Eastern Sierra
The 150 miles of Highway 395 (also known as the Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway) between Bishop (Inyo County) and Topaz (Mono County) ranks right up there with coastal Highway 1 as California’s most scenic drive. Make sure you take exit 263 to Highway 203 and see very dog-friendly Mammoth Lakes, worth taking a few days to explore. Continue your journey north on Highway 89 to Markleeville (Alpine County) or west on Highway 4 to Bear Valley and you'll add to the lifetime's worth of dog-friendly attractions easily accessible from the San Francisco Bay Area.
You and your four-legged friend will find yourselves surrounded by rugged canyons, granite peaks, rushing streams and vast displays of aspens, cottonwoods and willows that for a few weeks in autumn paint the landscape in yellows, oranges and reds.
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Stories about Eastern Sierra
Splash hits: Summer delights for water-loving dogs
The dog days of summer are here! Got a pup who loves the water? California's rivers, lakes and coastal landscapes welcome four-legged family members with paw-some adventures.
12 dog-friendly vacation rentals in Mammoth Lakes
12 dog-friendly vacation rentals across Mammoth Lakes and the Eastern Sierra, drawn from DogTrekker's directory of vetted pet-welcoming properties.
Off-leash, earned: Eastern Sierra & Gold Country
Where your dog can legally run off-leash in the Eastern Sierra and Gold Country — and the honest test for whether she's actually ready.
26 dog-friendly cabins in Big Bear
26 dog-friendly cabins across Big Bear and the San Bernardino Mountains, from Big Bear Lake to Yermo, drawn from DogTrekker's directory of vetted pet-welcoming properties.
Pups for the planet: leaving only paw prints
This Earth Day, DogTrekker is celebrating something worth wagging about: our community. A recent reader survey shows 99% of you pack it in and pack it out, and 95% leash up in sensitive habitats. Now, that’s a pack worth howling about! Our Leave Only Paw
Heatstroke and hot pavement: California dog summer safety
Heatstroke kills 50–64% of affected dogs, and 3 out of 4 cases are caused by exercise — not hot weather alone. Here's what California dog owners need to know about hot pavement, warning signs, emergency cooling, and the state law that lets you break a
Seven dog-friendly Mammoth Lakes stops before the summer rush
Late spring in Mammoth is the window: snow is dropping off the lower trails, the alpine lakes are clearing, and the July crowds haven't arrived yet. Here are seven stops that make a dog-friendly weekend work.
California’s best dog-friendly resorts
Resorts are different from hotels. A hotel is somewhere you sleep between activities. A resort is the activity — grounds you can walk for an hour, restaurants and bars on the property, water access, real space for a dog to settle in over multiple nights
Idyllwild with your dog: a complete mountain-town weekend guide
Idyllwild is the rare California mountain town where the entire community operates as if dogs are part of the deal. The lodging is dog-friendly, the restaurants have proper dog-friendly patios instead of one bench out back, the trails out of town climb straight into wilderness,
Dog-friendly Eastern Sierra spring: where to go
You don't need the high passes to enjoy the Eastern Sierra in spring. Highway 395 stays open all year, and Lone Pine, Bishop, Convict Lake, the June Lake Loop, and Mono Lake come to life in May and June with your dog.
Dog-friendly Father’s Day: 5 California trips dads will want
Five honest California Father's Day trips, all dog-friendly: McCloud and the Shasta Cascade, Paso Robles ranch country, Trinidad on the Humboldt coast, Mammoth Lakes at full stretch, and Nevada City in the Gold Country. Muddy dogs, cabin porches, no infusions.
4 high-elevation dog-friendly hikes for late wildflower season
California's high country blooms a full month or two after the valleys. Four dog-friendly hikes where wildflowers are still climbing into June and July: Carson Pass, Panther Meadows on Mount Shasta, the June Lake Loop, and the country around Lassen.