Featured hikes
Alto Bowl Open Space
Mill Valley
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
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Baltimore Canyon Open Space
Larkspur
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
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Blithedale Summit Open Space
Mill Valley
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
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Cascade Canyon Falls Open
Fairfax
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Due to sensitive wildlife (endangered Foothill Yellow-Legged Frogs), dogs are not allowed off-leash or in the streams (neither are people) in this particular area.
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Cataract Falls
Fairfax
Despite its strenuous nature, the 2.6-mile round trip to Cataract Falls on the north slope of Mount Tamalpais is definitely not the road less traveled.
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Corte Madera Creek Multi-Use
Kentfield
There’s a wonderful dog walking path in Kentfield that runs along Corte Madera Creek from Bon Air Road at the east end to the bridge crossing at Kent Middle School on the west (where Stadium Avenue deadends).
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Fairway Falls Open Space
Novato
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
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Indian Tree Open Space
Novato
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
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Little Mountain
Novato
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
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Loma Alta Open Space
Fairfax
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
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Marin Headlands
Sausalito
You've seen the views a million times in photographs, but if you haven't soaked them up in person, well...don't forget your camera!
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Miwok Trail
Mill Valley
Miwok Trail, the only dog-friendly trail in Tennessee Valley, offers a rugged yet rewarding hiking experience in Mill Valley, Marin County, within the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Mount Tamalpais State Park
Mill Valley
In Mill Valley, Marin County, within the picturesque San Francisco Bay Area, Mount Tamalpais State Park offers a dog-friendly escape along the Old Stage Road. While most trails within Mt.
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Old Railroad Grade Trail
Mill Valley
The Old Railroad Grade trail/fire road from Mill Valley to the top of Mount Tamalpais follows the route of the "crookedest railroad in the world," which from 1896 until 1930 hauled tourists on scenic excursions.
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Phoenix Lake
Ross
No matter what kind of shape you are in, there is a hike at Phoenix Lake for you and your dog. This is also popular place for families and cyclists, but everyone seems to have a smile on.
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Ring Mountain Open Space
Corte Madera
This windswept ridge high atop the Tiburon Peninsula is truly one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on this planet.
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Santa Maria Beach
Point Reyes Station
Santa Maria Beach, located in Point Reyes National Seashore, is a serene coastal gem on Drakes Bay.
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White Hill Open Space Preserve
Fairfax
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreOther hikes
Bald Hill
Ross
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreBolinas Ridge Trail
Olema
The Bolinas Ridge Trail in Olema, Marin County, within the San Francisco Bay Area, offers a picturesque 10.5-mile trek with breathtaking views of Tomales Bay, Bolinas Lagoon, the Pacific Ocean, and expansive rolling landscapes.
Read moreBolinas Ridge Trail
Bolinas
Leashed dogs welcome on this 11-mile Marin ridge trail through redwood forest and grassland, with views across Olema Valley to Tomales Bay.
Read moreCamino Alto Open Space
Mill Valley
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreCarson Falls
Bolinas
Carson Falls, located in Bolinas, Marin County, within the picturesque San Francisco Bay Area, offers a moderately strenuous out-and-back hike that promises stunning views of the falls, the bay, and Mt.
Read moreCross Marin Trail
Lagunitas
This scenic path, also known as the Sir Francis Drake Bikeway, follows the roadbed of the North Pacific Coast Railroad that once ran between Cazadero and Larkspur.
Read moreCross Marin trail
Ross
The up-to-10.6-miles- roundtrip Cross Marin Trail is a relatively flat, easy trail that follows the historic North Pacific Coast Railroad right-of-way...
Read moreGary Giacomini Open Space
Woodacre
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreGolden Gate Trailer Park
Greenbrae
Located just off Highway 101 North of The Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Trailer Park is close to all the San Francisco area attractions, ferry terminals, and bus routes.
Read moreGravity Car Road Trail
Mill Valley
Located in Mill Valley, Santa Barbara County, the Gravity Car Road Trail is a must-visit destination for outdoor enthusiasts and their furry companions.
Read moreHomestead – Four Corners
Mill Valley
Homestead – Four Corners trail in Mill Valley, Marin County, offers a picturesque escape for outdoor enthusiasts and their furry companions.
Read moreHomestead Valley
Mill Valley
Homestead Valley, located in Mill Valley, Marin County, California Wine Country, offers a serene escape for outdoor enthusiasts and their furry...
Read moreKehoe Beach
Inverness
A half-mile walk alongside a marsh and over a series of sand dunes takes you to the northern end of Kehoe Beach. Once at the beach, turn left to explore a stream meandering its way into the Pacific Ocean.
Read moreLucas Valley Open Space
Nicasio
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreMill Valley-Sausalito Path
Mill Valley
The Mill Valley-Sausalito Multi-purpose Path in Marin County, within the San Francisco Bay Area, is a versatile trail connecting neighborhoods, shopping areas, restaurants, and recreational spots.
Read moreMount Burdell Open Space
Novato
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreNorth trailhead
San Rafael
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreOld St. Hilary’s Preserve
Tiburon
Old St. Hilary's Preserve, located in Tiburon within Marin County in the San Francisco Bay Area, offers a picturesque 1-mile loop trail with stunning views of San Francisco and the bay.
Read morePacheco Valle
Novato
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreRoy’s Redwoods Open Space
Woodacre
Marin County Parks Open Space Leash Policy: Dogs on leash are welcome to enjoy trails. Dogs are allowed off-leash under strict voice control on fire protection roads. Please follow posted rules.
Read moreRush Creek Open Space Preserve
Novato
Rush Creek Open Space Preserve is dog-friendly preserve that allows leashed dogs on the trails. Located in northern Novato, the preserve can be seen from Highway 101. Broad, level Pinheiro Fire Road is popular with hikers, bikers, and equestrians.
Read moreSan Pedro Mountain
San Rafael
Trails from nearby parks lead to this ridge, which offers expansive views of forests & eagles. When viewed from southbound Highway 101, the forested slopes of San Pedro Ridge form an impressive backdrop to the Marin County Civic Center.
Read moreShoreline Access Path
Mill Valley
There’s a lovely but little known walkway that runs along the eastern and southern shore of the Strawberry peninsula.
Read moreSir Francis Drake Bikeway
Nicasio
Sir Francis Drake Bikeway, also known as the Cross Marin Trail, is a picturesque rail-trail in Nicasio, Marin County, within the San Francisco Bay Area.
Read moreMore Adventures in Marin County
Marin County: Trails, off-leash beaches, and waterfront patios
Cross the Golden Gate and the whole vibe changes. Sausalito shimmers off the water, redwoods close in around Mill Valley, and somehow five minutes from San Francisco, you’re in the kind of place where dogs are expected at the coffee…
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Dog-friendly waterfall hikes in California: a region-by-region guide
California has waterfalls almost everywhere, but the ones that welcome dogs are a smaller, more specific list.
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Leptospirosis in California dogs: a Bay Area owner’s guide
Leptospirosis is now a core canine vaccine, and Northern California — especially the Bay Area, North Coast, and Sierra foothills — is one of the higher-risk pockets in the country. What the latest peer-reviewed research says about the disease, the…
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Dog-friendly Marin County: trails, beaches, and patios
Why Marin County is a dog's paradise in spring If you haven't taken your dog across the Golden Gate Bridge yet this spring, you're running out of excuses.
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Why Bay Area leash rules aren’t bureaucracy
The Bay Area is arguably the best urban dog-hiking region in America. Here's why its leash rules exist — and why following them protects access.
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Ticks and Lyme disease in California dogs
California reports roughly 1/200th the Lyme cases of New York — and our tick season peaks in fall and winter, not summer. Here's what California-specific CDC data, vet research, and CDPH surveillance actually show, and what it means for protecting…
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