This lush redwood retreat 15 miles west of San Rafael has dog-friendly picnic areas, campgrounds with showers and the five-mile Cross Marin Trail, shared with cyclists, that visitors with leashed dogs are welcome to enjoy.
For DogTrekkers who like to camp, there’s a bigger attraction: Samuel P. Taylor makes an ideal, low-cost base camp for forays into the adjacent Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, both of which hold many options for hikers and sightseers with leashed canine companions.
There’s no need to cook all your meals over a camp stove: The nearby communities of Olema and Point Reyes Station are loaded with restaurants where you can relax and fill up after a day in the outdoors.
Our suggestion: Set up camp at the state park, stretch your legs on the Cross Marin Trail in the morning and high-tail it over to the national seashore in the afternoon for a romp on Limantour Beach, North Beach, South Beach or our very favorite strand, Kehoe Beach, reached after a half-mile hike over sand dunes.
Before you plan your visit though, DogTrekker recommends checking the National Park Service website for the latest updates regarding seasonal closures.
If you’re really ambitious, spend the next day hiking the Bolinas Ridge Trail, just outside park boundaries, for stellar views of the rolling Marin countryside.
