Napa County

The name is synonymous with wine, food and the good life, and that’s just what you and your four-legged friend will find when you start exploring this storied slice of Northern California.

Start downtown, where dogs are welcome in most of two dozen tasting rooms as well as on the patios of some of the valley’s most famous restaurants. Continue up-valley, where you’ll encounter dozens of the approximately 100 Napa Valley wineries that welcome canines in their tasting rooms and on their picnic grounds. In Yountville or in downtown Napa, you can even enjoy a meal on the terrace of a Michelin-starred restaurant. And no worries when it comes to finding a place to lay your heads: several of the valley’s B&Bs and quite a few hotels are dog friendly.

But Napa County isn’t all about vineyards. The Lake Berryessa district is still rural, wild and full of hiking possibilities, while the marshes of San Pablo Bay present an environment that seems far removed from the rolling hills of the valley.

LEEDers of the Pack

Northern California leads the nation in the number of hotels—a dozen to date—certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The road to certification is long and rigorous, involving strict standards for energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and such. Choosing a LEED-certified property for your next DogTrekking expedition shows you care: It’s like giving Mother Earth a pat and a scratch behind the ears.

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No Napping in Napa

Once sleepy downtown Napa is napping no more. A foodie revolution has taken place in recent years, with a “who’s who” of celebrity chefs taking up residence. Along the redeveloped Napa riverfront alone are a string of high-end establishments with sun-splashed patios where customers accompanied by canine companions are welcome to pull up a chair. At Napa General Store, a popular breakfast and lunch spot in the historic Napa Mill complex, you and Spot can enjoy your meal at an umbrella table right on Napa River Trail. Just a block or so down is Fish Story, a swimmingly popular seafood establishment with dog-friendly patio seating as well as a covered porch with river views.

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Bark for Bocce

Gold Rush entrepreneur Sam Brannan founded Calistoga with the intent of harnessing its hot springs and making it the "Saratoga of California." In one of California history's most oft-quoted slips of the tongue, he famously uttered the words "Calistoga of Sarifornia" instead. People still come here for the hot springs and mud baths, but we bet your pooch can find plenty of mud on his own. Might we suggest a winery visit instead?  more »

Wine With Spirits

Tis the season for all things haunted, so why not evoke some ghostly spirits with your Cabernet? Delightfully secluded at the end of a long, winding drive off the Silverado Trail, Regusci is one of Napa Valley's “ghost wineries,” a term given to a handful of resurrected facilities built between 1860 and 1900, before disease, Prohibition and the Great Depression decimated the valley's early wine-grape industry. The buttery-stone facade of the cellar dates to 1878, but the dog-friendly tasting room is elegantly modern. more »