Best Dog Friendly Vacations West Coast – Looking for the best dog-friendly West Coast road trips? As a dog mom who traveled all over California with a furry monkey, I’m here to give you all the fun details of two of California’s most epic road trips with dogs that are sure to spice up your travel plans! This dog-friendly Northern California road trip guide is packed with information on the best stops, hikes, beaches, restaurants, and dog-friendly accommodations—basically everything you could want on a trip with dogs.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on it, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to the product. This small commission will help support my blog guests and other maintenance costs. Thanks!
Best Dog Friendly Vacations West Coast
If you’re a pet parent like me who swears by “having a traveling dog,” one of the items on your bucket list should include at least one dog-friendly road trip in Northern California. In our 10 years of traveling in Northern California (we live in San Francisco) with Babu (our Tibetan spaniel mix), we have taken dog-friendly road trips from San Francisco, two of which are currently underway. Favorite so far. Dog-friendly road trips in Northern California are a clear win, as the trip’s attractions and restaurants welcome your best friend.
The 10 Best Dog Destinations For Vacations With Your Pet
Exploring California’s coastal redwoods in the north and the famous 17-mile loop (between Carmel and Monterey) in the south are two of the best West Coast road trips with your dog, especially in winter. So, without further ado, here are the details of dog-friendly attractions, stops, and activities on two of Northern California’s dog-friendly road trips along the Pacific Coast.
P.S. I have tried my best to provide the most up-to-date information on dog-friendly accommodations based on my stay, but pet policies change frequently. So call and confirm before ordering.
1) Car travel with dogs should be comfortable for them! Road trips with dogs aren’t always easy, and 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 is enough space behind us so Babu can rest comfortably in his portable car bed with food and water nearby.
Make sure your dog is okay on car rides and try not to take very long trips (our last 3-4 hours max). For longer trips, break them up into smaller 2-3 hour trips and look for dog-friendly parks/hikes/towns and restaurants along the way to stretch your legs or grab a bite to eat.
A Woman And Dog On The Lost Coast
For the two road trips I mentioned here, I highly recommend using Mendocino (read all things to do in Mendocino in this post) or Guerneville/Gualala (depending on where you’re coming from) to the north and Carmel-by-the-Sea. South as anchor points. Both of these cities are extremely dog-friendly and have dog-friendly hotels and restaurants, like these dog-friendly hotels in Carmel.
2) Northern California is foggy along the coast in the summer and obscures the “it’s always sunny in California” concept. It’s cold and windy on the coast, so dress accordingly, and maybe even buy a jacket 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 places to stay by reading my dog-friendly California tours here!
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/goldendoodle-runs-into-lake-michigan-in-chicago-1097569028-3a1bdf9399fa4dbbbad6265b7cc1303f.jpg?strip=all "Best Dog Friendly Vacations West Coast")
If you’ve never traveled by car or if this is your first road trip with your dog, you should be a little nervous. So, to get you started, here are some great resources to help you plan your dog-friendly road trip:
The 21 Best Beaches On The West Coast
Best Road Trip with Dogs in Northern California: Drive Highway 1 from Mendocino to San Francisco
Starting in the north, the Coastal Highway (Highway 1) stretches from Mendocino County to Sonoma County, offering not only beautiful views of the California coast, but also home to the famous coastal redwoods. The road includes small towns that you need 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 before. Be our favorite. Read my dog-friendly Mendocino guide to discover our favorite dog-friendly activities to do there.
The first stop heading south from Mendocino will be the 152-year-old Point Arena Lighthouse, perched precariously on a promontory that cuts through the fog on the south coast and juts out into the ocean. The lighthouse requires a $5 entrance fee, and dogs are allowed in the museum, gift shop, and on the grounds of the lighthouse, which is also home to the California Whale Watching Center.
Dog Friendly Coral Coast Destinations: Your Pawfect Guide
Next comes the lovely little town of Anchor Bay to Gulala, the last point in Mendocino County on the Redwood Coast, which then makes its way into Sonoma County. Gulala is known for its pubs and has several dog-friendly rentals and lookouts that offer whale watching from December to March, making it another dog-friendly town.
The trail starts at the Surf Motel (you can’t park there, you have to park on the street) and we explored the dog-friendly Gulala Bluff Trail, part of the Redwood Coast Conservancy. The trail is short, paralleling the edge of the cliff as it extends west from the town’s commercial district, offering incredible views of the estuary and ocean for half a mile.
If you want to have more fun with your dog, a short walk leads to Gualala Point Regional Park and Beach, you can read the details of our dog friendly walks in this article.
Stop at this nondenominational chapel in Sea Ranch, just off Highway 1. A generous gift from Sea Ranch residents Robert and Betty Buffum, the chapel was completed in 1985 by artist and architectural designer James Hubbell. The chapel and grounds are open to the public 365 days a year.
Dog Friendly Dartmouth
Timber Cove is the next small Sonoma Coast town you’ll visit on this dog-friendly West Coast road trip. I highly recommend stopping at the dog-friendly Timber Cove Resort (Coast Restaurant) for lunch and walking down the steps to their grounds overlooking the ocean with spectacular coastal views.
Fort Ross State Park should be your next stop as you head up Highway 1 to Jenner, where the Russian River flows into the Pacific Ocean. Next to the Jenner Belvedere (where you can admire Pacific harbor seals from afar), Gleason overlooks, and the main attraction here is the unique Fort Ross State Park, a Russian-American colony in the 1800s.
This is a rare dog-friendly park that allows dogs inside the actual building within the fortified walls. Pay a day-use fee at the parking lot and walk along the footpath to the walled enclosure, which includes original buildings such as the church and Rochevin’s house. Fort Ross has beautiful beaches and coastal paths to explore.
There are several dog-friendly beaches and viewpoints along Highway 1/Shoreline Highway from Bodega Bay in Jenner, part of Sonoma Coast State Park. Among these, dog-friendly beaches are (from north to south) Russian Gulch State Beach, Blind Beach (south of Goat Rock Beach where the seals snore), Shell Beach, Furlong Gulch, Wright Beach, Duncan Wharf, Duncan’s Cove, Portuguese Beach, Schoolhouse Beach, Carmet Beach, Marshalls Gulch.
The Best Dog-friendly Beaches In The Uk
Please keep in mind that many of these beaches are only accessible by steep steps from the parking/pull-off area next to Highway 1. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Like all beaches in Northern California these beaches are windy and cold so remember to dress warmly.
Looking for a dog-friendly place to dine while enjoying great views of the Russian River and the Pacific? Then, head straight to Cafe Aquatica’s grassy outdoor area with your food or coffee order and watch the kayakers drift away or the sun set over the shore. We love it here and hope you relax here on your dog-friendly road trip along the California coast.
Bodega Bay is the last Sonoma Coast town you’ll visit on your dog-friendly West Coast road trip along Highway 1. This beach town is full of friendly beaches and dog trails to keep your dog happy. Plus you have the sleepy town of Bodega, home of Alfred Hitchcock.
