Where to hike with a dog near Ukiah: Cow Mountain

If you and your dog are in good shape, a great place for you both to hike in the cooler months is the Valley View Trail on Cow Mountain.

Approaching the  "view" part of the Valley View Trail.

Most months of the year, this trail gets blazing hot and the small streams that pass alongside and over it have long since dried up. But in late fall and winter, the temperatures are cool enough to keep the trek more than bearable all day long, and there’s also plenty of water in the creeks for your dog to drink along the way.
You can allow your dog off-leash as long as they respond to voice commands, which is important because hunters and plenty of wildlife can be found on the mountain. Since she can walk off-leash, my dog loves hiking here so much that she whines as soon as she realizes that is where I’m driving. And she figures that out faster each time.

The Valley View Trail is reached by a short drive from Ukiah beginning east on Talmage Road, taking a right on Old River Road and then a left on Mill Creek Road. After passing the ponds, you will come to a trail sign on the left and parking on the right near a port-a-potty.

After the sign, the trail heads straight up the mountain with few breaks. You are rewarded with great views of the valley for your climb, however. And in the spring, the trail is bordered with wildflowers, especially Shooting Stars, Indian Warriors and Sticky Monkeys.
However, spring also brings the ticks, and a dog can easily come home with more than two dozen crawling on them; but the ticks seem to be far less plentiful when it is cold and dry.
About a mile up, the trail levels out a bit at a spot that gives you the best view of the valley and the second bench you will encounter. Once you start heading straight up again and have the mountains at your left, you will come to a third bench.

The beginning of the Mayacamas Trail.

If you stop there, you can keep the hike to about an hour. But if you have a couple more hours and plenty more energy to spare, you can continue on to the year-round waterfall on the Mayacamas Trail.
About 3.5 miles from the parking lot, after you’ve left the dense vegetation and the trail has flattened a bit, look for a trail that heads to the left and toward the water you can hear rushing below you.
There is no sign at the fork, but a short ways down you will hit the creek and finally a sign telling you that you’re on the Mayacamas Trail. If you head to the left, about a mile down you will reach the waterfall.

The waterfall and creek have water year-round, so they can provide refuge for you and your dog if you do attempt the trail on a hot day. If you hike to the waterfall during heavy flows, be prepared to cross the creek more than once and soak your shoes.

Long before you reach the waterfall, only about 30 minutes up, there is this gorgeous section: