3 Best Bay Area Hikes with Dogs

The Bay Area is one of the best places to hike but not all hikes are dog friendly. Keep reading for my 3 favorite Bay Area hikes with dogs.

MY 3 FAVORITE DOG-FRIENDLY HIKES IN THE BAY AREA

When I first moved back to the Bay Area, finding a dog-friendly hike was seriously a struggle! My single friends would ask me to go to Point Reyes (you can’t) or Muir Woods (you can’t)… or countless others. We did a lot of digging, hiked a bunch of underwhelming trails and finally have our go-to routine for hiking with our dogs!

Here are (in my opinion) the best dog-friendly hikes in the Bay Area.

1. Seal Point Park – San Mateo

Seal Point park seriously has it all. You can run for miles with your pup, have them play at the dog park, or head over to the Coyote Point Recreation area where there are more trees & you feel more like you are hiking.

Because of the options available to you, this is my favorite go-to hike! I come here so often with both of the pups and they absolutely love it here. Here are a few more reasons why this is an all time favorite Bay Area dog friendly hike:

• Well-stocked with poop bags and responsible owners who throw them away
• Spacious dog park; dogs in the dog park have always been well behaved from my own experience
• Miles and miles of paved path for running
• Options for hills or trees.. depending on your mood
• Hiking, running, walking by the water and the air is usually always crisp & clean
• View of SF! It’s so cool that you can see SF while you hike here

2. Pulgas Ridge Reserve – Redwood City

Pulgas Ridge is my go-to when I want a real hike with trees and dirt.. but I also only have an hour to spare. This is typically my weekday work break hike in the summer before the sun sets, or my early Saturday morning hike before brunch. The parking lot is small which means it’s typically not very crowded on the trails, and the pups love sniffing all the different scents here. Sometimes in this environment when you have trees and shrubs you will find tons of ticks. But I’ve never had a problem here and I’ve hiked it year round.

Here are a few more reasons why this is one of the best dog friendly hikes in the Bay Area:

• Well stocked poop bags and responsible owners who throw them away (sensing a theme here? 🙂 )
• Variety of trails with different lengths and elevation. My favorite is the Polly Geraci Trail which is almost perfectly 1 hour long.
• You get the trees and smell of fresh air without having to drive too far. This hike is right off 280
• For an easy hike, you still get some nice views of the surrounding Bay Area
• The trails are fairly easy to navigate (COVID has made things one-way)

3. Sweeney Ridge – Pacifica/San Bruno

There are a lot of hikes in Pacifica that could have made this list but if I REALLY had to choose, I might go with Sweeney Ridge. It’s a simple, no fuss, there and back hike with almost immediate views that keep going once you reach the top of the ridge.

This is why I love Sweeney Ridge so much (and have hiked it over 4 times!)

• Start off with a wide, paved trail which makes it easier when you have 2 dogs to hold onto!
• Immediate views of the San Andres Lake
• Nice elevation for a harder, heart pumping hike
• It’s a there and back hike, meaning you can make this hike as short or as long as you want
• There’s almost always a nice breeze in Pacifica which is perfect for dogs that are more prone to overheating in the summer
• View of the ocean – even though this hike is not along the coast, you can still peep over and see Mori Point and the Pacific Ocean

Bonus Dog-Friendly Hike: FORT FUNSTON!

As a bonus, one of my favorite dog beaches is Fort Funston! You will want to park at the lot here and then head down to the beach – watch out it’s steep!

The dogs here are all very well behaved in my experience and the owners pick up after them. That makes it not really one of the best dog friendly hikes in the Bay Area but a definitely a dog friendly beach stroll 🙂

Are there dog friendly hikes North of SF?

Unfortunately a lot of hikes immediately north of SF are not dog friendly..

We have explored the Mount Tam area and specifically the Kent Trail to Stocking Trail Loop. Unfortunately, the boys were completely covered in ticks when we got home which caused a bit of a headache. The hike was beautiful but it just wasn’t worth the hassle for us, and this is why I left it off this list.

DOG ESSENTIALS

I keep it pretty simple when I go hiking with my dogs. Usually, all they need is a water bowl (and water of course) and maybe musher’s wax. I’ve tried the dog backpacks and boots before but really don’t find a lot of use for them. These are my favorites:

• Collapsible Dog Bowl: a necessity for keeping your pups hydrated
• Mushers Wax: To protect their paws and WAY better than boots in my opinion.

Where can I find More Dog Friendly Hikes in the Bay Area?

If you are looking for more Bay Area hikes with dogs, check out my dedicated page here!

Have you hiked around the Bay Area with your dog? What are your favorites?