double back and retrace your steps. But city recreation officials say they are working on a major improvement project that will connect and complete the trails.

For starters, try a scenic jog across the top of the dam, a one-mile jaunt along a paved bicycle path that offers a panoramic view of the park on one side and the northeast Valley on the other. To give your joints a break from running on the hard pavement, try the horse trail that runs parallel to the dam next to the Hansen Dam Golf Course. The bike path and the horse trail are easily accessible from a parking lot on Osborne Street just north of Glenoaks Boulevard.

VIEW: The bike trail atop the dam has an excellent view of the heavily wooded park to the east and the golf course and Sun Valley to the west.

ATTRIBUTES: A drinking fountain is located along the top of the dam, next to the maintenance shack. The bike path is wide and allows the family-minded runner to bring the tykes to pedal alongside on their bikes.

HAZARDS: The equestrian trail along the bottom of the dam has some rocky spots that could cause injuries. Keep an eye out for horse droppings, which can be almost as hazardous.

WILACRE PARK PATH

This small park at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains in Studio City has a three-mile path with a little bit for every runner. It begins with a steep climb on a paved path that can put a burn in even the most physically fit legs. Once the path levels off, it becomes a pleasant, less-demanding tree-lined trail that offers picture-postcard views of the Valley and the surrounding canyons.

Unfortunately, the trail appears to end abruptly when it runs into Coldwater Canyon Boulevard at the top end of the park, but it actually loops left onto a narrower trail that runs parallel to the boulevard and returns back to the original path. Begin the trail at the park entrance on Fryman Road near where it intersects Laurel Canyon Boulevard. You’ll have to find parking along Fryman Road or other nearby residential streets.

VIEW: The scenery along this path includes rolling hills, wooded canyons and expensive hillside homes.

ATTRIBUTES: There is a water fountain at the start of the trail near Fryman Road. Benches can be found along most of the trail.

HAZARDS: Erosion can cause some uneven, rocky stretches, particularly on the downhill areas. The droppings of unleashed dogs can also cause runners to do some fancy footwork.

LIMEKILN CANYON PATH

Running parallel to Tampa Avenue in Porter Ranch is an equestrian trail that is heavily used by joggers and bikers, as well as horse enthusiasts. The Limekiln Trail is a 2.6-mile, mostly dirt path that begins at the intersection of Tampa Avenue and Sesnon Boulevard and winds south to Minnehaha Dam near the intersection of Limekiln Canyon Road and Tunney Avenue.

The trail, which has a few small but intense hills around the middle section, runs alongside Limekiln Canyon Creek. The more enthusiastic runner can continue north past Sesnon Boulevard to a series of fire roads that venture into the undeveloped hills north of the city limits. Runners can also cut off the trail just south of the Simi Valley Freeway and head west onto the Old Mission Trail, a dirt path that runs all the way to Winnetka Avenue. The trail can be accessed at many points from Tampa Boulevard or where it crosses Chatsworth or Rinaldi streets. Park along Tampa Boulevard or at the northern end of the trial at the intersection of Sesnon and Tampa.

VIEW: This route runs along a heavily wooded canyon that is rich with sagebrush, chaparral and tall grass.

ATTRIBUTES: Shade is plentiful on this route. The gurgling creek that parallels the trail provides a serene atmosphere to wash away the tensions of the workweek.

HAZARDS: Runoff from Tampa Avenue drains into the creek, sometimes flooding sections of the trail. In a few spots, the creek actually crosses the trail, forcing runners to either wade through or tiptoe across on strategically placed rocks.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE

At the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains, high above Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Encino, is a six-mile stretch of Mulholland Drive where the paved city street ends and a dusty, winding undeveloped dirt road begins. This byway begins just east of the intersection of Mulholland Drive and Canoga Avenue in Woodland Hills and winds its way along the rim of the Valley until it meets with Encino Hills Drive in Encino.

Bordered on both sides by parkland, the road is an ideal route for serious runners. It is wide and rocky at some points but generally even as it climbs up and down a few unforgiving hills. Expect to see lots of wildlife, such as hawks, rabbits, lizards, snakes and possibly a coyote or two. There is very little shade but plenty of beautiful vegetation, including sagebrush, chaparral and mustard plants. To access the road, drive to either end of the dirt section and jog in or take Reseda Boulevard south until it dead-ends and walk in. Nearby parking is hard to find except along adjacent residential streets. Make sure to read the street signs for parking rules.

VIEW: Take time to enjoy the fantastic vistas of the Valley floor to the north and wooded canyons on the south. The view is one of this route’s greatest features.

ATTRIBUTES: Park rangers for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy patrol the route daily and can provide first aid for injured runners. This route also provides access to fire roads, such as Temescal Canyon Fire Road, leading south into the heart of Topanga Canyon State Park. HAZARDS: Because of its remote location, it is wise to jog in pairs and bring water, as there are no drinking faucets. Although the road is unpaved, it is still a city street and is occasionally used by motorists, who sometimes forget to slow down.

TOPANGA CANYON STATE PARK / BACKBONE TRAIL

Amid the 65,000 acres of public land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a 64-mile ridgeline trail known as the Backbone Trail, a scenic mountain path that winds its way through shady coastal canyons and over rocky peaks. Within Topanga Canyon State Park it becomes 10 miles of fire road that snakes over sizable inclines and winds past rock formations that tower over the surroundings.

The park is so remote and the atmosphere so serene that runners tend to forget they are in the heart of a metropolis.

To begin with, try a run starting at the Topanga Canyon State Park parking lot, head east about three miles to Eagle Spring Loop, around majestic Eagle Rock and turn back. More adventurous runners can take the trail all the way to Mulholland Drive at the crest of the mountain or west to Will Rogers State Historic Park. The park entrance is at 20825 Entrada Road, off Topanga Canyon Boulevard just east of the intersection of the boulevard and Old Topanga Canyon Road. Parking is available there. The entrance fee is $5.

VIEW: By far, some of the best views in the city are from the Backbone Trail. On a clear day, runners can gaze at a picture postcard view of rocky canyons blanketed in chaparral and sage and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. Runners can also take a break and watch rock climbers scale impressive formations, including Eagle Rock.

ATTRIBUTES: Water fountains and bathrooms are at the trail entrance near the parking lot. On weekends, the trails are patrolled by volunteers on mountain bikes who have two-way radio communication with park rangers and are trained to treat minor injuries.

HAZARDS: Because the trail is remote, runners should venture out in pairs. Rain and erosion cause some sections to become rough and uneven, creating potential for turned ankles and pulled muscles. The area is also inhabited by an assortment of wildlife, such as coyotes, snakes and yellow jackets. Read the warning material provided by park rangers at the parking lot.

O’MELVENY PARK

At the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley is O’Melveny Park, the second largest city-owned park in Los Angeles, a 700-acre mountainside retreat with hiking, equestrian and nature trails that scale the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains. Ringing the park is a five-mile trail that is better suited for hiking but may be appealing for runners with an appetite for hills--steep hills.

The loop begins at the park entrance at 17300 Sesnon Blvd. in Granada Hills and follows Bee Canyon Creek. The climb to an elevation of 1,500 feet begins almost immediately. If that is not enough to put a burn in your thighs, continue on the trail-road toward Mission Point until it reaches the “Top of the Trail,” a dizzying but panoramic peak 2,500 feet above the Valley floor. Along the way, enjoy the tall grass, chaparral, sumac, willows, oaks and other vegetation covering the rolling hillsides. Parking is available at the park entrance.

VIEW: From the “Top of the Trail,” cast your eyes over the East Valley and the planes swooping into Burbank Airport. If the air is clear, you can catch a glimpse of the skyline of Downtown Los Angeles in the distance. Also watch for parkland wildlife such as coyotes, rabbits and hawks.

ATTRIBUTES: This well-maintained park provides bathrooms, picnic areas and drinking fountains at the park entrance as well as a rest area with drinking fountain at the top of the 1,500-foot climb.

HAZARDS: Drainage into Bee Canyon Creek tends to erode areas of the trail, forcing runners and hikers to tiptoe around muddy puddles. Once dry, the erosion leaves uneven, rocky spots. Stay on the main trail-road, lest you wander off into smaller hiking trail and find yourself lost amid the foliage.