All "Dog Friendly" Stories in Northern CA

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  Top Dog Destination

  Redding is a pawsitively ideal destination for you and your four-legged pal. Surrounded by Shasta and Lassen and mountainous Whiskeytown, with year-round sunny days and the gleaming Sacramento River running right through it, Redding is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.

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  Marvelous Mar Vista

  Demurely located on the southern Mendocino Coast, Mar Vista Farm and Cottages charms you from check-in. Roll up to 11 beautifully appointed private cottages, complete with kitchens and farmhouse decor. The sprawling u-pick veggie garden and outdoor redwood soaking tub are calling your name.

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  Hike Pelican Bluffs Preserve

  Tucked just south of Point Arena, the 73-acre Pelican Bluffs Preserve is an ideal blufftop hike with expansive views of the dramatic Mendocino coastline. A 2.2-mile trail starts in a bishop-pine forest before breaking out to wide-open coastal vistas.

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  Super Bowling

  Hidden along the Mendocino Coast, Bowling Ball Beach lives up to its name, and then some! Giant smoothly rounded boulders (some 12 feet across) are scattered along the beach, and it’s a phenomenal spectacle.

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  Rush and Tumble

  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 beside Cataract Creek as it’s chugging on all cylinders.

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  Best in Snow

  There’s snow better destination for outdoor fun and events. Plumas County is a northern Sierra Nevada dreamland, with vast outdoor spaces, places, and races! Snowshoe Lassen Volcanic National Park, downhill ski at charming Coppervale Resort, and have a blast at the quirky Longboard Races.

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  Loma Alta's Hidden Labyrinth

  Oak Manor Labyrinth in Marin’s Loma Alta Open Space is a hidden gem with huge views. The 2-mile out-and-back hike to reach it is a bit steep in parts, but the payoff is a 360-degree joy to the wild (with a bit of cityscape).

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  Fir Sure

  The Garlock family is Christmas tree royalty in Sebastopol, and their Reindeer Ridge Christmas Tree Farm is legendary: 7 acres of Douglas firs, Monterey pines, Scotch pines, and plenty more.

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  Redwoods on Campus

  You don’t have to be a student to enjoy a beautiful stroll in the UC Davis Arboretum. Walk the 3.5-mile (round-trip) paved path alongside Putah Creek, passing through 17 gardens, including beautiful redwoods and Torrey pines.

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  The Grand Ride

  The Sacramento River Trail in Redding lives up to its premier status as one of the best rail trails in the country for bikes and pedestrians only. Start at the architecturally stunning Sundial Bridge and follow the sublime Sacramento River upstream all the way to Shasta Dam.

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  Wine O'Clock

  You’ll find no attitude, no fuss, and no wine tasting fee when visiting some of the down-to-earth wineries just outside Redding. Take Dakaro Cellars, beautifully set amid the Shasta Cascade countryside with charming deck and grounds for tasting.

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  Chamise, Please

  Redding’s Chamise Peak is reached via a 5-mile hike that rewards with a 360-degree vista including the Sacramento River canyon, Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake, and Mount Shasta.

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  Color-fall Roll or Stroll

  With over 250 miles to choose from, Redding is known as Trail City, USA for good reason. Basically, this place is a mountain biking haven with one of the West’s best trail systems. Novice mountain-bike riders will love the easygoing and scenic 3.5-mile Churn Creek Greenway.

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  Fall for These Falls

  Chase waterfalls in Redding’s Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. This 42,000 acres of wilderness park is home to four waterfalls. Hike to the tallest, the three-tiered, 220-foot Whiskeytown Falls.

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  Sunlight and the Sea

  Rugged coastal cliffs, magnificent cloud formations, and sunlight sparkling on the water create beautiful autumn views at Mori Point in Pacifica. Hikers and cyclists can catch a Pacific sunset on the 2.5-mile Mori Point Loop.

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  Eat, Sleep, Beach, Repeat

  If you’re looking for one of those ultra-relaxing getaways where you can sit back and soak in some nature and nurture, head to Mendocino and follow this eat, beach, sleep, repeat itinerary ...

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  Historic Hidden Gem

  Smack in the middle of Monterey, and featuring a phenomenal view of the bay and the harbor, Lower Presidio Historic Park is truly an undiscovered gem. In fact, some historians have called it “the most historically significant site on the West Coast of America.”

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  Beauty and the Beach

  Sweeping, romantic, and vast, Garrapata State Park has all the stuff of swoon-worthy scenery. There’s a magical beach backed by hulking cliffs with a hiking trail we like best in the later afternoon, when the beach can be blissfully deserted.

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  Audio Adventure Walks

  Starting from the magnificent Monterey Bay Aquarium, do a deep dive into the interesting history of Monterey Bay on an audio tour along the Monterey Coastal Recreation Trail. The Monterey History Walking Tour is a nice way to get an overview of the beautiful bay and its diverse history.

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  Plateau Perfection

  Set deep in the East Bay hills, Vargas Plateau Regional Park is a secluded grassland that’s home to several endangered and threatened species. Hike a 4-mile loop of the Bay Area Ridge Trail here.

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