Ron Bexel
Best Dog Friendly Bay Area Hikes – Today I want to bring you my guide to the best dog hikes in the Bay Area. If you love furry friends enough to enjoy Northern California’s beautiful scenery and scenery, this list will show you some of the best places to hike near San Francisco. From Marin County to the Peninsula to the Falls Hike Pacific Trail, you can do it all. I have also attached the map.
Considering how much San Francisco Bay Area residents love their canine companions, there are plenty of dog-friendly hikes near the city. Whether you’re visiting Marin County, the East Bay, the Peninsula, or elsewhere, you’ll be in for a treat traveling the Bay Area with dogs.
Best Dog Friendly Bay Area Hikes
And I’m not talking about terrain. Love waterfalls? Take a hike for you and your pup. Do you like the view of the Pacific Ocean? The Bay Area has you covered. Do you want forests, hills or hills? Check Check
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I’ve been hiking with dogs in the Bay Area my whole life. Growing up in Silicon Valley, I walked many of the Bay Area’s dog trails as a child with my family. From Windy Hill in the Portola Valley to Arastradero Reserve in Palo Alto, we love the outdoors with our Great Standard Poodles.
As an adult, I’ve done all the hikes on this list with my friend’s Mini Gold Doodle. We made several treks from the North Bay to the Peninsula. This list contains my favorites. The pup enjoyed them as much as I did, and we can both recommend them from personal experience (even if I’m a little more vocal about them than he is!).
I’ll be adding more hikes as I write about this blog post, so bookmark or pin them to Pinterest for easy reference. As much as we enjoy hitting the tracks, I know I’ll be releasing another one soon
As with all hikes in Northern California, bring water for you and your dog, a towel or blanket for the car in case Fido gets muddy or dirty, a leash (sounds obvious, but I’ve seen it before), and bags. For any confusion along the way
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Finally, don’t forget to check yourself and your furry friend for ticks. They are common on sidewalks in the San Francisco Bay Area and can cause Lyme disease in both humans and dogs.
Top of my list of best dog hikes in the Bay Area is the Cataract Falls Trail in North Bay. Four-legged friends can roam here and it’s a popular place to hit the hills after a big storm.
It is located in the Mount Damalpais watershed, near Stinson Beach on the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. The protected mountain range is known for its streams, reservoirs and redwoods.
Cataract Falls is one of the most popular waterfalls in Marin County and the Bay Area. It has a narrow forest trail that hugs the small waterfalls coming from Cataract Creek.
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The moderately difficult trail involves uneven stone steps and narrow walkways and a fair amount of elevation gain. If you go after a heavy rain (when the falls are at their best), it can mean muddy paws (and everything) for your dog.
The trek to Cataract Falls can be done as a day trip or as a loop. The first cataract is about 3 miles along the trail (1.5 miles each way). It has a height of about 1,055 feet.
The circuit is about 7.5 miles long on various routes. It has a height of about 1,985 feet. You can also see a map of both trails in my blog post about the Cataract Falls hike for more details.
How long the hike takes depends on your fitness level and how fast you and your dog want to walk. The 3-mile hike takes about 2 to 3 hours, while the 7.5-mile loop takes about 3.5 to 5 hours. If you’re in better shape, you can do it faster. If your dog is a slow walker, it may take longer.
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You can do this trek at any time of the year, but it is best to do it after heavy rains as the waterfalls are the main attraction. For Marin County, that usually means the winter months. If you can manage the trek with a break in stormy weather, you can see the waterfall at its best.
Mount Montara is next on my list of best dog hikes in the Bay Area. Spanning Magni Ranch State Park and San Pedro Valley County Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this peak is the perfect place to get out into nature in San Mateo County, California.
The mountain is 1,898 feet above sea level. The surrounding area is home to hiking trails to North Peak and Montara State Beach and other nearby destinations. It’s a great day trip from San Francisco.
Mount Montara is located south of the Pacific Ocean on the Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 690 acres and is open from 8:00 am to sunset. There are plenty of hikes to do here, all of which are dog-friendly. They range in distance and difficulty, so there’s an option for every fitness level.
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If you prefer an easy hike, the 1-mile Gray Whale Cove Trail is your best bet. It takes you from Gray Whale Cove State Beach to Montana State Beach and Highway 1.
After a small hill at the beginning, the trail is relatively flat and has a beautiful view of the coast. The trail is right on the beach, so you have ocean views the entire way.
If you and your dog want something a little more challenging, you can start on the Gray Whale Cove Trail and continue on the North Peak Access Road or the Old San Pedro Mountain Trail. Both involve a gradual ascent, making them more challenging (but not too difficult) than the Gray Whale Cove Trail.
The first is a fire road, so it’s a wide open road. At 3.9 miles each way, this hike takes you to the summit of Mount Montara. From the top you can admire the magnificent view of the beach and the entire bay area.
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It has more twists but is a good choice. The trail leads to the Pacifica and briefly joins it by crossing the North Peak Access Road. If you want, you can cross the trail to reach the North Peak. It’s 3.2 miles each way.
Finally, the Montara Mountain Trail is a more challenging trail that begins at San Pedro Valley County Park and follows the North Peak Access Road. From there you can take the path that leads to the top of the hill. It’s 2.1 miles each way.
Interspersed between the official trails are a few short trails that you can climb or cross from one to the other. If you want more information, you can see the details and map in my blog post about hiking in Montara.
Next on the list of dog hikes in the Bay Area is the Oakwood Valley Trail, a moderate hike that’s good if you and your canine companion want to venture outside of Marin County.
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This trail is dog-friendly and not as steep as others in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, so it’s a good option if you’re looking for a fun walk in the woods.
Oakwood Valley is located north of Marine Headland. It contains the largest stands of oak and bay forests in Golden Gate National Park. More than 500 species of plants grow here, and the area has a grass and mixed forest biotope.
The Oakwood Valley Trail is 2.58 miles round trip. It is relatively flat at the beginning and end and has an optional hilly section in the middle with many steps.
This is because the hike is part of a bike trail and is a bit of an out and back. It begins on the single-track Oakwood Prairie Trail, then meets the Oakwood Valley Trail (sometimes called the Fire Road Trail). From there it goes up where it meets the Alta route.
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Once you reach the Alta Trail, you can turn around to where the Oakwood Valley Trail meets the Oakwood Prairie Trail, then follow the fire road to the parking lot.
Oakwood Valley Trail meets Tennessee Valley Road where the Oakwood Meadow Trail is located, so when you get to the end of the road you have to walk a bit to get back to the car.
The hike starts at an elevation of 33 feet and reaches a height of 621 feet at its highest point. Most of the gain happens in the middle and back, so if you and your dog want to walk straight, you can skip that area and do a loop.
The trail is beautiful and well marked so it is easy to follow.
