Where to hike with a dog in Sonoma County: Jenner Headlands

I'll admit, the trails at Jenner Headlands Preserve definitely have some drawbacks for dogs. First, they have to be on-leash. Second, the reason for the leashes is cows. Lots of them. And if you have a dog bred to herd livestock like mine, you'll need a lot more than a leash to keep both of you on the trail when cows are near.                        

Even so, I still recommend this trail because the views are tremendous. It's truly glorious to be able to climb a mountain so close to the ocean, to feel sometimes as if you're soaring above it.

So if you can't stand hiking without your dog, and you've got a strong arm and strong collar, then by all means take your dog to enjoy those views with you.

The trailhead is just a few miles north of Jenner on Highway 1 and has a large parking lot that is easy to pull into and free of charge. But despite its many spaces, the parking lot was already nearly full by mid-morning on a recent Saturday visit.

Since most of our fellow hikers were heading up the "Sea to Sky Trail" on our visit, we turned right to take the Raptor Ridge Trail and meet up with the Wildflower Loop. In mid-April, that route was quite muddy and detours were still in effect, and it might still be muddy in early June given the recent rains. That trail also takes you very close to the highway at points, so if you want to escape the road more quickly, head to the left, where you can immediately enjoy sweeping views of the ocean.

But again, look out for those cows. There were so many cows using the trail at one point that we took to the steep hillside for about half a mile to give them plenty of space. The trail map advises hikers to approach the cows calmly using a normal voice until they move off the trail, but we were not brave enough to do that.

We also did not make the 7.5-mile hike to the top of Pole Mountain (13 miles round-trip), and instead chose about a four-mile loop that followed the Raptor Ridge trail on the way up and the Sea to Sky trail on the way down, plus a mile or so detour looking for the Wildflower Loop, which I never found the sign for.

Words to the Wise:

• There is no water available but there are restrooms, which were built to blend in nicely with the hillside. And once the vegetation around them builds up, they will disappear even more into the landscape. Since there is no running water, there are only pit toilets inside, but there was plenty of toilet paper and even incense during my visit.
• It was also very windy during my visit, so much so there were times we felt we were going to tumble down the mountain. Luckily we were finishing our hike about the time the wind really started kicking up, because I saw many hikers begin their hike, then quickly turn around because of the wind.
• Parking is free, and the lot is open 8 a.m. until sunset. The trail to the restrooms is handicapped accessible.

When you want to walk on the beach rather than above it, here's a good beach nearby that allows dogs: Blind Beach