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This beautiful, dog-friendly trail near San Francisco promises to be a big hit for your four-legged hiking friends. All of the trails on this list are within a 30-minute drive of San Francisco. Dog-friendly hikes range from easy hikes to challenging workouts.
Best Dog Friendly Hikes Bay Area
The six-mile-long, dog-friendly Cataract Falls near Mount Tamalpais is a breathtaking waterfall. This is a challenging trail that rewards visitors with over 3km of waterfalls. The trail follows Cataract Creek as it descends Mount Tamalpais and flows into Alpine Lake. This is a pleasant climb all year round, but its full beauty is revealed in the wet months. In winter and spring, ferns grow in abundance, trees are covered in moss, waterfalls cascade, and wildflowers abound. As the year progresses, the vegetation becomes thinner and the maple trees shine in autumnal colors.
Best Dog-friendly Lakes In California
Tourists flock to Land’s End Beach to see the Golden Gate Bridge and Marine Headlands, but dogs love the trail too! Most people choose to do this hike as a short hike, but active dogs will love the varied terrain of this 3.5 mile loop. The dirt trail begins in Sutro Bath and hikers pass some scenic views, through a eucalyptus grove and past a hidden historic battery before reaching Mile Rock Beach.
There are always happy hiking dogs on this 3.6-mile trail in Belmont. This easily customizable route consists of two loops. The Short Interior Trail is a hard forest trail that follows the shoreline of Water Dog Lake in the lower canyon. Although many owners allow their dogs to swim in pools, the water can be mossy and green and not healthy for dogs. It’s still fun to sit on the bench or walk along the short dock and watch the ducks swim by.
The sunny outdoor trails (Lake Loop Trail and John Brooks Trail) are wide trails popular with hikers and mountain bikers. The trail winds along the top of the canyon and gets some sunlight and can be quite hot in the summer months. Some outdoor paths are shaded, but most paths are not shaded.
On clear days, Sweeney Ridge offers hikers breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay and coast, as well as the Pacific Ocean. This challenging 12.2-mile stretch of dunes in Pacifica also features a Nike Missile Site and a San Francisco Bay Discovery Site. The trail is a mix of steep gravel roads, footpaths and narrow singletrack through coastal bush. Depending on the time of year, hikers may be lucky enough to see a rabbit or two crossing the trail. Hikers can access this trail via a variety of paths, but my personal favorite is the entrance behind Shelldance Orchid Gardens.
Dog-friendly Hikes, Parks & Beaches In Sonoma County
With more than 1,900 acres of protected bayfront wetlands, the dog-friendly Adobe Creek Trail in Palo Alto Baylands is a destination for bird watchers and families. The 7-mile flat trail begins at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and winds around the salt marshes and mudflats of the Palo Alto Baylands. If you want a shorter walk, choose the 2.7 mile Bixby Hills and Mayfield Slow Walk.
The views of the Baylands’ tidal marshes change with the tides, but bird watching is always a pleasure, especially during migration season. Much of the Palo Alto Baylands Adobe Creek Trail runs between the two trails, offering hikers the opportunity to view birds along the way. On one side of the path you can watch hundreds of ducks happily swimming and squawking in the slow-moving water, while on the other side sandpipers dart their beaks at the mudflats.
Whale watching with your dog is your idea of a perfect afternoon? Then head to the Devil’s Slide Trail for a 3.5-mile coastal walk. The hidden, dog-friendly trail between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay is popular with hikers and cyclists. The Devils Slide Trail along Old Hwy 1 offers breathtaking views year-round and is perfect for whale watching on clear days. The trail runs high above the cliffs and hikers are treated to breathtaking views and the soothing sound of waves lapping on the rocks below. On a clear day, you may be lucky enough to spot a migrating gray or humpback whale diving deep into the ocean or displaying its worms. Numerous benches along the path invite you to relax, enjoy the view and sunbathe.
You don’t have to leave the city to find dog-friendly hiking trails. Glen Canyon Park is a 70-acre canyon between the Glen Park and Diamond Heights neighborhoods of San Francisco. This 1.7-mile hike in Glen Canyon Park is a dog-friendly trail that climbs over dramatic rock formations and plunges into a dense laurel grove at the canyon floor. As you cross Islays Creek, one of San Francisco’s few free-flowing rivers, you might forget that you’re still in the middle of the city.
The Ultimate Dog-friendly Guide To Lake Tahoe In The Summer — Hellorubydoodle
This easy 2-mile trail along the cliffs of Moss Beach is also known as the Mavericks Cliffs Trail because it offers beautiful views of the famous Mavericks surf spot. Mavericks’ waves are intimate and the Pillar Point hike offers breathtaking views of Half Moon Bay Harbor, the farmlands of the Coastal Mountains and Pillar Point Air Force Base.
Bird and whale watching is excellent from the cliffs, so be sure to bring binoculars. A variety of seabirds can be seen, while eagles and birds of prey hunt on the cliffs and marshes. If it’s not whale migration season, you can still look for seals. From the cliffs you can see the sheltered waters and beaches of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and at low tide seals congregate on the rocks below.
San Francisco’s Presidio National Park has 24 miles of hiking trails through eucalyptus forests, past beaches and historic batteries. While not all trails and beaches in the park are dog-friendly, there is a wide variety of trails to choose from. This 8-mile loop is one of my favorite hikes in the Presidio. On this hike you will encounter cypress forests and blooming sand dunes. You walk along San Francisco’s only nude beach, Baker Beach. You’ll come across not one, but two Andy Goldsworthy statues, and last but not least, you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge as it winds along the dramatic seaside cliffs.
From dog-friendly first aid kits to paw care, check out this blog post with seven essential tips for hiking with your dog if you’re new to hiking with your dog. The Bay Area is one of the best places for hiking, but not all hikes there are dog-friendly. Read on for my three favorite hikes with dogs in the Bay Area.
A Dog-friendly National Park
When I first moved to the Bay Area, it was difficult to find dog-friendly hikes! My single friends told me to go to Point Reyes (that’s not possible) or Muir Woods (that’s not possible) or more. We did a lot of digging, tackled a lot of rough trails, and finally got into the habit of hiking with our dogs!
Seal Point Park truly has it all. You can walk for miles with your pup, take him to play at the dog park, or go to Coyote Point Recreation Area, which has lots of trees and feels like you’re taking a walk.
This is one of my favorite hikes because of the options you have! I come here often with the two puppies and really enjoy having them here. Here are a few reasons why this is one of the Bay Area’s all-time favorite dog-friendly hikes:
Pulgus Ridge is my go-to when I want a real tree and dirt ride, but I only have an hour. Usually this is a break from my summer work week before sunset or a Saturday morning hike before lunch. The parking lot is small so it’s usually not too crowded along the way, and the pups love sniffing out the different scents here. Sometimes you can find a lot of ticks in these environments where there are trees and brush. But I’ve never had a problem here, I’ve climbed all year round.
The Most Scenic And Spacious Hikes In The South Bay
Here are a few reasons why this is one of the best dog-friendly hikes in the Bay Area:
There are many hikes in Pacifica that could fit on this list, but if I really had to choose, I would probably go with Sweeney Ridge. It’s easy, no hassle, back and forth
