Blog stories about the best dog-friendly hikes, parks and gardens.

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!

Feel the Beat on Santana Row

When it comes to urban people-and-dog-watching, it’s hard to beat Santana Row, San Jose's wildly successful, Mediterranean- style shopping and entertainment district. Plop down at any of 25 dog-friendly sidewalk cafes (patio heaters run full blast in winter) and watch the parade. Read more.

Parkway Ride

People of Sacramento cherish the American River Parkway, a shady, 32-mile greenbelt meandering from the Old Sacramento historic district to sprawling Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Read more.

Park It With Your Best Friend

Rainy days aside, Sacramento enjoys a mild winter climate perfect for outings with your pup. If you’re a visitor and weather permits, start your explorations at the navel of California political activity, the state Capitol. No, you can’t go inside—but you can explore Capitol Park, a 40-acre urban preserve surrounding the imposing domed structure. Hundreds of labeled plants Read more.

Pack a Sno-Park Permit

Ever tried finding a parking place on a bluebird winter day at Tahoe? The obvious spots can be as packed as your neighborhood mall during the Christmas season. But there are ways around the crowds, starting with the plowed parking areas at 18 Sno-Park locations in the Sierra Nevada, most of them in the Tahoe Basin. Read more.

Napa Humane

For many humane societies, losing their animal shelter, as Napa Humane did in 2002 to a flood control project, would be a fatal blow. For Napa Humane, it was an opportunity to consider the real needs of the Valley's animals and how best to address those needs — which were more about keeping animals from entering the animal shelter in the first place than who was running the shelter. This Read more.

Burn Some Calories

Most people come to the Napa Valley for legendary food and wine, but dogs traveling with their uprights often have other ideas. After all, there’s not much exercise to be had in a tasting room, no matter how velvety the Cabernets, how elegant the appointments or how welcoming the staff. If your Restless Rover needs to burn a few calories before settling down, Read more.

Tri This

Three valleys, two counties and five distinct cities make up the Tri-Valley region, which is less than an hour from San Francisco and most of the rest of the Bay Area on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay hills. Dog-friendly hotels, restaurants and wineries abound, and if you’re looking for places to stretch your legs, the East Bay Regional Park District manages tens of thousands of a Read more.

Halfway to Heaven

Photo by Peter Reinhold.

If you could afford to live like a high-tech millionaire, you'd have lots of company in Los Gatos. It's a nice place to visit regardless, and 270-acre St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve above the attractive town center is a destination well worth the huffer-puffer hike from Novitiate Park at the end of Jones Road. Read more.

Dog Park “Do’s”

Expect "meet-and-greet" behavior; i.e. lots of sniffing, boxing and even mild humping as dogs introduce themselves to one another. Know your pet's play style and encourage her to engage with … Continued Read more.

Dog Park “Don’ts”

Turn an unsocialized canine loose in a dog park. Bring a dog into an off-leash park on a leash. (Doing so can trigger aggression toward the loose dogs that will … Continued Read more.

Dog Park Petiquette

Off-leash dog parks are a relatively new phenomenon in most communities, and behind each of them is a dedicated group of advocates who worked hard, often for years, to overcome … Continued Read more.

Help Save Our State Parks

Featured in our One Last Splash issue on Oct. 20 were three dog-friendly state beaches. Over the next year, DogTrekker will highlight quite a few more. As we all know, … Continued Read more.

Mammoth views

Photo by Visit Mammoth.

Dog with a view Mammoth Lakes area is the most developed part of the Eastern Sierra, with amenities and services to accommodate everyone from luxury-seekers to campers and, of course, DogTrekkers. The area is loaded with dog-friendly lodging establishments, and while we can't vouch for them all, we do have our favorites. Read more.

Paws to the Path around Lake Tahoe

Most hiking trails around Lake Tahoe—and there are hundreds—can be enjoyed in the company of your best friend. For a short hike with liquid rewards, pack a picnic and take an easy, 3.5-mile round-trip stroll to gorgeous Fallen Leaf Lake, second-largest body of water in the Tahoe Basin and easily accessible from a parking lot just off Highway 89. Also easy-going is the mile-in, mile-out Read more.

Horsing around

A scenic view of Horsetail Falls and the surrounding trees.

Who on the way up to Tahoe hasn't caught a glimpse of Horsetail Falls, the spectacular, 800-foot cataract visible from Highway 50 at Twin Bridges? The half-day trek to the lower falls is one of the premier hiking experiences in the Tahoe area. Read more.

A Mammoth undertaking

Photo by Mammoth Lakes.

The Mammoth Lakes area of the Eastern Sierra holds some of California's most stunning—and paw-friendly —high-altitude landscapes. At Mammoth Mountain, hikers with leashed dogs can hop aboard the Panorama Gondola for a ride to the mountain's 11,053-foot summit and 360-degree views of surrounding peaks. Read more.

The far, far north in Del Norte County

Paul Bunyan's dog, Digger. Photo Credit: Verifex (CC) Just north of the Redwood National and State Parks on Highway 101 near Klamath, a “what on Earth?” sight comes into view. Those giant size statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox signal you’ve arrived at Trees of Mystery, one of America’s best known roadside attractions. Read more.

Head for Higher Ground

A lot of favorite spring destinations have taken a beating this year. Normally lovely meadows are under water, babbling brooks are dangerous torrents and low-lying trails are awash in mud. So with Jake bouncing off the walls, it's time to head for the hills. Whether you want a quick scenic stroll, a nature walk or an ambitious ridgetop hike, these East Bay Regional Parks in the hills above Oa Read more.

Hiking in South Yuba River State Park

When it comes to Northern California hikes that combine scenery, history and wildflowers, not much can trump South Yuba River State Park near the town of Penn Valley in Nevada County. Read more.

Regional Parks tightening leash?

Man walking a dog through a forest in Oakland, California

From Point Isabel to Lake Del Valle, Black Diamond Mines to Sunol Regional Wilderness, Point Pinole to Mission Peak, the East Bay Regional Parks Read more.