To access the Haul Road Recreation Trail, park your car in downtown Fort Bragg near the Pudding Creek Trestle, a 515-foot-long former Union Lumber Company railroad bridge converted to a road in 1949 and to pedestrian and bicycle use in 2007. The trestle itself is worth a moment — it’s a striking piece of industrial history spanning the creek, and crossing it with your dog gives you a real sense of the area’s logging heritage.

Cross the trestle and head north onto a rail-trail dubbed Haul Road Recreation Trail, also known as the Ten Mile Beach Trail. The route is flat and paved, which makes it easy on paws and joints, and the sweeping ocean views stay with you the whole way. You’re walking along what used to be a working railroad corridor, so there’s an interesting mix of restored landscape and genuine coastal character.

If you’re headed north from Pudding Creek Trestle, you can hike three miles to the community of Cleone. That’s a reasonable out-and-back distance if you want a solid walk without overdoing it. The trail itself stays pleasant throughout — you’ll notice native plants recovering along the edges and occasional beach access points where you can let your dog wander down to the sand.

Dogs are not permitted north beyond Cleone in the Inglenook Fen Ten Mile Dunes Preserve in MacKerricher State Park because it is habitat for the Western Snowy Plover, a federally listed species, so plan your turnaround there.

You can access the trail from two spots. The Fort Bragg starting point near the trestle is the most straightforward if you’re downtown. For the state park option, take Highway 1 to Ward Avenue, make a left and drive to the ocean where you’ll find a parking area. Either way, bring water — the paved trail offers little shade once you’re away from downtown.