All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Northern CA

The Irish Hills Are Smiling
Everyone loves San Luis Obispo, and the Irish Hills rank high among reasons why. Inches from civilization, you enter a world laced with oak-shaded creeks, green grassy hillsides, a
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Meiss Around
Escape the snow-loving crowds on a moderately challenging 6-mile (round-trip) ski near Carson Pass Summit. You’ll actually have bragging rights for doing part of the Pacific Crest
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Secret Snow-white Beach
Ready to hit the snow and the beach? An easy kick-and-glide from Emerald Bay Road to Kiva Beach leads through a snow-white postcard to the vast blue of Lake Tahoe. For novice cross
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Winter Views of Big Blue
When you’re ready to move up from gentle gliding to steeper climbs and descents, this 4-mile (round-trip) ski via High Meadows Road is an ideal place to practice your skills. This
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A Real Flockbuster
Some real movers and shakers have swooped in on San Francisco's southern industrial-chic waterfront thanks to the creative work and advocacy of the Golden Gate Audubon Society and
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California's Serengeti
When people talk about our great golden state, rarely included in that conversation is the Central Valley’s Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, or, as we call it: California’s Serengeti. It’s home to some of the most spectacular concentrations of waterfowl in the entire continent, and fall and winter are prime times for viewing action.
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The Carson Show
Carson Falls is ready for primetime. This three-tiered, 100-foot stunner is hidden back in a canyon outside of Fairfax and reached on a 3.25-mile (round-trip) hike.
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From Town to Falls
Mount Tam’s Cascade Falls is a bit under the radar, tucked back off a residential area in Mill Valley. Some people drive up to the tiny parking lot nearest to the falls. Do an easy 3-mile (round-trip) hike right from downtown Mill Valley, weaving through quiet streets and secret trails.
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What a Rush!
Mount Tam’s Cataract Falls is the bobsled course of waterfalls: over a mile of twisting, turning, tumbling water—gushing, rushing, and making a splash! The real joy is hiking right
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Sunset in a Pinch
Sometimes you’ve only got minutes to get to a high point in time for sunset. So keep it simple on a short hike that delivers a sunset punch within twenty minutes. The East Bay’s Cl
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Four-Legged Falls
Love your dog? Love waterfalls? Get the best of both on this easygoing hike hidden in Novato. Indian Valley Open Space Preserve is tucked behind the College of Marin campus, and those who discover it are in for a treat.
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Viva Las Trampas
A clear winter day calls for a long hike to savor some of the Bay Area’s most beautiful scenery, including some flowing cascades after rain. Hike this nearly 7-mile loop in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.
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Big Burdell!
Summiting Marin’s Mount Burdell isn’t on many bucket lists, but it should be. At just over 1,500 feet, it’s the highest peak in north Marin, and the summit payoff is plentiful.
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Sea You at the Ranch
Rough-and-tumble coastline, twisting Highway 1, open grasslands, hidden beaches, bluff trails, and a rustic lodge for storm watching from indoors —we’re not talking about Big Sur.
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Hike to New Lights
For an enlightening late day hike, catch the San Francisco skyline at sunset from high atop Ring Mountain. The Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve in Tiburon is pretty compact but oc
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Miley Menagerie
You’ll need to go up the hill and through the trees to get to the hidden expanse of San Francisco’s Fort Miley. Tucked behind Lands End and with a picnic table and solo grill, the
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Three Falling
Three waterfalls, and fewer people. McCloud Falls might be the best waterfall hike in Northern California. There are bigger waterfalls in the state, but it’s the whole package that makes this 4-mile (round-trip) hike truly memorable.
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A Shot of Whiskey
Whiskeytown Falls is a relative newcomer. While a few locals knew of its existence, it wasn’t largely shared, and there wasn’t a trail—until 2004. That’s when park biologist Russ W
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Alabama Backdrop
Despite being named for a Confederate warship, the CSS Alabama, there’s nothing Southern about the Alabama Hills. This range of rocky hills between the eastern slopes of the Sierra
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Golden Guadalupe
You’re in the South Bay, you have time for only a short hike, and early fall colors are a bonus. Oak-ey dokey! Head to Guadalupe Oak Grove Park and circle it in a mile-long hike wi
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