Where to take a dog in Grass Valley: Condon Park

Trail signs keep you away from the disc golf course.

Condon Park is not a destination for active dogs and humans who like miles of off-leash exploring or hills to climb. But it would make a great place to stop in the middle of a long drive, or if you are staying in Grass Valley it is a great place to take a stroll even on hot days because the trails are mostly flat, well-shaded and there is a nice creek to dip in.
Located near downtown Grass Valley, which is definitely worth walking through after you visit the trails and dog park, the 80-acre Condon Park has a few miles of trails and a nice, fenced-in dog park that has separate sections for small and large dogs. I especially liked that there was a back entrance to the larger dog park, allowing us an alternative to the often-clogged front entrance.
But what I didn't like about the park is the lack of signs directing you to the beginning of the trails. I ended up wandering back and forth through the disc golf course until I finally found the trails, only finding plenty of signs once I was already on the trail.

This is about as hilly as the trails get.

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Where to take a dog near Portland, Oregon: Sandy River Delta

The Sandy River Delta is a sprawling dream of a dog park with "a thousand acres" of trails and plenty of shoreline for your dog and you to explore.

One of the dirt trails with lots of brush to explore.

Located right off Highway 84 about 30 minutes east of Portland, this park makes Troutdale a great place to stop during a road trip to Seattle or beyond.
We stopped here before driving along the Columbia River Gorge and the dog could not have been happier: there were fields to hunt in, plenty of other dogs to play with and lots of water to splash in, as from the park you can access both the Sandy and Columbia rivers.
This park had so much space for all the dogs it was easy to avoid others if your dog is not very friendly, but there are trails on which your dog is expected to be on-leash and it can be confusing to tell when those end and the others begin.
But that was the only drawback to this park I could find, and it is a very minor one. In fact, I liked it so much I immediately wanted to plan another road trip with a stop in Troutdale.

Running along the Sandy River.

Where to hike with a dog in Chico: Upper Bidwell Park

Enjoying the view atop Monkey Face.

Upper Bidwell Park in Chico is a dog walker’s dream: it has plenty of water, meadows and hills for both humans and dogs to enjoy.

The park is located very close to downtown Chico, and its 3,670 acres are split into Upper and Lower Bidwell. (According to the City of Chico’s website, it is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States).

The lower section is much flatter and shadier, but the upper section is much more fun, especially since your dog can romp on a lot of it without a leash.

The parks are separated by Manzanita Avenue, with the Upper Park being to the east and the lower park to the west.

Once you are in the upper park, your dog can be off leash north of Upper Park Road. That area has lots of flat meadows surrounding Horseshoe Lake, which dogs can dip in, but owners are asked to keep them from molesting the birds who also enjoy it.

Taking a dip in Horseshoe Lake.

Heading to the ridge behind Monkey Face.

If you want more of a challenge, you can head up Monkey Face, then continue along the ridge for quite a ways to the east and west of the rock formation that ends many people’s hike.

But be warned: it gets hot quick and if you didn’t bring enough water you and your dog will be suffering soon even in the spring, as the lake far below is the only source of water I found.

In the spring this park is also full of wildflowers.

If you want even more of a challenge, you can put your dog on leash and walk on the Yahi Trail on the south side of Upper Park Road. That trail follows Big Chico Creek and passes some impressive rock formations the city’s website describes as “unique Chico Formation sandstone and Lovejoy Basalt rocks.”

But be warned: I tried this trail in the summer and the ground was too hot for my dog’s paws, and the trail was very crowded with people escaping the heat by jumping into the swimming holes created by the rocks.

Where to hike with a dog in Lake County: Redbud Trail

Heading down to Baton Flat with Cache Creek in the distance.

This trail has everything: views of water, birds, and wildflowers for you to soak in while your dog enjoys miles of roaming space.
If you go in the winter you might see bald eagles, as Cache Creek is one of their favorite spots to fish, but right now might be the best time to go because the Redbud Trail is known for its wildflowers.

The parking lot for the trailhead is located right off eastbound Highway 20 about an hour from Ukiah. The services there are only pit toilets and garbage cans.
The trail heads first through a meadow toward the hills, then gradually winds upward through what can look like moonscape in the winter.
About a mile and a half up, you hit a trail junction and some glorious views of Cache Creek. To the right is the Perkins Creek Trail, which continues up and along the saddle for miles. To stay on the Redbud Trail and eventually reach the creek at Baton Flat, turn right. Whichever direction you choose, the views along this section of the trail are spectacular.
After another mile and a bunch of switchbacks that head down the mountain you’ll reach Baton Flat, where it’s a lot easier to hear the water than reach it.
When the flows are low enough to cross, you can continue on another three miles to Wilson Valley, but I didn’t dare cross the creek when I went. It was nerve-wracking just watching the dog take a dip.

Pausing in Baton Flat with Cache Creek to the right.

Words to the wise:
• Based on the hoofprints I saw, you will likely share the trail with elk, and I did encounter some horseback riders. But save for only one other human, I had the trail to myself on a weekday.
• Unless you go very early in the day, this trail can’t be fun in the summer as it must get blazing hot and there is no water available for humans.

Where to hike with a dog in Yolo County: Blue Ridge Trail to Fiske Peak

This is the second hike I’ve done in the Cache Creek Recreation Area and I can’t recommend either enough.

Near Cache Creek with Blue Ridge and Fiske Peak in the background. 

The first was the Redbud Trail in Lake County, which I understand is particularly gorgeous in the spring, and earlier this winter I hiked up to Fiske Peak on the Blue Ridge Trail in the Yolo County section of Cache Creek.

Neither trail would be much fun in summer, and certainly not the hike up to Fiske Peak, which even in mid-January had me wishing I had brought twice as much water, especially for the dog.

The trail begins close to the parking lot for the Lower Yolo County Park off Highway 16 in the Capay Valley. There are pit toilets to use before you hike down to the water and cross the creek using a cement bridge that is no longer open to vehicles. Up the hill to left begins the trail.

Photo credit for this and above: Nathan DeHart.

The first part through the trees is flat, then you being a gradual climb up a narrow trail barely carved into the hillside (shown to the left), then you move into the rocks and keep going up and up!

Up so steeply, in fact, that there are many sections of the trail that seem to disappear into the rocks, and during the rainy season those sections can’t be fun.

It is about eight miles if you hike to the top of Fiske Peak and back, but I only made it to the top of a smaller hill near the peak. The views were still extraordinary, though, as we saw a snow-covered mountain to the northeast that could have been Mount Shasta!

Words to the wise:

The views were amazing less than halfway up!

• I did not see any signs explaining the leash rules, but many sections of the trail are so narrow and curvy that it’s best to have your dog on leash unless they are very good at sharing the trail.

Two more good reasons to keep your dog on leash, except for maybe the sections when you need both hands free for rock climbing, are the ticks and horses. My dog’s head was covered in ticks after romping off the trail, and I was very glad she was on leash when we ran into some people on horseback at the bottom near the creek. Unless your dog is very well-behaved around horses, it’s probably best to keep them on leash in that section.

• This trail is VERY steep and tricky to navigate in parts, and my legs were definitely shaking on the way down.

• Again, bring LOTS of water!

Where to hike with a dog in Calistoga: Oat Hill Mine

If you like hiking up mountains with your dog off-leash, this trail is a good choice.

Checking out the view along the Oat Hill Mine trail.

It also offers great views and an even better workout, so it is a very popular trail with hikers and bicyclists as well as dog owners. So if you'd rather not run into a lot of other people and dogs, it might not be the best choice for you.
The trailhead is located just off the intersection of Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail and has a small parking lot that fills up fast. 
The first mile heads up pretty gradually above the vineyards, then gets more rocky between miles 1 and 2. Between miles 2 and 3 (there are posts making each mile) it gets considerably more rocky, with certain parts very slippery in the rain. The rockier the trail the more impressive the views, however.
After mile three, the trail starts to get very narrow and there are a few precarious spots that are quite difficult to share with a passing bicyclist. Unless your dog is very good about conceding right-of-way, which mine has no concept of, it might be best to keep them on leash in those sections.

The view get better but the trail gets rockier as you head up.

• Words to the Wise: There is no water available at the trailhead, so be sure and bring plenty of your own. Especially if you are hiking when its warm, which I definitely don't recommend, since there is very little shade. I've only hiked this trail in late December, which is probably one of the best times to go other than early spring.

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: