Best Dog Friendly Road Trips – Looking for the best west coast tours for dogs? As a dog mom who has traveled all over California in her furry pants, I’m here to give you all the fun details of two of the most epic, dog-friendly road trips in California that are sure to spice up your travel plans! This guide to dog-friendly travel in Northern California has tons of information on the best dog-friendly stops, tours, excursions, beaches, restaurants, and accommodations—basically everything you’re looking for in a dog-friendly trip.
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Best Dog Friendly Road Trips
If you’re a pet parent like me and swear by “dog travel,” then one of the items on your bucket list should include at least one dog trip in Northern California. In our 10+ years of traveling with Babu (our Tibetan Spaniel mix) through Northern California (we live in San Francisco), we have been on quite a few San Francisco dog trips, two of which are still our favorites to this day are favorites. These road trips for dogs in Northern California are clear winners, as there are several attractions and restaurants along the way that welcome your best friend.
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Exploring California’s Coastal Redwoods in the north and the famous 17-mile loop in the south (between Carmel and Monterey) are two of the best West Coast hikes you can take with your dog, especially in winter. So without further ado, here are the details on all the attractions, stops, and things to do on these two Northern California dog tours along the Pacific Coast.
P.s. I’ve tried to provide up-to-date information on dog-friendly properties based on my stay, but pet policies change frequently. So call and confirm before making a reservation.
1) Traveling with dogs should be about their comfort! Traveling with dogs isn’t always easy and you can read this post on traveling with pets for tips and advice on how to have a successful trip with your furry friend! As for us, make sure we have enough space in the back for Babu to rest comfortably on his portable bed in the car with food and water nearby.
Make sure your dog is okay with car rides and try not to go on super long rides (ours lasts 3-4 hours max). For longer rides, break them up into shorter rides of 2-3 hours and look for dog-friendly parks/walks/towns and restaurants to stretch your legs or grab a bite to eat.
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For the two road trips I mentioned here, I highly recommend using Mendocino (read all the things to do in Mendocino in this post) or Guerneville/Gwalala (depending on where you start) up north and Carmel-by -the-Sea – the sea in the south as anchor points. Both cities are super dog-friendly and have plenty of dog-friendly hotels and restaurants, like these dog-friendly hotels in Carmel.
2) Summers in Northern California are foggy along the coast, which defies the idea that “it’s always sunny in California.” It’s cold and windy along the coast, so dress accordingly and maybe even buy a coat for your furry friend!
3) Not all beaches, trails, restaurants and attractions in California are dog-friendly. You can save yourself the hassle and headache of finding dog-friendly accommodations by reading my Guide to Traveling with Dogs in California here!
If you’ve never traveled by car before or if it’s your first trip with your dog, you’re understandably a little nervous. To get you started, here are some super useful resources to help you plan a dog-friendly trip:
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BEST DOG TRIP IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: HIGHWAY 1 FROM MENDOCCINO TO SAN FRANCISCO
Starting in the north, the Coastal Highway (Highway 1), which runs from Mendocino County to Sonoma County, not only offers spectacular views of the California coast, but is also home to the famous Coast Redwoods. Although this route is extremely winding, there are several dog-friendly stops. route, including the towns to explore, so allow at least half a day for the trip.
We’ve visited Mendocino and nearby Fort Bragg several times in the past (a dog-friendly city with many dog-friendly hotels, restaurants, and attractions), and this is a dog-friendly Pacific Coast trip that remains our favorite. Read my guide to Mendocino for dogs to discover all our favorite dog activities there.
The first stop as you drive south from Mendocino is the 152-year-old Point Arena Lighthouse, perched precariously on a piece of land that juts out into the ocean and acts as a fog on the south coast. The lighthouse has a $5 entrance fee, and dogs are allowed in the museum and gift shop, as well as on the lighthouse grounds, which is also a great whale watching destination in California.
Best Pet Friendly Road Trips
Next comes the quaint town of Encore Bay in Gualala, Mendocino County’s last point along the Redwood Coast, which then gives way to Sonoma County. Gualala is known for its inns and has many dog rentals and viewpoints for whale watching from December to March. It is also a dog-friendly city.
We explored the Gualala Bluff Trail, which is part of the Redwood Coast Preserve, with the trail starting at the Surf Motel (you can’t park there, you have to park on the street). The trail is short and offers beautiful views of the estuary and ocean for half a mile, paralleling the edge of the cliff as it runs west of the city’s business district.
If you want to have even more fun with your dog, a short drive to Gualala Point Regional Park and beach, you can read the details of our dog-friendly trip in this post.
Stop by this nondenominational chapel in Sea Ranch, just off Highway 1. A generous gift from Sea Ranch residents Robert and Betty Buffum, this chapel was completed in 1985 by artist and architect James Hubbell. The chapel and surroundings are open to the public 365 days a year.
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Timber Cove is another small town on the Sonoma coast that you’ll experience on this dog-friendly west coast road trip. I highly recommend stopping for lunch at the dog-friendly Timber Cove Resort (waterfront restaurant) and walking up the stairs to their oceanfront estate with spectacular water views.
Fort Ross State Park should be your next stop as you take Highway 1 to Jenner, where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean. Along with Jenner Belvedere (where you can admire sleeping Pacific seals from afar) and Gleason Lookout, the main attraction is the unique Fort Ross State Park, which was formerly a Russian-American settlement in the 19th century.
This is a rare dog park where dogs are allowed in the original buildings within the fortified walls. Pay the daily parking fee and walk along the cobblestones to the gated grounds, which are home to several original buildings, such as the church and Rochev’s house. Fort Ross also has beaches and spectacular coastal paths to explore.
There are plenty of dog-friendly beaches and views along Highway 1/Coastal Highway in Jenner to Bodega Bay, which are part of the Sonoma Coast State Park. Of these, the dog-friendly beaches are (from north to south) Russian Gulch State Beach, Blind Beach (south of Goat Rock Beach where the seals nap), Shell Beach, Furlong Gulch, Wright Beach, Duncan’s Landing View, Duncan’s Cove, Portugal Beach , Schoolhouse Beach, Carmet Beach and Marshalls Gulch.
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Please note that many of these beaches are only accessible via steep stairs from the pull-out/parking areas to Highway 1. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Dress warmly as these beaches are windy and cold, as are all beaches in Northern California.
Looking for a dog-friendly place to grab a bite to eat while enjoying beautiful views of the Russian River flowing into the Pacific Ocean? Then head straight to Cafe Aquatica’s grassy outdoor area with an order of food or coffee and watch the kayakers sail by or the sun set over the coast. We love this place and hope you’ll take a break here during your trip along California’s dog-friendly coast.
Bodega Bay is the last town on the Sonoma Coast you will encounter as you travel along Highway 1 on the West Coast. Plus you have the sleepy town of Bodega where Alfred Hitchcock is
