We didn’t exactly get a crush of replies to the request for places to take a pooch backpacking. (Well, it’s August, maybe everybody’s out camping in the High Sierra. I know Rebecca at Calipidder.com is hiking the John Muir Trail.) I posted the same query to the North_CA Hiking group at Yahoo.com and received a few encouraging tidbits:

  • Bureau of Land Management-owned areas on the Lost Coast (with a proviso to stay out of any State Parks land nearby). (The link notes the bears up that way have been very busy this year).
  • Snow Mountain Wilderness. This is in the Mendocino National Forest. (Note there’s not much water up there this time of year).
  • Ventana Wilderness. Again, very dry this time of year.
  • Somebody also posted this handy link: Bahiker.com’s list of dog regulations at local parks.

    Also worth a look, though much farther afield: Trinity Alps and Caribou Wilderness.

    The original request was for places within 90 miles of Sausalito, and most of these are quite a bit more distant. It’s interesting that a place like the Ohlone Wilderness Trail would have prohibitions against dogs — there’s enough cow crap out there to power a small city; it’s hard to see how dogs could do that much more damage.