Best Dog Friendly Road Trips – Looking for the best dog-friendly road trips on the West Coast? As a dog mom who travels across California with her beloved Munchkins, I’m here to give you all the fun details on the most epic dog-friendly road trips in California that are sure to spice up your travel plans! This dog-friendly road trip guide in Northern California offers tons of information on the best dog-friendly stops, hikes, beaches, restaurants, and lodging—basically everything you’re looking for on a road trip with your dog.
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Best Dog Friendly Road Trips
If you’re a pet parent like me who swears “dogs mean travel,” then at least one of your bucket list items should include a dog-friendly road trip in Northern California. For over a decade we’ve traveled Northern California (we live in San Francisco) with Barb (our Tibetan hound mix), and we’ve taken several dog-friendly road trips from San Francisco, two of which are still our favorites. away These dog-friendly road trips in Northern California are clear winners, as many attractions and restaurants along the way welcome your best friend.
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Exploring California’s coastal redwood forests in the north and the famous 17-mile loop in the south (between Carmel and Monterey) are two of the best West Coast road trips you can take your dog, especially in the winter. Without further ado, here are the details on all the dog-friendly attractions, stops and activities on these two dog-friendly road trips in Northern California on the Pacific Coast.
P.S. I’ve done my best to provide the most up-to-date information on dog-friendly accommodations based on my stay, but pet policies change frequently. So please call and confirm before booking.
1) Road trips with dogs should focus on their comfort! Road trips with dogs aren’t always easy, you can read this article on traveling with pets for tips and advice on how to have a successful road trip with your furry friend! For us, make sure there’s enough room behind us for Barb to sleep comfortably in her portable car bed, with food and water nearby.
Make sure your dog can ride in the car and try not to go on super long trips (ours was 3-4 hours max). For longer trips, break it up into short 2-3 hour drives and find dog-friendly parks/hikes/towns and restaurants along the way to stretch your legs or grab a bite to eat.
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For both of the road trips I mention here, I recommend using Mendocino (read all the places to see in Mendocino in this article) or Guernanville/Gualala north (depending on where you start) and Carmel Riverside – anchored by South. the sea Both cities are super dog-friendly and have plenty of dog-friendly hotels and restaurants, like these dog-friendly hotels in Carmel.
2) Coastal areas of Northern California are foggy in the summer, contradicting the saying “it’s always sunny in California.” It gets cold and windy on the coast, so dress accordingly and maybe bring a jacket for your furry friend!
3) Not all California beaches, trails, restaurants and attractions are dog friendly. By reading about my dog-friendly trips to California, you can save yourself the trouble and headache of finding places that accept dogs!
If you’ve never traveled in a car before or this is your first road trip with your dog, it’s understandable that you might be a little nervous. So, to help you get started, here are some very helpful resources to help you plan your dog-friendly road trip:
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Best road trips with dogs in Northern California: Take Highway 1 from Mendocino to San Francisco
Starting in the north, the Coastal Highway (Highway 1), which stretches from Mendocino County to Sonoma County, not only offers breathtaking views of the California coast, but is also home to the famous coastal redwoods. But there are plenty of dog-friendly stops along the way, including small towns to explore, so allow at least half a day for your road trip.
We’ve visited Mendocino and nearby Fort Bragg (a very dog-friendly town with many dog-friendly hotels, restaurants, and attractions) several times in the past, and this is a dog-friendly road trip along the Pacific Coast, yet again. Our favorite. Read my Dog-Friendly Guide to Mendocino to learn about all of our favorite dog-friendly activities there.
The first stop on the way south from Mendocino is the 152-year-old Point Arena Lighthouse, which sits precariously on a piece of land jutting out into the ocean and also serves as a fog breaker for the south coast. Admission to the lighthouse is $5, and dogs are allowed in the museum and gift shop as well as on the lighthouse grounds, making it a great California whale watching destination.
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Then come to the quaint town of Anchor Bay and enter Gualala, the final point of Mendocino County’s Redwood Coast before entering Sonoma County. Known for its hotels, Gualala is another dog-friendly town with plenty of dog-friendly rentals and whale watching spots available from December to March.
We explored the dog-friendly Guala Cliff Trail, part of the Redwood Coast Conservation Effort, which starts at the Surfside Motel (you can’t park there, you have to park on the street). The path is short and parallels the cliffs to the west of the city’s business district, offering breathtaking views of the estuary and ocean for half a mile.
If you want to have more fun with your dog, it’s a short drive to Gualala Point Regional Park and the beach, where you can read about our dog-friendly walks in this post.
Visit this non-denominational church along Highway 1. The church and its surrounding areas are open to the public 365 days a year.
Best Dog Friendly Road Trip Stops
Timber Cove is another small town on the Sonoma Coast you’ll visit on this dog-friendly West Coast road trip. I recommend stopping at the dog-friendly Timber Cove Resort (Coast Restaurant) for lunch and then walking up the steps to the resort grounds overlooking the ocean for breathtaking views of the coast.
Fort Ross State Park should be your next stop as you enter Jenner on Highway 1, where the Russian River empties into the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the Jenner Belvedere (where you can admire idle Pacific harbor seals from afar) and the Gleason Overlook, the main attraction here is the unique Fort Rose State Park, home to Russians in the 1800s American settlement.
This is a rare dog-friendly park that allows dogs within the defensive walls within the original building. Pay your day-use fee at the car park and walk the cobbled path to the walled complex, which contains many original buildings, including the church and Rocheve House. Roseburg also has beaches and fantastic coastal trails to explore.
There are several dog-friendly beaches and the Highway 1/Shoreline Highway section from Jenner to Bodega Bay, home to the Sonoma Coast State Park section. Dog-friendly beaches include (north to south) Russian Canyon State Beach, Blind Beach (south of Goat Rock Beach where seals sleep), Shell Beach, Furlong Canyon, Wright Beach, Duncan’s Landing Lookout, Duncan Bay, Portugal Beach, Schoolhouse Beach, Carmet Beach and Marshall Canyon.
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Keep in mind that many beaches are only accessible by steep stairs from the pull-out/parking lot off Highway 1. Remember to dress warmly as these beaches can be windy and cold, like all Northern California beaches.
Looking for a dog-friendly place to dine while taking in beautiful views of the Russian River meeting the Pacific Ocean? Then pick up your food or coffee order and head straight to Cafe Aquatica’s grassy outdoor area to watch the kayaks sail away or watch the sun set on the shore. We love this place and I hope you take a break here during your dog friendly road trip along the California coast.
Bodega Bay is the last small town on the Sonoma Coast you’ll reach on this dog-friendly road trip along Highway 1’s West Coast. , can make your dog happy. Also there is the sleepy town of Bodega, where Alfred Hitchcock is
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