Opening in September of 2019, the Apple Hill Hard Cider Trail in Camino winds through El Dorado County’s Gold Country orchards, and dogs are welcome to come along. The trail connects several cideries scattered across the region, so you can walk between them at your own pace, stopping to sample hard ciders made from locally grown apples. It’s a genuinely pleasant way to spend an afternoon—the kind of place where you can let your dog explore the orchard grounds while you take in the views.

What makes this different from a typical tasting room experience is the outdoor setting. You’re actually walking through the landscape rather than parking at one location, which gives your dog more to do than just lie on a patio. The cideries along the trail each have their own setup and selection, so there’s real variety in what you’ll find. Some emphasize small-batch production, others focus on particular apple varieties or experimental flavors. The Gold Country scenery is genuinely nice in fall—the orchards look their best around harvest time when the trail gets the most traffic.

The route itself is manageable for most dogs, though how far you go is entirely up to you. There’s no requirement to hit every cidery, so you can adjust based on your dog’s fitness level and your own interest. Bring water for both of you, as there’s not much shade in some sections once you’re out in the orchard.

The cideries vary in how dog-friendly they are at their actual tasting areas—some have shaded spots where dogs can hang out while you sample inside, while others work better if one person stays outside with your dog. It’s worth checking their individual setups when you plan your route. For current details on which cideries are part of the trail system and their hours, the applehill.com website has everything laid out clearly.