Rush Ranch Open Space is a 2,070-acre property in southern Solano County where you can actually see what the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary looks like before development—rolling grasslands that drop down to the Suisun Marsh on one side. It’s the kind of place where the landscape feels genuinely wild, even though you’re not that far from Suisun City.

The main draw for dogs is the Suisun Hill Trail, a nearly two-mile loop that starts from the trailhead on Grizzly Island Road and climbs about 200 feet through grassland. You get views of the Potrero Hills from up there, and on a clear day it’s worth the gentle walk. The catch is that dogs need to be on leash the whole way—the cattle grazing here are the reason for that rule. Occasionally the Solano Land Trust will grant exceptions if you contact their Executive Director ahead of time, but plan on keeping your dog close.

Beyond the trail, there are historic buildings scattered around the property that give you a sense of how people actually lived and worked on ranches in this region. The wildlife here is substantial too. If you’re into birds, you’ll want to bring binoculars—the marsh and grassland combination attracts a lot of species. Even if you’re not a birder, you’ll notice the activity.

The practical stuff: parking is free and there’s a lot right by the building complex, so access is straightforward. You’ll need to pack out what you pack in with your dog, same as anywhere. If you want to confirm current pet policies before you go, reaching out to the Solano Land Trust directly makes sense, especially if you were hoping to explore off-leash anywhere on the property. The drive out to Grizzly Island Road is worth it if you want to get a real sense of what this part of the Bay Area looked like historically.