Wondering where to go to the snow with Rover? Check out the SNO-Park website and map identifying just-off-the-highway sites maintained and administered by California State Parks, Caltrans, the U.S Forest Service, California Highway Patrol and various community organizations. Eighteen SNO-Parks are located in the Sierra Nevada, each offering plowed parking and trails where you can ski, snowshoe or hike with your dog.
Some lots are merely places to ditch your vehicle while you bushwhack into the woods, but many offer easy access to groomed snowshoe and cross-country ski trails, snowmobile trails and sledding hills for families. Rover is allowed to romp on any of them. And while he officially must be on a leash in developed areas, common sense prevails once you ditch the crowds.
For dogs, snow play is its own reward. Most pups go absolutely nuts at the sight of fresh powder—rolling, digging, biting at snowballs and bounding through drifts. It’s some of the best exercise your dog can get, and the cold temperatures mean they can go longer without overheating compared to summer hikes. Just keep an eye on smaller or short-coated dogs, who can get cold fast. A doggy jacket and paw wax (to prevent snowball buildup between toes) go a long way toward keeping everyone comfortable.
A few SNO-Parks worth checking out: the Taylor Creek SNO-Park near South Lake Tahoe offers mellow terrain with lake views, while the Iron Mountain SNO-Park off Highway 88 is a good bet for those looking for a quieter experience with fewer crowds. The Donner Summit area has multiple options right off Interstate 80, making it one of the most accessible snow-play zones for Bay Area dog owners.
Daily SNO-Park permits or seasonal permits are available online, and you can also buy them from vendors in the Bay Area, at Tahoe and along the Interstate 80 and Highway 50 corridors. It’s recommended to pack a shovel and tire chains just in case you get snowed in while rovering around. Bring extra towels for the ride home, too—a wet, snowy dog in the backseat is an experience best prepared for in advance.
Got questions not answered online? Call the SNO-Park hotline at (916) 324-1222.
