On our recent 7-day California road trip, we brought along our trusty 4-legged sidekick, Wallace. We had to find dog-friendly redwoods hikes because he has always wanted to see the stunning 2,000-year-old trees and we couldn’t leave him behind. (*I assume.)
Are dogs allowed in the Redwood National Park?
In short, mostly not. While dogs are often allowed in your car or in the campgrounds at state and national parks, they are not regularly permitted on hiking trails in any of the redwood parks.
It’s a shame because the redwoods are stunning, and your dog deserves to see them. If you’re like me, you’ll spend multiple hours on the internet confirming that there truly are no trails that allow dogs, given that you’ve taken your dog to other state parks without issue. Of course, you’ll likely understand that dogs can disturb wildlife and fully respect that decision.
On our drive north to Shelter Cove, CA, from San Francisco, we stopped at the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. It was a bit of a detour (30 minutes to the hike and 30 minutes back out), but if you’re driving a long distance, it’s worth it to stretch both your legs and your pup’s legs.
Jackson Demonstration State Forest is a large, protected area located in Northern California’s Mendocino County. The protected land spans over 50,000 acres and serves as a working forest and research site, showcasing sustainable forest management practices. You can visit the forest and hike for free. It features dense redwood groves, running streams, and scenic vistas.
Waterfall Grove Trail:
We selected this trail as it seemed like the best option for a forested area without having to go too far west into the forest, as we needed to retrace our steps to end up in Shelter Cove, where we stayed the night and then explored nearby Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Check out my full guide on Shelter Cove CA lodging.
The Waterfall Grove Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back hike that took us about 90 minutes to complete. Dogs are allowed on a leash. I would rate it as moderately challenging, with some steep hills that were definitely challenging to climb up and down. For the humans, at least. Mr. Wallace, of course, had no problems.
You reach the small waterfall within about 10 minutes of the hike, and then the rest of the trail winds through the forest. We didn’t see a single car on any of the roads in the forest, much less anyone on the trail. I think it’s probably the quietest place in California I’ve ever been, if not the quietest place I’ve ever been.
As you hike, you cross over a downed redwood tree that must have been 1,500–2,000 years old when it fell. Rather than clearing it, the forestry workers carved stairs into the tree that you walk over as part of the hike. This was the first redwood tree I had seen in California, and I was wowed. So was Wallace, I’m sure, but he had smells to smell and moved on pretty quickly.
Park Gulch Trail:
The Park Gulch Trail is also located within the Jackson Demonstration State Forest and is a 5.1-mile moderately challenging hike. The path is pretty steep uphill for a long stretch but allows you and your pup to hike through young redwood trees. You’ll be rewarded for your hard work with some beautiful vistas of the state forest.
The redwood trees in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest aren’t the massive virgin groves you’ll see in state and national forests. The redwoods will still be towering and impressive but not as wide nor nearly as old.
If you do hike the Park Gulch Trail, use your GPS and download the map ahead of time. Once we left the city of Willits, we had no cell service with either Verizon or AT&T. There are a couple of areas where you could take a wrong turn, which GPS can help you avoid. And as I mentioned, there’s a good chance you’ll run into absolutely no one.
If Fort Bragg is your destination for the evening, you can go even deeper into the Jackson Demonstration State Forest without having to retrace your steps as we did.
The Forest History Trail to Cookhouse Trail Loop
This trail is 3.2 miles and is another moderately challenging hike through the redwoods that your leashed dog can join you on. The trail is located the furthest west of the three Jackson Demonstration State Forest hikes.
The hike itself is well-maintained and well-marked, but finding the trailhead can be difficult. Again, you’re unlikely to have cell service, so you’ll want to download the map ahead of time to avoid getting lost. The trail is shared with mountain bikers, and you may run into a couple of them, unlike the other two hikes.
King Range Wilderness Area
The King Range Wilderness Area is a remote and rugged region along California’s Lost Coast in Humboldt County. Covering over 60,000 acres, it is part of the King Range National Conservation Area. This wilderness is known for its dramatic coastal landscapes, including steep mountains, dense forests, and wild, undeveloped beaches.
We stayed in Shelter Cove, a small remote town on the rugged Lost Coast about an hour from Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It’s a tiny town but pretty dog-friendly, with plenty of things to do, including hiking within the King Range Wilderness Area.
Chemise Peak
Chemise Peak is a 5.6-mile moderately challenging hike through the densely forested area. Since you’re close to the sea, you risk dealing with fog and a somewhat spooky experience with your pup, but we encountered relatively clear skies, though the fog would have been kind of cool.
The trail was relatively steep in certain parts with a lot of switchbacks that Wallace loved. The redwoods were very young, so they weren’t particularly dense, but the tree canopy was tall enough to make bird watching challenging. Once you reach the top, you have stunning views of the ocean and the surrounding forested mountains.
Bears and elk have been sighted on the trail, so make sure your dog stays with you on a leash. We heard a big, vaguely scary noise at one point, but nothing came of it. It’s a good idea to stay alert.
Humboldt Redwoods State Park – Dogs Allowed?
We did the above hike before driving over to Humboldt Redwoods State Park, figuring it would tire our dog out and help him enjoy being a passenger rather than a hiker for the Avenue of Giants. Dogs are only allowed in the campgrounds and roads only; they are not permitted on any hiking trails.
We thoroughly enjoyed getting to drive through 31-mile Avenue of Giants and let the windows down so Wallace could stick his head out and join us. If one of us wanted to go further down one of the pull-off stop trails, the other hung back in the car with him.
We saw a lot of dogs with service dog vests, even though they were relatively poorly behaved and didn’t actually appear to be service dogs. Misusing service dog vests undermines the credibility of actual service animals and can lead to legal consequences.*
*Basic Economy B is many things, but a lawyer is not one of them. Be a good human if your dog isn’t a service dog (emotional assistance animals aren’t considered service dogs under the ADA) and follow the rules.
Tips for Dog-Friendly Redwood Hikes
- Prepare Your Dog: Make sure your dog is up-to-date on vaccinations and flea/tick prevention. All of these hikes are in densely wooded areas where ticks are regularly reported, so good tick prevention is a must if your dog is joining you in the redwoods.
- Pack Essentials: Bring a dog-friendly backpack with items like water, a collapsible bowl, waste bags, a first-aid kit, and any medications your dog might need.
- Stay Hydrated: Provide plenty of water for both you and your dog. Be sure to offer your dog water frequently, especially on hot days.
Of the places we visited on our 7-day California road trip, the redwoods gave us the greatest opportunity to be creative. We still got to hike through the trees, give our dog plenty of exercise, and experience the majestic virgin redwood groves.
In general, though, our next stop in Napa was considerably more dog-friendly than the redwoods. Read my full guide on great dog-friendly wineries in Napa if that happens to be on your itinerary as well. Happy tails!
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