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!

For dogs, the desert is dessert

Photo by Elizabeth Iris.

On a crisp fall or winter day in the desert, crystal-clear air is a tonic for the soul. It’s the perfect time of year to hike or camp, and the Greater Palm Springs Region, Read more.

Urban rambles in Sonoma County

sunrise over marshland with low fog in Petaluma

Sunrise at Shollenberger Park, Petaluma. Photo by Jessica Bay.

The town of Sonoma, with its historic plaza surrounded by high-end restaurants and shops, is the gateway to Sonoma Wine Country. But wineries aren’t the only places in this sprawling county to visit with your best friend, and Sonoma isn’t the only town with a dog-friendly, come-hither vibe. Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Petaluma have their own sets of canine-accommodating Read more.

Off the beaten path in Marin

mountain view from picnic area at West Point Inn.

Photo by West Point Inn Association.

Visiting Marin County? Not even all the locals are hip to the hike-in pancake breakfasts-with-a-view served up at the West Point Inn 1,785 feet above the Pacific on the shoulder of Mount Tamalpais. Read more.

Urban hikes to SF attractions

mixed breed dog sits on hill overlooking San Francisco cityscape

Photo by jefffielding (CC).

Whether you live in San Francisco or are just visiting, your legs are bound to get a workout given all those hills. Read more.

Monterey County Parks

Dogs and people stand on the shore in Carmel

Carmel Beach. Photo by Jaime Perez (CC).

Dog-lovers from around the world know leash-free Carmel Beach as a primo place to visit with dogs. But that’s hardly the only place in Monterey County where your untethered dog can have as much fun and freedom as you do. A number of county parks, as well as several within the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, allow dogs to accompany you off-leash away from developed areas so long as Read more.

More in Marin

Photo by Sergei Shershen.

Sure, there are many open-space tracts in Marin County where you and your dog can hike without being tied together. But there are more that offer big rewards in terms of scenery, even if your tail-wagger has to stay leashed. Read more.

East Bay Regional Park District

Golden retriever overlooks aerial view of Sunol Regional Wilderness.

Sunol Regional Wilderness. Photo by Kevin Noble.

The Bay Area wouldn’t be what it is without its tawny, oak-studded hills, and we have the East Bay Regional Parks District to thank for keeping many of them accessible to the public. Read more.

Urban rambles in San Francisco

Photo by jefffielding (CC).

An abundance of open space available to canines makes the City by the Bay especially enticing to four-legged visitors with humans on the other end of the leash. Read more.

Marin County Open Space

Marin County has long been a leader in land conservation, and the public has been a beneficiary of its valiant efforts. Read more.

Fourth stop: Truckee to Mammoth Lakes

Bodie State Historic Park. Photo by Pawan Thapa.

You have a couple of options here, but the most direct route sends you back to Lake Tahoe and around the North Shore via Highway 267 to its intersection with Highway 50. Read more.

Fifth stop: Mammoth Lakes back to Sac via Yosemite

a brown and white dog laying in front of now covered mountains

Allow a full day—or more, if time permits—for the long but scenic drive back to Sacramento via Highway 120 over Tioga Pass Road through Yosemite National Park. Read more.

Sniff out some new places

person stands in road with redwood trees towering above

Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Photo by Jeremy Bishop.

Every time we visit, Santa Cruz County gets more and more dog-friendly. And this year there are several new opportunities to bark about. Read more.

A day (or more) in the redwoods

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

Santa Cruz County is famous for its groves of towering coast redwoods, and Big Basin Redwoods State Park is just one place to see them. Read more.

Sniffing out exceptions to state park rules

coastal view of ocean and boulders at MacKerricher State Park

MacKerricher State Park. Photo by Don Kawahigashi.

Most California State Parks restrict canine companions to campgrounds, day-use picnic areas and paved roads, but we’ve found a trio that allow four-paw venturing on dirt trails. Read more.

Dogs in the park

couple walks dog on bridge in Yosemite with view of Half Dome

Before you bring your dog to Yosemite National Park, read up on the rules so you won't be disappointed. While access to trails is restricted (see where you can hike below), there's still lots of scenery that can be enjoyed with your dog, especially in the spring when the waterfalls are running at maximum flow. Read more.

Redding: Waterfall capital of California

yellow lab sits in front of Whiskeytown Falls

Maya at Whiskeytown Falls. Photo by Dave Kendrick.

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.

Liquid treasure in Gold Country

Hidden Falls Regional Park. Photo by City of Auburn.

You’ll hear the furious, highway-like roar long before you catch sight of Hidden Falls, a wide wall of water that explodes into a 50-foot ravine at the center of Hidden Falls Regional Park, a 1,200-acre preserve with 30 miles of trails in Placer County Gold Country. Read more.

Cataract Falls: A California classic

Photo by Anastase Maragos.

Despite its strenuous nature, the 2.5-mile round trip to Cataract Falls on the north slope of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County is definitely not the road less traveled. Read more.

Every walk in Surf City is special

Photo by Visit Huntington Beach.

The Dog Beach here in Surf City has become famous throughout Southern California. More than a mile of undeveloped beach along one of the prettiest stretches of the coast Read more.

Mammoth opportunities

Dog by trees at Mammoth California in the fall

Three hours south of Tahoe and five hours northeast from Los Angeles, Mammoth Lakes beckons not just downhill skiers, but DogTrekkers vacationing with their best four-legged friends. Read more.