Outdoor Adventures with a Dog in Santa Cruz, CA

Beaches, Parks and Mountain Trails that Welcome Hikers with Dogs

Mar 26, 2009 Judith Wylie

Dog-friendly Santa Cruz County offers many fun things to do with a dog: beautiful mountain hiking paths, off-leash beaches and dog-walking social groups.

Since most travelers drive to Santa Cruz, and can bring their pets along in the car, there is no worry about shipping Fido on a plane. There are many city and country parks that permit dogs on leash, and a few that allow dogs off-leash at certain hours each day. Most state parks here permit leashed dogs in the camping and picnic areas and on certain trails. Hikers should watch for signs. There is even a old-fashioned tourist train through the redwoods that welcomes dogs to ride along.

Good Places to Walk or Hike with Your Dog in the Santa Cruz area

• At Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, off Highway 9 in Felton, dogs on leash are welcome on the Loop Trail Meadow Trail and Pipeline Road. Nearby is the Roaring Camp Railroad park and depot, where dogs can even ride in the open air cars on both train routes, one that makes a forest loop, and the other that runs through the redwoods and all the way to the Beach Boardwalk amusement park on the beach in Santa Cruz.

• The closest dog-friendly beach to the Boardwalk is Mitchell's Cove, off West Cliff Drive at Almar. Dogs are welcome under voice command before 10 am and after 4 pm. In between they must be on leash.

• On Davenport Landing Beach, north of Santa Cruz, surfers come early when the surf's up, and each brings a dog, who plays on the beach with other dogs while their owners ride the waves. Non-surfers and their dogs are welcome, too. The beach is usually empty, and there are benches and restrooms. The beach is a half-mile north of Davenport, CA off Highway 1, via Davenport Landing Road. Stop first at the Whale City Bakery in Davenport for a snack and coffee to take along.. Guests are welcome

• Meder Street Park on the West side of town, off Bay Street, has picnic tables and a special off-leash area for dogs, available before 10 am and after 4 pm each day. Water is provided for pooches. For a good,scenic half-hour walk, dogs and their owners can continue down the asphalt path into the forest, where the trail descends along a waterway, past eucalyptus trees and over a small wooden bridge to a residential area.

• DeLaVeaga City Park Two miles up Branciforte Drive, past the city golf course, trails lead up into the trees, and onto areas with lovely vistas.After the hike, owners and their dogs can lunch at the golf course restaruant, on the patio.

• Pogonip City Park offers wide open spaces that lead into forested areas and past a small stream. It is near the University of California Santa Cruz, and can be reached by taking High Street toward the campus, then turning right onto Spring Street. Drive to the end of the street, where the trail begins. There is a dispenser with doggie clean-up bags.This area is where the old lime kilns were, when the land belonged to a huge ranch, before it became UCSC.

Woofers and Walkers is a group of dog owners who take a different hike each Sunday morning with their dogs, and guests are welcome. Afterwards the group has lunch, when dogs and their owners gather on the patio of a restaurant that welcomes dogs.

For suggestions of pet-friendly lodgings, call the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Bureau at 800-833-3494. When in town, stop at their office at 1211 Ocean Street for a complete list of dog-friendly trails and beaches.

The copyright of the article Outdoor Adventures with a Dog in Santa Cruz, CA in Dogs is owned by Judith Wylie. Permission to republish Outdoor Adventures with a Dog in Santa Cruz, CA in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Davenport Landing Beach

Davenport Landing Beach

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