I'm a 3rd generation Oakland native and I created this site because I'm always looking for new hikes and I can never find enough accurate information in one place. I've exhausted the lists of trails on other sites and I wanted to share my extensive list with other dog lovers - you'd be surprised how many dog-friendly hikes the Bay Area alone has to offer! Hit those trails and keep your pooch happy and healthy! I hope you and your dog enjoy these adventures.
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Meet Bailey!
Bailey was a 14-year-old yellow lab mix who passed away on August 17th, 2020. She had a lot of energy up until the last 6 months or so of her life. She enjoyed hiking as much as me, loved to swim, and was able to go on 10-mile hikes at 12 years old. I know I was really lucky to enjoy all those years with her, and I also attribute her great health and long life to all the hikes we went on together. I adopted her when she was about 5 years old from the Manteca Animal Shelter, following an extensive search to adopt a dog. My search began on Petfinder, and when I saw her picture, I felt she was special, and I knew I needed to meet her.
Her link on Petfinder still exists here!
When I called the shelter, I was told that because she was so skinny, she needed to stay in the shelter for 2 weeks to gain weight. I drove out from Oakland to Manteca on the first day she was available, and arrived before the shelter even opened so I could be sure to be the first one there. When I first saw her, she jumped up on her hind legs in the cage and barked at me, which startled me. I was expecting a docile dog, and it took me aback. I actually turned around and walked out until I re-grouped and decided to see what she was like outside of that cage. I will never forget that moment. As soon as she came out of the cage, she sat with me outside in the grass, I petted her, and she melted. She was very calm and gentle, and such a sweet dog. She was still very skinny and had a scab on her nose from trying to push her snout through her cage. I remember being told that she looked sick and I probably shouldn’t adopt her, but I instantly felt a connection with her, unlike anything I’d ever felt with another animal. I took her home that day and she fell asleep during the car ride home. After a vet checkup, I found out that she had thyroid problems, which was partly the reason for her weight, and also the reason why she would fall asleep so easily. After about a month on hyper-thyroid medication, she was like a new dog with tons of energy. However, she also had stomach problems, so I initially cooked her stews for meals, and tried a number of very expensive grain-free dog foods until I found one that worked. Prescription Science Diet was our food of choice initially, but I switched her to a less expensive option, Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dry Dog Food mixed with rice at every meal.
Bailey was happy and healthy and fully recovered about 6 months after I adopted her. She was always super sweet, got along with all animals (even my chinchilla!), and was always up for an adventure. I still can't believe that day she barked at me at the shelter. That never happened again, and it made me sad to think how scared she must have been. I miss her everyday but I want her memory to live on. We will continue our hikes with my husband's dogs, Keisha and Roxy, but I'm still having a difficult time after losing her, so updating the site often may take some time.
Bailey was happy and healthy and fully recovered about 6 months after I adopted her. She was always super sweet, got along with all animals (even my chinchilla!), and was always up for an adventure. I still can't believe that day she barked at me at the shelter. That never happened again, and it made me sad to think how scared she must have been. I miss her everyday but I want her memory to live on. We will continue our hikes with my husband's dogs, Keisha and Roxy, but I'm still having a difficult time after losing her, so updating the site often may take some time.
Please consider contributing (or simply using an Amazon click-through on my site) so I can continue to host this website and bring you new adventures!
Thousands of hours of work have been spent on our hikes and compiling all of this information to you for free. Registering the domain name and hosting this site is expensive, in addition to the actual work. On a regular basis, this site does not make much money. If I'm lucky, this site may generate almost enough revenue to cover website hosting and domain name fees, which is the goal. I try to keep ads at a minimum to keep my site user-friendly. I know there's nothing worse than annoying pop-up ads!
If you ever shop on Amazon, doing a click-through via one of the Amazon ads at the footer of my site, before making any purchase at Amazon, will provide much appreciated ad revenue to my site. As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. If you're feeling especially generous, you can also contribute any amount through Paypal via the "Donate" link below. Please note that this is considered a gift and NOT a charitable donation, as I am an individual (not a 501(3)c organization). Every dollar helps! Thank you for your support!
