Cooper at Manhattan Beach (aka Blufftop Beach), Half Moon Bay
From the editors: We thank John Poimiroo for this special tribute to Cooper, a passionate and loyal DogTrekker! Check out his adventures... more »
Mt. Shasta / Photo: @crazycoco_bcmix
If you crave a change of scenery, you’ll get it many times over in the eight-county Shasta Cascade region. The lightly traveled North State is a treasure trove of mountainous scenery, history and small towns that charm. What’s not to like? A paws-up warning: Dog access is restricted, to various degrees, at the places set forth below. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a woofing good time with your four-legged companion, even where leashes are required. Here we go with some suggestions. more »
Maya and Loretta hike Mt. Tam
Photo Credit: Dave Kendrick
Sure, there are many open-space tracts in Marin County where you and your dog can hike without being tied together. But there are more that offer big rewards in terms of scenery, even if your tail-wagger has to stay leashed. The Marin Municipal Water District maintains seven reservoirs, most within the Mount Tamalpais watershed, that make for great outings. You won’t run out of places to roam, as dogs are allowed to accompany you on most of the 130 miles of trails and unpaved roads on district lands. more »
Loki in Santa Cruz. Photo Credit: Kim Williams
Just a short hop south of the Bay Area, Santa Cruz County is diverse and exceedingly dog-friendly. Variety is the name of the game when it comes to dog-friendly lodging and dining—as well as other options for a yappy, outdoor-centric getaway. Here are some suggestions to get tails a’wagging. more »
Photo Credit: Nathan Kendall
Lake Tahoe is at its glorious best in summer, but you have to be a very early riser to get a parking spot at a dog-friendly beach on weekends. Our advice: Sleep in, then head for High Camp, the high-altitude recreation complex at Palisades Tahoe, where a pool, hot tub, roller rink, limitless hiking options and plenty of free parking await. There are two ways up: the dog-friendly Shirley Lake Trail or the iconic (and dog-friendly) aerial tram. more »
Sunol Regional Wilderness. Photo Credit: @rufiosf
Don’t come to Oakland or the Tri-Valley without your hiking shoes! You’ll need them, along with a leash, to explore open-space preserves more »
Baxter and Montana in Nevada County. Photo: Bob White (CC)
Truckee, Grass Valley, Nevada City…. some of Northern California’s favorite dog-friendly vacation destinations are situated along the Highway 49 and Interstate 80 corridors in Nevada County. Historic
Nevada City, with its hopping downtown and dog-friendly lodging, makes a great base for a weekend getaway.
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Truckee River. Photo:
Karen (CC)
If you and your pup prefer paved trails to dirt ones, seek out the
Truckee River Legacy Trail next time you head up to
Lake Tahoe. Your furry companion will enjoy meet-and-greets with lots of other canines out for morning walks with their people, and you’ll enjoy watching the river roll by. The paved trail hugs the river for 2.5 miles northeast of
Truckee River Regional Park, just outside the downtown district. Eventually, it will extend from Donner Memorial State Park to the community of Glenshire.
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You want to spend as much time as possible playing in the mountains, so why waste your energy looking for a place to park? Whether there’s snow up to your eyeballs or not a flake to be seen, you’ll enjoy easy access to prime snow-play areas and skiing/hiking trails with a
Sno-Park permit.
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Ghost Tunnel, Black Diamond Mines - Photo: Nick Fullerton (CC)
From the late 1800s to the early 1990s, as many as 900 miners at a time labored to remove nearly 4 million tons of coal—“black diamonds”—from the ground in what is now
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve near Antioch in
Contra Costa County.
As interesting for its human history and artifacts (mine shafts, cemeteries, crumbled buildings) as for its 65 miles of
pet-friendly trails, this 5,375-acre open-space oasis, part of the
East Bay Regional Park District, is an off-the-beaten-track find for DogTrekkers.
The hilly, oak-studded landscape reminiscent of the Sierra foothills melds into oak chaparral and evergreen forest to keep things interesting for you and Daisy.
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