Blog stories about Canoeing, rafting and boats fun with your dog.

Water dog? Here are some great stories with dog-friendly ideas for canoeing, rafting and boating fun for you and your dog. Whether you are looking for a quiet paddle down a river or an adrenaline-pumping white water adventure, there is something out there to fit everyone’s tastes. Take your time researching and selecting the right activity based on safety considerations and your comfort level. It’s important to choose activities that will be enjoyable for both you and your canine companion.

Fall for these dog-friendly waterfalls

Yes, we had a dry January, but the big storms in late December filled lakes and streams and created a hefty Sierra snowpack. The payoff: Waterfall season! Here are some late winter/early spring hikes with watery rewards at the end. Yosemite Gushers Moving Water in Marin Don’t Pass on Pasadena With Your Dog Santa Barbara’s Waterfall Surprise Read more.

Don’t pass on Pasadena with your dog

If you can just get off of those L.A. freeways (and you can!) a great place to gulp some fresh air and take in some flowy eye candy is Eaton Canyon Falls just outside Pasadena. Read more.

Santa Barbara’s waterfall surprise

How good are you and your dog at rock-hopping and scrambling? You’ll need to put those skills to work on the popular 7 Falls Trail in the Los Padres National Forest outside Santa Barbara. It’s best just after a rain, when the falls are gushing. The 3.2-mile out-and-back is accessible and dog-friendly year-round. Parking at the trailhead is limited and strict, so stay behind the white l Read more.

Moving water in Marin

It’s not the easiest waterfall hike in Marin County, but Cataract Falls, on the north flank of Mount Tamalpais, is easily the Bay Area’s most popular waterfall destination. It roars and gets really big after a spring rain, spouting nine silvery cascades, some 50 and more feet high, plunging down the Cataract Creek streambed. The surrounding forest, with its moss-covered rocks, ferns, t Read more.

Paddle with your pup in Mendocino County

Photo by Catch A Canoe & Bicycles, Too.

Coastal Mendocino County is stitched to rivers and ocean, but visitors aren’t restricted to just looking at the water. It’s also possible to get out on it—with your dog. Read more.

If it’s summer, it’s splash time with your dog!

Australian shepherd dog runs through the lake

Thousands of splash spots in California await people and pups eager to get wet in the great outdoors. Read more.

Big River beckons at Catch A Canoe

Dog and person on outrigger in Big River

Photo by Catch A Canoe & Bicycles, Too.

There’s something magical about the Big River estuary near Mendocino—and something ingenious about the “canine cruiser” that transports two- and four-legged visitors down the calm and inky river to the sea. Read more.

Water Dog Package at the Little River Inn

Rosie at Little River Inn. Photo by Little River Inn.

The Little River Inn brings back its very popular Water Dog package at the Little River Inn Resort & Spa, perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. You’ll enjoy a two-night stay in a pet-friendly guest room, a Kayak Albion River Nature Tour, a goodie bag with dog treats and info on where to hike and boat with dogs—plus a $120 dinner voucher good for takeout dining and in-per Read more.

Cooper loved to Travel

In his ten years, this Lab/border collie/cattle dog mix traveled to seven states, but most of all he loved going anywhere DogTrekker recommended. Read more.

Open air dog-friendly activities perfect for social distancing

By now, we all know the drill: wash your hands, cover your face in public, maintain six feet of “social distancing” between yourself and anyone else who is not a member of your household “bubble.” So where does your dog fit in? Right by your side, as always! In Mendocino County, you’ll have access to many activities that let you have fun while still adhering to the gu Read more.

Harley the waterdog

I just lost Harley my yellow lab on January 5 at nine years young. She loved Dillon Beach, going to the snow and swimming anywhere she could find a body of water. Read more.

Go North, DogTrekkers, Go North!

A month from now, the epic waterfalls of the Shasta-Cascade region in Northern California will be gushing in spectacular fashion. That said, the cascades on the McCloud River —Lower, Middle and Upper—are mind-blowing at any time of year. They’re connected by a 1.5-mile-long trail that deserves leisure exploration. To give yourself time to wander (and take a selfie or three!), hol Read more.

Pant, paddle, pedal with your pup

Photo by Catch A Canoe & Bicycles, Too.

There’s something magical about the Big River estuary alongside the Stanford Inn, and something ingenious about the “canine cruiser” that transports two-and four-legged visitors downstream on an ultra-stable platform. Read more.

Vet Buzz: Keeping the Golden Years Golden

By Dr. Chris Pitts, RVT, of Broadway Animal Hospital Everyone wants to grow old gracefully, including your dog. Your dog ages in much the same way as a human does, only at a faster rate. Read more.

Clear your head at Clear Lake

North checks out Clear Lake at sunrise. Photo by Jennifer Waicukauski.

Clear Lake in Lake County is a big puddle of blue on the map about 75 miles north of Santa Rosa. For DogTrekkers, it and nearby Blue Lakes offer a diverse range of getaway options, from luxury resorts to funky cabins and many campgrounds. A natural freshwater body of water tucked into a hilly, forested landscape, Clear Lake is known to anglers as one of the best bass fisheries in the state. Read more.

River cruisin’ with your canine

Many say that coastal Mendocino County is not so much a place as a state of mind. And for DogTrekkers, full immersion wouldn’t be complete without a dog-friendly paddle excursion along the serene Big River estuary. Catch A Canoe & Bicycles Too, which shares ground with the extremely dog-friendly Stanford Inn by the Sea, has been putting paddlers on the 8.3-mile estuary since 1972. A Read more.

Lake County hideaway

“Agritourism”—an agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch—is as old as winemaking in California, yet there aren’t many places where visitors with dogs can spend the night on the premises. Bed & Barrel at Stonehouse Cellars, a winery/tasting room/B&B in Clearlake Oaks, Lake County, is an exception. Read more.

Summer’s last splash: Gotta lake it!

Senior golden retriever standing in Fallen Leaf Lake with boats and mountains in background.

Fallen Leaf Lake. Photo by Jennifer Barnes.

When Northern Californians mention “The Lake,” you know they’re talking Tahoe. September is “tweener” season at Big Blue, a time when locals breathe deep, tourism drops off and visitors in the know snag mega-deals on lodging. Read more.

Water Safety Guidelines

By Dr. Angela Gaeto, DVM, of the Helen Woodward Animal Center community in San Diego County. When the whole family is out enjoying water activities, be sure to consider the safety and well-being of your pets as well! Read more.

Hop On A Houseboat With Your Pup

Big dog looking out the window on a houseboat

Water, sun, stars, memories. A houseboating vacation provides them all, plus a lot of novelty for first-timers. While Shasta Lake is justly known as the house-boating capital of California, it’s not the only body of water where you can herd your friends and family (including your pup, of course) aboard and say “anchors aweigh” on a slow-moving, waterborne vacation. Read more.