All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Northern CA
No Ordinary Beach
Want a beach that will really get you away from it all? Fort Ord Dunes State Park is just the ticket. This relative newcomer to the state park system gives an impressive perspective of the half moon–shaped Monterey Bay. Get a great view of it from the main parking lot and try to…
ViewHello, Sur!
Big Sur is home to numerous fantastic beaches and coves, so which one do you choose? Go for the beach that’s quintessential Big Sur (and dog-friendly!). Pfeiffer Beach in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park recently re-opened, and its signature lilac-colored sand is waiting for your feet…
ViewGo See Madonna This Weekend!
Surprise your friends by taking them to see Madonna! And the venue … it’s going to be amazing: high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains and dominated by redwood trees. Okay, we’re not talking “Like a Virgin” Madonna; we’re talking like “Second-Growth Redwoods” Mount Madonna. This…
ViewSurprise Factor
Some people don’t like surprises, but we’re guessing even those people will like the surprise hidden beach at Russian Gulch. While you can drive by and see multiple beach options in these parts, most cars zip right past the locked gate on Highway 1. That might be because the…
ViewGo the Extra Mile
You can drive right up to a lot of incredible vista points in California and they make great excuses for getting out of the car to stretch the legs. But the Sonoma Coast State Beach “Vista Trail,” perched high on Highway 1, goes the extra mile, literally. Enjoy the best view of…
ViewThat's A-Morro!
Most swing sets are found in a playground, but this set of swings is found in a grove of large eucalyptus trees overlooking one of San Luis Obispo’s iconic formations: Morro Rock, the northernmost of the ancient volcanoes dubbed Nine Sisters and the only one that emerges from the…
ViewSwinging Single
San Luis Obispo’s “serenity swing” earns honors for living up to its name and meeting high expectations! The swing hangs from a large, lone oak tree secluded on top of a hill high above Poly Canyon. Reaching it requires hiking up to one of the most (yes) serene settings on the…
ViewSister Act
Nine sisters makes a big family, and it’s even better when they’re all good looking! San Luis Obispo is surrounded by nine ancient volcanoes known as morros, and affectionately called the Nine Sisters. For one of the best views of this family portrait, go on a challenging 5-mile…
ViewSwinging Single
San Luis Obispo’s “serenity swing” earns honors for living up to its name and meeting high expectations! The swing hangs from a large, lone oak tree secluded on top of a hill high above Poly Canyon. Reaching it requires hiking up to one of the most (yes) serene settings on the…
ViewSister Act
Nine sisters makes a big family, and it’s even better when they’re all good looking! San Luis Obispo is surrounded by nine ancient volcanoes known as morros, and affectionately called the Nine Sisters. For one of the best views of this family portrait, go on a challenging 5-mile…
ViewSpirit Ship
At first glance, humble Mare Island in Vallejo might not seem like the type of place to take a walk. This old navy shipyard has dozens of unoccupied ghost-town-like buildings, and the drive to it feels almost ominous. But venture a little further and you’ll come to a revelation…
ViewIn-Spired
San Francisco has no shortage of outdoor art installations, but there’s one that rises above the rest. Spiking 90 feet skyward and located beside one of the Presidio’s most tranquil hiking spots, Andy Goldsworthy’s beloved “Spire” was built in nature, using nature. Goldsworthy…
ViewWhen the Levee Breaks
If you drive on Highway 37 between Sears Point and Vallejo you’ll notice a dramatic change: there’s water, water, everywhere! On January 6, the levee breached, intentionally, as part of an ongoing restoration project at Cullinan Ranch in the Napa River delta. For the first time…
ViewMill About by Foot or Bike
Birds love our fantastic bay, especially in the winter. And so do people! One of the Bay Area’s most popular roadside attractions is Mill Valley’s Bothin Marsh and Bayfront Park. The area makes for easy afternoon walking, biking, bird-watching, and bay-gawking. From Tennessee…
ViewSummit to Scrumptious
Before saying hi to Rick & Ann, say hi to one of the best views in the East Bay. Hidden in the Berkeley and Oakland Hills, the 208-acre Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve rises to a sweeping bay vista. Hike up to it via the Stonewall-Panoramic Trail, which climbs steeply for…
ViewCountry Style Ramble
Hungry? Head to the airport! No, seriously. Petaluma Municipal Airport’s popular Two Niner Diner is a breakfast institution. Hike to it on a 4.8-mile (round-trip) rolling-green-hills ramble. Grab your best wing-mates for a hike-in brunch at this tiny country airport, where a soft…
ViewGray Area
Honking, quacking, whistling … we’re not talking about a raucous night in the city. We’re talking about an absolute bonanza of bird species when you visit Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, 50 miles north of Sacramento in the heart of the Pacific Flyway. Every winter more than a million…
ViewTI Surprise
It’s no secret that Treasure Island has one of the best views of San Francisco. Visitors often steer toward the western side for the grand vista. But tucked on the east side by the yacht harbor is hidden Clipper Cove Beach, reached by descending 54 wooden steps (yeah, we counted…
ViewHave You Bean Yet?
Unassuming, beautiful, and a favorite once discovered, Bean Hollow State Beach is the Maggie Gyllenhaal of the San Mateo Coast. Located 3 miles south of Pescadero, this stretch of golden sand requires no hike-in, yet on most afternoons the place is wonderfully uncrowded. Spend…
ViewDillon Dally
If you’re going to go to a beach north of the Golden Gate, chances are it’s one of the Big 3 in Marin: the Headlands, Stinson, Point Reyes. But oft-overlooked Dillon Beach is also Marin magical. Regularly shrouded in fog during summer, the mist lifts on Dillon a little more in…
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2021 Hiking Calendar!
Ready to kick off 2021? (Like we have to ask.) Literally kick it off, with a hike! Download the 2021 POST Hiking Calendar (complimentary)—with recommended trails for every month of the year. It’s like a to-do list that you’ll actually love doing! Thank the Peninsula Open Space…
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