East Bay hikes for fresh-air fiends
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. Read more.
Hiking, Parks and Gardens – can you say happy dog? DogTrekker has you covered with some great stories about the best hikes, parks and gardens for you. Whether you are looking for a quiet stroll through the park or an adventurous hike to a remote location, we have something for everyone. From the great outdoors to urban adventures, we’ve got it all covered. So don’t forget your pup when planning your next adventure – DogTrekker is here to help! Happy trails!
Shasta County gushers near Redding
Brandy Creek Falls. Photo by Wayne Hsieh.
There’s no better time to experience the Shasta Cascade range around Redding than in spring, when the rugged foothills glow velvet green, the icy cone of Mount Shasta looms tall and waterfalls tumble into the streams feeding sapphire-blue Whiskeytown Lake. Read more.
Four falls on one outing!
Swanson Creek, Uvas Canyon Park.
In the wake of a good spring drenching, the Uvas Canyon Waterfall Loop Trail near Morgan Hill in the South Bay’s Santa Cruz Mountains rewards with easy footing and sights to put a smile on your face and a wag on Scout’s tail. Read more.
Splash-happy in Marin
Cataract Falls in Marin County. Photo by David Berry.
Cataract Falls in Marin County is probably the best-known waterfall in the Bay Area, and for good reason. Read more.
Family-friendly Fairway Falls
Trailhead to Fairway Falls. Photo by Jessica Bay.
There’s no need to work up a sweat on a waterfall hike, especially if the hike is a family-friendly, one-mile round trip to Fairway Falls, a seasonal gusher in Ignacio Valley Open Space Preserve near Novato. Read more.
Yosemite’s watery icon
California’s best-known cataract is 2,425-foot Yosemite Falls, a voice-drowning, three-stage gusher that roars like a highway during the snow-melt season. Read more.
Strap on the snowshoes
Anywhere there’s snow, you can snowshoe. Pick a bluebird day and pack plenty of pep for an excursion to Echo Lakes, southern gateway to Desolation Wilderness and one of the most glorious (and dog-friendly) cross-country ski and snowshoe destinations in the Sierra. Read more.
Last chance for high-country hikes with your dog
Photo by Dayne Topkin.
This in-between time of year, when snowfall in the mountains is still light or nonexistent, is a great time for one last hike in the high country with your four-legged friends. Read more.
Take a Yolo County detour
Photo by Jesus Trevizo.
In Yolo County, Interstate 80 runs right past the UC Davis campus and within ball-throwing distance of Sudwerk, one of the state’s pioneering craft breweries. Read more.
Dog-friendly hiking around Vacaville
Photo by Anna.
An attraction of pastoral and historic interest easily accessible from Vacaville is Rush Ranch Open Space a 2,070-acre open space now administered by the Solano Land Trust. Read more.
Giacomo and Gelsomina’s mountain paradise
Photo by Jamie Street.
Although Mount Laguna is about 50 miles from central San Diego, the spectacular scenery and climate are well worth the drive. This 6,000-foot altitude alpine area is an evergreen tree mountain paradise, nothing like the desert climate of San Diego. Expect significantly cooler temperatures. It actually receives snow in the winter. Read more.
Take a fall hike around Redding
Redding calls itself California’s Trail Capital, and for good reason: about 100 miles of trails, both paved and natural-surface, have been developed in and around the city through private and public partnerships. Read more.
Napa Valley leg-stretchers
Just because you’ve had your fill of food, wine and vines doesn’t mean your restless Rover is ready to call it a day. After all, there’s not much exercise to be had in a tasting room. If the two of you need to burn a few calories, we suggest starting your day at Canine Commons dog park, part of 157-acre Alston Park northwest of downtown Napa. Read more.
Soaking up scenery in San Diego
Mission Trails Regional Park. Photo by Christopher Lorenzo.
San Diego epitomizes the laid-back SoCal lifestyle—and it just happens to be one of the most dog-friendly cities in the country, to boot. Read more.
Put these hiking havens on your radar
Photo by Anna.
Regional park districts in the Bay Area and beyond offer myriad venues for hiking with your dog. Check out the possibilities and put paws to path this fall! Read more.
Sonoma County Regional Parks with your pup
Hillside view in Santa Rosa. Photo by Megan O’Hanlon.
Sonoma County’s diverse network of regional parks is laced by more than 140 miles of trails leading to beaches, mountains, forests, lakes and meadows. Read more.
Sniffing out dog-friendly trails in LA
Eaton Canyon Natural Area. Photo by Ivan Mercado.
Los Angeles is lots more than jammed freeways, as anyone who’s taken time to explore its hilly terrain and beautiful beaches knows. Read more.
Things to do with your dog in Santa Cruz County
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
When it comes to things to do with your dog in Santa Cruz County, there’s the obvious (beaches, wineries), and the not-so-obvious—like Byrne-Milliron Forest, a 400-acre Land Trust of Santa Cruz County property managed as a working forest and laced with dog-friendly trails (off-leash hiking for dogs with reliable recall is allowed). Read more.
More Park for Pups!
Photo: Samantha S.
Samantha S. wrote in to tell us about a dog-friendly park she and her dog recently visited in Napa County. She let us know that Moore Creek Park in St. Helena is a wonderful dog-friendly spot with great views and pristine pools. Read more.
Wilderness Hiking in Whiskeytown NRA
If your travel plans have you traveling north this year (or if you haven’t figured out how to use those unused vacay days), we have just the perfect destination. Redding, the last major city on Interstate 5 as you near Mt. Shasta, is the undisputed Trail Capital of California with over 225 miles of trails within 15 miles of its city center. Read more.
