All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Northern CA
Panorama Park
From a distance you might wonder what it is … this very pointed, silvery structure rising above the horizon near the Bay Bridge. It’s the 69-foot-high Point of Infinity, a newly installed permanent sculpture located at San Francisco’s new public park, the very aptly named Panorama Park at Yerba Buena Island.
ViewDoran for Days
Want the best seats in the house for your beachside picnic or barbecue? Beeline to Bodega Bay’s sprawling Doran Beach (aka Doran Regional Park).
ViewThis Is Paradise
Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.
ViewThis Urban Spot Is Tops
Once an old military command post, today the Presidio in San Francisco is the largest urban national park in the United States. It’s also home to the relatively new Presidio Tunnel Tops a park built on top of Presidio Parkway tunnels. Not only does this offer a corridor for animals and plants to thrive in, it’s also a great community space for humans.
ViewBike, Beers, Shore Thing!
The coastal community of Redwood Shores may be known for its tech campuses, but this 8.5-mile bike loop explores the natural side of this beautiful peninsula. With a brew pub bonus!
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Sundialed Summer
Gather your favorite people and dial up the summer fun in Redding! There are span-tastic celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the iconic Sundial Bridge and a Fourth of July celebration with one of California’s largest fireworks shows.
View Sheep Tight!
You’re not going to have to count sheep to get a good night’s sleep at Sheep Dung’s beautiful property in Anderson Valley near Boonville. Four modern cottages—tucked far apart from each other among 500 acres of rolling hills—are designed for blissful solitude. And it’s dog-friendly!
ViewSublime in Sanborn
Located right next door to Castle Rock State Park, lesser-known Sanborn County Park packs mighty beauty within a small hike on the 3-mile Summit Rock Loop.
ViewGolden Gate's Blue Heron
Golden Gate Park’s Blue Heron Lake is home to birds of many feathers, turtles lounging on rocks, visitors from afar, and locals who love this urban oasis in San Francisco. Try the "Boats and Breakfast" rowboat or pedal boat deal.
ViewBe Dune-spired!
There’s only one urban park on the planet that helped inspire a major theme in Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi book, Dune. Herbert was born and raised in Tacoma, and Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park is named in honor of his famous novel—a tribute to one of the book’s main ideas ...
ViewTacoma Time
Idyllically located on the banks of Puget Sound, Tacoma bustles with abundant outdoors, a lively urban center, and the beautiful Ruston Way Waterfront, which connects downtown to one of America’s preeminent urban parks: Point Defiance Park.
ViewThe Beauty of Bainbridge Island
You know a place is special when locals head to it for their in-state vacations. Follow the lead of Seattleites and venture to beautiful Bainbridge Island in the heart of Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula. Hike the Grand Forest here, meet Pia the Peacekeeper, and enjoy tasty food and drinks.
ViewLittle Norway
There aren’t many small towns in America that look and feel like Europe, but Washington State sure seems to have a few! Lesser known among them is Poulsbo on the Kitsap Peninsula. Dubbed “Little Norway,” this hamlet on the waterfront of Liberty Bay is charmed with Scandinavian influence.
ViewGo Big in Bremerton
Make your way to the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula, Bremerton. Best known for its naval and maritime heritage, there’s also plenty of outdoors to explore, including a hidden treasure within the Puget Sound Basin: the Keta Legacy Foundation Rhododendron Preserve.
ViewEast Bay Bike With Blossoms
Spring wildflowers are in full bloom on this 15.5-mile bicycle loop through the East Bay that begins at charming Heather Farm Park and features plenty of scenic highlights.
ViewTalk of the Town
We're spilling the tea on this bountiful 5.5-mile loop to Gossip Rock in Hayward’s Garin Regional Park (currently whispering all the right springtime notes).
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Redding to Shake Things Up!
Go wild on your next group getaway, event, or team trip. All you have to do is take it outside, in Redding! As the sunniest city in California, surrounded by Shasta and Lassen and mountainous Whiskeytown, Redding has everything you need for a meeting of the minds, naturally!
View Swing into Spring
Swing into this 7.1-mile hike in the hills of Half Moon Bay! It’s got gorgeous views, fields of spring wildflowers, and a hidden rustic tree swing.
ViewTaking the Stage: Tyler Ranch
Hike the recently opened Tyler Ranch Staging Area in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, with 18 miles of new trails. This 6.5-mile loop up Sunol Peak is a challenge and rewards with exceptional views of seasonal iridescent hills.
ViewSimply Suttonfield
Tucked in charming Glen Ellen and accessed via a pullout parking area along Arnold Drive, Lake Suttonfield pours on the charm with an easygoing 2-mile trail loop around it.
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The 2025 Hiking Calendar Is Here!
Ready to make hiking part of your New Year’s wellness plan? Get the all-new 2025 Hiking Calendar courtesy of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
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