Alameda County
Alameda County—home to Berkeley, Emeryville,
Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and Pleasanton, among other communities—is blessed with more dog-friendly public lands than most counties 10 times its size. Recreational opportunities are available on public lands in the expansive
East Bay Regional Park System.
You can also enjoy off-leash privileges in the parks’ undeveloped areas.
Redwood Regional Park is a cool sanctuary of giant trees, Tilden Regional Park, in the Berkeley Hills, is a 2,078-acre escape from urban life, and in
Del Valle Regional Park, you can follow up a hike in the hills with a row in a rented boat. Designated dog parks also proliferate in this extremely dog-friendly county.
Photo: Instagram @thecharliebean
Yes, Oakland is a vibrant urban place to visit, but it’s not all about dog-friendly ale and wine trails, waterfront dining and hotels (more about that below). As dog-centric locals know, one of the pleasures of living here is proximity to many open-space preserves where you can flee the big-city hustle-bustle and revel with your pup in the shade of redwoods or atop grassy ridges with panoramic views. more »
Head on over to Jack London Square in Oakland on July 28 from 10 am to 2 pm for the East Bay SPCA’s Adopt-a-thon 2019! The shelter hosts almost 30 local animal shelters and rescues. The goal: to raise awareness about the homeless animals in the community.
While you’re there, you can find vouchers for discounted microchips, giveaways from the Oakland A’s and a button-making station. You can also take home a cat, bird, dog, rat and more to grow your family! more »
Luke at Sheraton Pleasanton Hotel
Photo Credit: @slandgirlinjourney
Sure, you could commute from the Bay Area or Sacramento, but why not make a weekend of it? After a day of hiking or touring the wine or craft-beer trails, it’s nice to stay for dinner, pull into a nearby hotel and spend the night. By our count, more than two dozen Tri-Valley hotels welcome four-legged visitors (use the handy dog-friendly check box at visittrivalley.com to filter hotels). more »
McKay's Taphouse & Beer Garden - Photo Credit: @kamperdoodle
Think of a trail, and you probably envision a path for hiking or biking, right? In the Tri-Valley, however, not all trails are made for ambulating from place to place. The region also boasts a Beer Trail, a Wine Trail and an Ice Cream Trail. Each is a collection of establishments, many of them dog-friendly, where you can indulge in your passion for brew, vino or tasty treats. more »
Happy dogs at Point Isabel. Photo Credit: @theemmanation
The Bay Area wouldn’t be what it is without its tawny, oak-studded hills, and we have the East Bay Regional Parks District to thank for keeping many of them accessible to the public. The district manages 65 parks spanning 114,000 acres in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, offering between them some 1,200 miles of dog-friendly trails. Away from developed areas, four-legged friends trained to come when called can trek with you leash free. more »