Can I take my dog hiking in Yosemite or Sequoia National Park?

No. In California's national parks, dogs are limited to developed campgrounds, paved roads, and paved paths. Trails, backcountry, and wilderness areas are off-limits. If you want to hike with your dog, look at the surrounding National Forest lands instead — Inyo, Sierra, and Sequoia National Forests all allow leashed dogs on trails.

Which California state parks are best for camping with dogs?

Bodega Dunes in Sonoma Coast State Park, Samuel P. Taylor in Marin, and Salt Point State Park all allow dogs in more places than the typical state park. Most other state parks let dogs in the campground but not on dirt trails, so read the specific park's dog rules before booking.

Do I need a special permit to bring a dog into a wilderness area?

You need the standard wilderness permit that any hiker needs, but there's no extra permit for the dog itself in most National Forest wilderness areas. Desolation Wilderness, for example, requires a free day-use or overnight permit for humans, and dogs are allowed on leash under those same permits. Always check the specific ranger district before you go.

Are dogs allowed off-leash in National Forests?

Technically dogs must be leashed in developed recreation sites like campgrounds and trailheads, but in the backcountry many National Forests allow dogs under voice control. That said, in bear or mountain lion country I keep mine on leash regardless — an off-leash dog can trigger a wildlife encounter that a leashed dog wouldn't.

What's the best time of year for pet-friendly camping in California?

Late spring and early fall are the sweet spots for most of the state. Summer at higher Sierra elevations works well, but low-elevation and desert sites get dangerously hot for dogs. Coastal spots like Kirk Creek stay temperate most of the year but book up months ahead through Recreation.gov.

Can dogs go on the beach at California campgrounds?

It depends entirely on the beach. Bodega Dunes allows dogs on the beach on leash. Most State Beach units don't. National Seashore units like Point Reyes have specific dog-approved beaches. Kirk Creek and Plaskett Creek in Los Padres NF have beach access where dogs are permitted. Check the specific site before you assume.

Pet-Friendly Camping in California: Where Dogs Are Genuinely Welcome

By Buck Tanner · July 9, 2026 · 7 min read

Somebody called last week asking where in California they could take their two heelers for a real camping trip, not just a parking lot with a picnic table. Good question, and the answer aint as simple as folks want it to be. California's a patchwork — national parks mostly say no to dogs on trails, national forests mostly say yes, state parks are all over the map. So you got to know which door you're walking through before you load up the truck.

I spent a chunk of my career on the permit desk and another chunk swinging a pulaski for a trail crew, and I had a Border collie named Sadie riding shotgun for most of it. She's older now but she still gets a vote on where we go. What follows is where I'd actually take a dog in California and expect a decent time, not just a legal one.

The rules, in plain English

Here's the shape of it. National Parks — Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Lassen — dogs are allowed in developed campgrounds and on paved roads, and that's about it. No trails, no backcountry, no wilderness. It's not the rangers being mean, it's a wildlife and predator-conditioning thing that goes back decades. A dog scent on a trail changes the behavior of everything from marmots to mountain lions. Whether you agree with the reasoning or not, thats the rule and they enforce it.

National Forests are a different animal. Dogs are allowed on almost every trail, leashed in developed areas, and often off-leash under voice control in the backcountry (though I'd think twice about that in bear country). The Forest Service runs a huge chunk of California's best camping, and it's where I send folks with dogs more often than not.

State Parks are the confusing one. California State Parks generally lets dogs into the campground and on paved areas, but not on dirt trails or beaches unless the specific unit says otherwise. Read the individual park page. Some are great for dogs, some are basically a jail sentence where poor Fido stares at the trail he cant walk on.

Big Sur and the Los Padres coast

If I had one weekend and a dog in the truck, I'd point south from Monterey down Highway 1 into the Los Padres National Forest. This is Forest Service ground on the coast, which is a rare thing, and the campgrounds along there are some of the finest sit-and-listen-to-the-ocean spots in the state.

Kirk Creek Campground, about 30 miles south of Big Sur village on Highway 1, sits on a bluff right over the Pacific. Dogs are welcome, the sites are open to the sky, and you can walk your dog on the beach access trail down below. Reserve on Recreation.gov because it fills up — used to be quieter, internet found it. Plaskett Creek a few miles further south is across the road from Sand Dollar Beach and works well if Kirk Creek is booked.

Further inland, Wheeler Gorge Campground up Highway 33 out of Ojai is a shady creekside spot with hiking right out of camp on Forest Service trails where dogs are legal. Nothing fancy. No gift shop, which I count as a plus.

Eastern Sierra — Mammoth and the Inyo

The Inyo National Forest on the east side of the Sierra is dog country. Dozens of campgrounds, most of them open roughly late spring through fall depending on snow, and trails going every direction into some of the prettiest granite you'll ever see.

Convict Lake Campground, just off Highway 395 south of Mammoth Lakes, is my pick if you want a lake, a walkable loop around it, and pine trees. The trail around Convict is Forest Service and dogs are fine on leash. Sherwin Creek Campground outside Mammoth is a good base if you want to fish and let the dog stretch on the Sherwin Lakes trail.

Down the road a piece, Big Pine Creek Campground puts you at the trailhead for the North Fork trail into the Palisades — one of the great walks in California and yes, dogs are permitted since it's Inyo NF, not park land. Sadie made it up to First Lake back in her prime and I still think about it. For gear on longer hikes with a dog, check what you've got in the pack — extra water is the one people always underestimate.

Tahoe and the northern Sierra

Around Lake Tahoe, most of the good stuff is Forest Service. Fallen Leaf Campground, south of Lake Tahoe off Highway 89, is a big, well-run campground on Fallen Leaf Lake with dog-friendly trails right nearby. It's popular, it books out early, plan ahead.

Wrights Lake Campground in the Eldorado National Forest, up a windy road off Highway 50, is quieter and gets you into the Desolation Wilderness where dogs are allowed (with a free wilderness permit, and yes they do check). This is one I'd send my own family to.

North of Tahoe, the Tahoe National Forest around Sierra City and the Lakes Basin — try Sardine Lake Campground — has good dog access on trails to Sand Pond and up toward the Sierra Buttes. Rough road in but worth it.

North coast and the redwoods

The redwood parks are complicated. Redwood National and State Parks is a jointly managed deal, and dogs are pretty restricted on the trails even in the state park units. But the campgrounds themselves take dogs. Elk Prairie and Jedediah Smith are both fine for camping with a dog, you just cant walk the good trails.

For actual dog-and-owner hiking in the redwood belt, I'd look at the surrounding Six Rivers National Forest or the Smith River National Recreation Area, which is Forest Service and dog-friendly on trails. Big River Campground and Grassy Flat on Highway 199 are good honest campgrounds without the crowds you get in the park proper.

South of there, Sonoma Coast State Park runs a campground called Bodega Dunes where dogs are allowed on the beach — one of the seperate exceptions in the state park system. Salt Point State Park up the coast also allows dogs in campground and on the fire roads, which is more than most state parks give you.

The dog-friendly picks I actually recommend

If you want the short version, here's the list I'd hand across the desk:

Kirk Creek Campground — Los Padres NF, Highway 1 south of Big Sur. Ocean bluff, dogs on leash, beach access.
Plaskett Creek Campground — Los Padres NF, near Sand Dollar Beach. Backup to Kirk Creek.
Convict Lake Campground — Inyo NF, south of Mammoth Lakes off Highway 395. Lake loop trail is dog-legal.
Wrights Lake Campground — Eldorado NF, off Highway 50 east of Placerville. Desolation Wilderness access with dog.
Fallen Leaf Campground — Tahoe area, Highway 89. Big lakeside operation, book early.
Sardine Lake Campground — Tahoe NF, near Sierra City. Quieter, gorgeous.
Bodega Dunes Campground — Sonoma Coast State Park, near Bodega Bay. Rare state park with dog beach access.
Wheeler Gorge Campground — Los Padres NF, Highway 33 out of Ojai. Creekside, hiking from camp.
Samuel P. Taylor State Park — Marin County. Dogs in campground and on paved bike path, not on trails.
Big Pine Creek Campground — Inyo NF, west of Big Pine on Highway 395. Trailhead camping for the Palisades.

Gotchas to know before you go

A few things I've watched people learn the hard way. First, "dog-friendly camping" doesn't automatically mean dog-friendly hiking. A pet-friendly campground in a national park is a pet-friendly parking spot with a picnic table, and if you drove six hours to hike with your dog you're going to be sore about it. Read the trail rules on the specific unit before you commit.

Second, leash laws are six feet, and rangers do write tickets. I did, when I had to. It's not about your dog being well-behaved, it's about the coyote that comes out of the brush and turns your well-behaved dog into a chase animal in about two seconds. Keep the leash on.

Third, bear country. In the Sierra, dogs can definately trigger a bear encounter that wouldn't have happened otherwise. Feed the dog inside your vehicle or the bear locker, not out at the picnic table, and dont leave a bowl of kibble sitting out overnight. Same rules as your own food. Store your stove and cookware clean too — grease attracts.

Fourth, heat. Central Valley and desert campgrounds in summer will kill a dog left in a tent or car. I'm not being dramatic. If you're camping May through September at low elevation, pick a shaded site and bring more water than you think, its not optional.

Honest take

If you want a real vacation with your dog in California, aim for National Forest campgrounds first, dog-friendly state parks second, and treat the National Parks as a place your dog sleeps rather than a place your dog hikes. The eastern Sierra and the Los Padres coast are where I'd put my own money and my own dog. Book early on Recreation.gov, bring a long leash and a spare, and check the fire restrictions before you go — a lot of these Forest Service campgrounds go into stage two restrictions by late summer and your camp stove plans change.

Sadie's mostly a porch dog these days but she still perks up when the truck gets loaded. Good country out there. Take your dog and go see some of it.

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Common questions

Can I take my dog hiking in Yosemite or Sequoia National Park?: No. In California's national parks, dogs are limited to developed campgrounds, paved roads, and paved paths. Trails, backcountry, and wilderness areas are off-limits. If you want to hike with your dog, look at the surrounding National Forest lands instead — Inyo, Sierra, and Sequoia National Forests all allow leashed dogs on trails.
Which California state parks are best for camping with dogs?: Bodega Dunes in Sonoma Coast State Park, Samuel P. Taylor in Marin, and Salt Point State Park all allow dogs in more places than the typical state park. Most other state parks let dogs in the campground but not on dirt trails, so read the specific park's dog rules before booking.
Do I need a special permit to bring a dog into a wilderness area?: You need the standard wilderness permit that any hiker needs, but there's no extra permit for the dog itself in most National Forest wilderness areas. Desolation Wilderness, for example, requires a free day-use or overnight permit for humans, and dogs are allowed on leash under those same permits. Always check the specific ranger district before you go.
Are dogs allowed off-leash in National Forests?: Technically dogs must be leashed in developed recreation sites like campgrounds and trailheads, but in the backcountry many National Forests allow dogs under voice control. That said, in bear or mountain lion country I keep mine on leash regardless — an off-leash dog can trigger a wildlife encounter that a leashed dog wouldn't.
What's the best time of year for pet-friendly camping in California?: Late spring and early fall are the sweet spots for most of the state. Summer at higher Sierra elevations works well, but low-elevation and desert sites get dangerously hot for dogs. Coastal spots like Kirk Creek stay temperate most of the year but book up months ahead through Recreation.gov.
Can dogs go on the beach at California campgrounds?: It depends entirely on the beach. Bodega Dunes allows dogs on the beach on leash. Most State Beach units don't. National Seashore units like Point Reyes have specific dog-approved beaches. Kirk Creek and Plaskett Creek in Los Padres NF have beach access where dogs are permitted. Check the specific site before you assume.

About the author

Buck Tanner

Veteran outdoors columnist · Bozeman, MT

Buck spent 38 years in green and grey before hanging up the radio. He writes the way he talked at the ranger desk — half answers, half stories about his Border collie Sadie. He once spent 17 nights in a row at the same Wyoming dispersed site and considers that a fine vacation. Buck is suspicious of glamping but will admit a four-season tent helped him after a 2019 incident he still won't fully explain.

38 years with the National Park Service (retired). Backcountry permit clerk turned trail-crew foreman at Glacier, Yellowstone, and the North Cascades.

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