Skip to content

Dog-Friendly Hikes near San Francisco

The directory currently contains 10 quality-checked routes matching this guide near San Francisco. Their average mapped distance is 5.2 km and average recorded ascent is 197 m (646 ft); the longest route in the set is 19.2 km.

This subset represents 9% of the 111 quality-checked routes near San Francisco. Its average distance is 5.2 km, compared with 12.6 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 197 m (646 ft), versus 390 m (1,280 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes either have dogs marked as allowed or meet the directory’s dog-score threshold. Current land-manager rules take precedence. Within this set, 2 routes (20%) are rated easy, 1 (10%) are rated hard or expert, and 1 (10%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.6 km

Corte Madera Creek Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

9 m

Corte Madera Creek Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Moderate

Dawn Falls Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
266 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
A view of Mount Diablo from Eagle Peak. Las Trampas Regional Wilderness. Danville, CA. For some strange reason, there's a garbage can in the middle of the trail. Even more bizarrely, it is decorated with the sticker "Squaw Valley, USA", a s
Moderate

Las Trampas Ridge Trail

California · United States

Distance
10.2 km
/ 6.3 mi
Elevation gain
431 m
Typical duration
2 hr 46 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Moderate

Fern Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
240 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • River
Moderate

Corte Madera Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • River
Moderate

Whispering Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • River
Easy

Lake Loop Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
44 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Lake
The El Cerrito Plaza (BART station) in El Cerrito, California, USA.
Easy

Cerrito Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • River
Moderate

Sinbad Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
6.3 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
163 m
Typical duration
1 hr 33 min
  • River

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Dawn Falls TrailCalifornia2.2 km266 m51 minModerateApril to October
Las Trampas Ridge TrailCalifornia10.2 km431 m2 hr 46 minModerateApril to October
Las Trampas to Mt. Diablo Regional TrailCalifornia8.6 km312 m2 hr 16 minModerateApril to October
Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional TrailCalifornia19.2 km460 m4 hr 49 minHardApril to October
Fern Creek TrailCalifornia1.1 km240 m36 minModerateApril to October
Corte Madera Creek TrailCalifornia0.6 km9 m8 minModerateApril to October
Whispering Creek TrailCalifornia1.6 km28 m22 minModerateApril to October
Lake Loop TrailCalifornia0.9 km44 m15 minEasyApril to October
Cerrito Creek TrailCalifornia1.2 km12 m16 minEasyApril to October
Sinbad Creek TrailCalifornia6.3 km163 m1 hr 33 minModerateApril to October

Dawn Falls Trail, Las Trampas Ridge Trail, Las Trampas to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for