Start at the dog-friendly border town of Gualala

Gualala is a border town, but not in the usual sense of the word. Just over the Sonoma County line in Mendocino County, it’s a boho kind of place with a selection of dog-friendly lodgings and restaurants as well as quick access to shore-side refuges where you can go beachcombing with your pup.

Check out the sand and scenery at Gualala Point Regional Park and Beach, Cook’s Beach, Gualala River Redwoods Park and Schooner Gulch, for starters. Whale Watch Inn is a close-to-nature haven with ocean views from all 18 rooms, which also boast fireplaces and inn-issued beach towels, bowls, blankets and bed for your four-legged pal.  Economically-priced Surf Motel (which enjoys a primo location at the beginning of the Gualala Bluff Trail) and Gualala Country Inn also are dog-friendly, while North Coast Country Inn B&B and St. Orres are luxury properties that roll out the redwood carpet for pets.

For more on dog-friendly Gualala, click here.

Photo Credit: @nickandkonaandkira