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!

Turquoise blue persuasion in Pollock Pines

Photo by El Dorado Irrigation District.

Once you reach Pollock Pines on Highway 50, you’re deep into Gold Country. And on a hot summer day, nothing could be more appealing than a dip in a turquoise-blue lake Read more.

Summer fun with your pup in Folsom

Folsom Lake. Photo by Simon Hurry.

History, a vibrant dining scene and outdoor recreation options galore beckon in this gateway to California Gold Country. Read more.

A big bark for Sonoma’s Bart Park

Photo by Tyke Jones.

Sonoma County is well endowed with public lands where you can spend quality time with your furry friend, but not so well known are the private preserves that welcome hikers and strollers accompanied by canine companions. Put organically farmed Bartholomew Park Winery at the top of your list. This little-known gem just a few blocks east of Sonoma Plaza sits at the center of a 40 Read more.

Hike-in breakfast with a view

If you live in the Bay Area, you owe it to yourself to experience this hike-in breakfast at least once. It’s only a 2-mile walk to West Point Inn on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais. Read more.

Hiking ‘California’s Switzerland’

2 mixed breed dogs standing on granite boulder

Frankie & Storm hiking in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Photo by Stephanie Clemens.

The Eastern Sierra is often referred to as “California’s Switzerland” for its jagged peaks and high-altitude attractions. The options for dog-friendly hikes in the region are limitless, and if you want to top off some exercise with a hearty meal, we have a couple of suggestions. Read more.

Stroller-friendly hikes for wheels, feet and paws

baby in stroller on walking path with dog

Photo by Minnie Zhou.

There are thousands of places to hike with kids and dogs in California, but if you’re new to an area, it can be hard to know just where to go, especially if you have tots in a stroller. Read more.

A few of our favorite dog-friendly public campgrounds

Almost every public campground in California is dog-friendly, but that doesn’t mean your dog is welcome to hike with you, even on a leash. Read more.

Take a spring hike around Redding

Photo by Choose Redding.

Redding calls itself California’s Trail Capital, and for good reason: about 100 miles of dog-friendly trails, both paved and natural-surface, have been developed in and around the city through private and public partnerships. Spring is a particularly nice time to take in the views from the Upper Sacramento Ditch Trail, which traces the route of a historic waterworks that once supplied miners Read more.

Kissing the Santa Cruz coast

Follow the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) along the Santa Cruz County coastline, and you’ll be tempted by 29 miles of beaches (15 of them dog-friendly) along the way. Only one, Mitchell’s Cove, is legally leash-free, and then only before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. But no worries: there are plenty of other strands to explore provided you keep a tether stretched between you. Read more.

Spring rambles in the South Bay

dog off-leash hiking on trail surrounded by green grass

Photo by country4k.com.

South of San Francisco, you and your frisky pup have more velvety-green hills to wander in spring. Read more.

Chasing cascades in the Bay Area

Golden retriever overlooks aerial view of Sunol Regional Wilderness.

Sunol Regional Wilderness. Photo by Kevin Noble.

From easy family hikes to certified huffer-puffers, the hills and streams of the San Francisco Bay Area are at their voluptuous best in spring. Read more.

Dog-friendly Highway 20 preserves beckon in spring

Photo by Kampus Production.

The Sierra foothills cover hundreds of square miles, so your best bet for a wildflower-and-waterfalls weekend is to narrow down an itinerary. Our suggestion: take Highway 20 east out of Marysville (Sutter County) and spend a day or a weekend exploring several sites between there and Grass Valley/Nevada City, a distance of about 40 miles. Read more.

Liquid rewards in our National Parks

Whiskeytown Falls.

We can’t gush enough about the dog-friendly waterfall hikes and photo opportunities waiting for you and yours on federal lands. Here’s a trio of suggestions. Read more.

Yosemite is positively pawsome for dogs

Is Yosemite dog-friendly? Every DogTrekker headed in this direction wants to know. And the answer is…“Yes!”…with caveats. Read more.

Time out for Tuolumne County (Yosemite north entrance)

Photo by Daniel Lee.

The rugged country leading up to Yosemite’s Big Oak Flat (North) entrance boasts a pioneer history as rough-hewn as the landscape itself. Tuolumne County towns along the Highway 120/49 corridors—Oakdale, Columbia, Jamestown, Twain Hart, Groveland—still have a boomtown feel, and with it, a relaxed attitude toward dogs. Columbia, “the Gold Rush town that refused to die,&rdqu Read more.

Hike your tails off

East Bay dog with green hills in background

Oakland is surrounded by hills, and the hills—luscious green at this time of year—are laced with hiking trails. You don’t have to go far from downtown Oakland to access one of the close-in preserves managed by the East Bay Regional Park District, which oversees more than 65 open-space areas with 1,250 miles of trails between them. A perk you won’t find on many other public Read more.

Moseying around the Mojave

2 beagles sit in front of the entrance sign at Mohave National Preserve.

Splash and Cricket at Mohave National Preserve in winter. Photo by Jessica Bay.

The name sounds intimidating, and the 1.6 million-acre Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County can certainly be that. Read more.

Put paws to GGNRA paths in San Mateo County

yellow lab looking into the distance on wide trail at sunset

Photo by Amy Humphries.

People have walked their dogs, both on- and off-leash, for decades on the lands in San Mateo County that became part of the GGNRA after the National Park Service’s 1979 Pet Policy went into effect. Read more.

San Francisco County’s GGNRA bounty

Dog running towards Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

In San Francisco, GGNRA lands wrap the shoreline almost all the way from Fort Mason in the north to Fort Funston in the south, with a few breaks along the way. Dogs and their people can enjoy miles-long leashed walks with ocean views and, at a few places, unclip their canine companions to chase the surf and run free. Read more.