DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz spreads across several hundred acres on the Central Coast, with enough trails and open space to keep you and your dog happily exploring for hours. The park sits up in the hills above downtown, so you get real elevation and forested terrain rather than just flat walking paths.

The main thing to know upfront is that dogs need to be leashed on all the hiking and biking trails throughout the park. These trails wind through redwoods and oak forest with decent views, and they’re well-maintained. People use them seriously for exercise, so keeping your dog close makes sense. Stay on the marked routes and you’ll be fine.

The good news is there’s a dedicated off-leash area near the sand pit where your dog can run around without the leash. There’s also a fenced dog run if you want a more contained space. These sections get decent use, especially on weekends, so your dog will likely encounter other dogs to socialize with. The sand pit area especially tends to have that real dog-park feel.

One restriction worth noting: dogs aren’t allowed on the athletic fields, which is pretty standard for parks with organized sports activity.

The park has parking near the main entrance and facilities like restrooms and picnic areas, so you can make a morning or afternoon of it. If you’re doing longer trail work, bring water for both of you—the shaded sections are nice, but there’s plenty of exposed hillside too. The trails themselves range from gentle to moderately challenging, so you can pick based on how ambitious you’re feeling that day. Summer gets warm up there, so early morning visits tend to work better than midday heat.