Dog Friendly SoCal, San Clemente, CA (2026)

06/01/2023

It’s Tail Trail Thursday and we want to know … what’s your favorite type of trail?

• Urban trail
• Coastal trail
• Mountain trail
• Wine/beer trail
• Christmas tree trail
• Or maybe it’s just any dirt trail!

We spent last weekend hunting down and hiking a lot of coastal trails! Norm and Ruth found one in San Clemente!

The pedestrian beach trail extends from the metrolink station parking lot at North Beach to Calafia State Beach in the south (your turnaround point). It’s 4.6 miles RT with water and restrooms along the way. A portion of the trail runs parallel to the train tracks so you’ll find out if your pup is a fan of trains. This would be a great morning or sunset hike too. 🌅

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05/31/2023

Happy Wet Dog Wednesday!

Do you like to kayak or paddleboard with your dog? …and maybe it’s both!

We had some sun this morning but it looks like some grey has snuck back in. But we’re still thinking about getting back on the water soon!

OC Paddlesports opened in 2021 and dogs are allowed on both kayak and paddleboard rentals! 👏 Their website says that you may see wildlife such as stingrays, jellyfish, dolphins, sea turtles, seals and birds so keep your eyes open. 🐬🐢🦭🦆

They even suggest some spots to paddle or kayak too and provide a map. So bring a picnic and enjoy some time on the water. Suggest you bring your own doggie life vest. Oh and treats, gotta have the treats! 🐾

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05/29/2023

Hope you’re all having a nice Memorial Day! 🇺🇸

Thank you to those who have served and fought for the freedoms we have today. You’re on our minds. 🙏

📷 .fromtheblocko

05/28/2023

Our Memorial Day weekend coastal adventure in Morro Bay is coming to an end! We did a bunch of small hikes to check out some new places! Here’s the scoop:

• Cave Landing and Pirate’s Cove from Shell Beach Bluff Trail: Two trailheads for this hike, we started from Indio Dr., it was 2.2 miles RT. Great views of the ocean, Shell Beach and the cave (2nd photo) we were going to see (3rd photo)! Some say the beach is clothing optional but everyone we saw kept their clothes on! 😆

• Moonstone Beach Boardwalk Trail: We started our hike from Moonstone Beach Dr. where the trail begins (south end). It’s mostly a wooden boardwalk trail which is fun! Once the trail reaches the bluff, you have a view of the ocean (4th photo). Unfortunately dogs are not allowed on the beach. About one mile in, the trail is closed for repairs. They’re rebuilding the boardwalk and it looks great! The entire trail is 2.6 miles RT and we only could hike 2 miles RT today.

• Fiscalini Ranch Preserve: Multiple trailheads to start your hike and even more trails to explore! We zig-zagged our way through the preserve seeing a little of everything to include the Bluff Trail (5/6th photos), the Forest Loop Trail (8th photo, peaceful and lots of birds chirping) and the Ridge Trail to name a few. So many coastal flowers are blooming and you’ll pass a few memorial benches made out of wood (7th photo). We racked up almost 3.5 miles total.

• Black Hill: We drove down Morro Bay State Park Rd. and found the trailhead at a small dirt lot. We were excited for this view at the top (1st photo)! Hiked the Exercise Trail to Black Hill Trail (10th photo) and then on the way back, took Grove Trail for a small loop totaling 2.7 miles RT with 682 ft gain. Lots of flowers blooming on this trail too (9th photo).

Hope you find some adventures on this list if you visit this area one day! We’ll add these hikes (plus all the details) to our website this week. Stay tuned!

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05/28/2023

Our Memorial Day weekend coastal adventure continues! We spent the day checking out Morro Bay and the surrounding area! Did you know Morro comes from the Spanish word meaning crown. It refers to Morro Rock, which is named for its rounded shape. 🪨

Fun Things to Do:
• Explore Morro Rock up close, a State Historic Landmark formed about 23 million years ago from the plugs of long-extinct volcanoes. You can park nearby and walk halfway around the base of the rock (check out our previous post).
• Look for wildlife like sea otters 🦦, sea lions 🦭, birds and whales 🐋; there is an active sea otter population here year-round, we saw a lot of them!
• Lost Isle Adventures Sunset Cruise, 1 hr, $30/person, can book online or in-person;
• Art in the Park (FREE) on Morro Bay Blvd and Harbor St., 2023 schedule: May 27-29, July 1-3 and Sept 2-4 (5th photo)
• Waterfront Market (FREE) in the parking lot of Giovanni’s Fish Market (7th photo for dates)
• Morro Bay Paddlesports, kayak rental only with dogs; check website for weight limits;
• Launch your own paddleboard near Coleman Park and look for wildlife (1-3 photos)
• Play at Morro Bay/Toro Creek off-leash dog beach in Cayucos (4th photo)

Dog Friendly Patios/Coffee Shops:
• Top Dog Coffee Bar (6th photo);
• Dorn’s Original Breakers Cafe;
•Tognazzini’s Dockside Too;
• Stax Wine Bar & Bistro;
• Pizza Port;
• Three Stacks & a Rock Brewing;

Hope you find some adventures on this list if you visit this area one day!

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05/25/2023

It’s Tail Trail Thursday and Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve is a great spot to hike year round and even has a waterfall!

There are a few trailheads to start your hike into the canyon:

• Start at the trailhead in the southwest corner of Canyonside Community Park and hike west to pass by the Ranch House to see some farm animals. Say hello to our friends 👋
• Start at the southwest trailhead off of Sorrento Valley Blvd and hike east into the canyon
• Start at the northwest trailhead off of Camino Del Sur and park near the Penasquitos Creek Park

Depending on your route, you can easily round up 6+ miles. The waterfall is located roughly in the middle of the canyon and can be accessed from west or east hiking trails!

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05/23/2023

It’s Dog Dish Tuesday and time to dish out another dog friendly spot to hang! 🐾

We really like this patio outside at the Green Cheek Beer Co. It looks so inviting! Green Cheek actually has three locations:

• Costa Mesa, allows dogs on their patio outside (photo above)
• Sunset Beach, allows dogs on their rooftop patio outside
• Orange, allows dogs inside since they’re only a tasting room (no food service)

They also serve more than beer but you should check out the interesting beer selections and names of those! At some locations they have a food menu, wine and cider!

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05/22/2023

Happy Monday furiends! Memorial Day 🇺🇸Weekend is almost here and for some of us, that could mean a longer weekend filled with adventures!

What are you doing for Memorial Day Weekend?

Whether you’re BBQing, hiking, camping SUPing, checking out a new park, off roading, doing a dog beach marathon (new one every day) or maybe going on a fun road trip, we hope you have something planned! The weather is looking pretty good too.

If you need some ideas on things to do, check out our website (link in profile) or DM us! We love hearing from you and chatting about adventures. It’s our favorite thing!

Tag us so we don’t miss seeing how you spent your weekend!

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05/21/2023

Hope you’re all having a Pawsome Weekend! You voted for our adventures this weekend and here’s the scoop on today’s hike to Switzer Falls! 💦

1. Trail: We have to start with the trail first because after hiking it, it’s now one of our favorites! This trail is gorgeous! It reminds us of a combination of Sturtevant Falls and Bridge to Nowhere … you’re hiking in the lush green forest (3rd/4th photos) and you have lots of water crossings. 🌲🌲🌲

2. Water Crossings: We counted lucky 13! Yes, we crossed the creek 13 times but it was easy and a lot of fun! The water felt so good too. All crossings came to our ankles with one at our shins (9-10th photos). The water levels have gone down quite a bit. We also hiked in shorts and our water shoes and it was the BEST choice for us!

3. Falls: The sun was out and those blue skies made for a great picture of this pretty waterfall! We even got into the deeper water a bit because it felt so good. You could swim right under the falls!

4. Poison Oak/Bugs: Poison Oak is no joke on this hike. It lines the sides of the trail (8th photo) so hike in the middle when possible. Dogs rarely get a rash, but if the oils are on your dogs fur and you touch them and have a strong allergy to it, then you could get poison oak. We usually wipe Cappie down after the hike with a damp cloth that has a little bit of soap on it. Also bring your bug repellent because the bugs are starting to come out!

5. Parking: We arrived at 7am and found parking at the lower lot. There is also an upper lot plus some parking on SR 2 highway so you have options depending on when you arrive. You will need a CA adventure pass to park in the official lots.

6. Route: Our hike was about 4 miles RT with 736 ft gain. There are two trails you hike on (Gabrielino and Bear Canyon) and those trails continue away from the falls so make sure you head towards the falls!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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05/20/2023

Hope you’re all having a Pawsome Weekend! You voted for our adventures this weekend and here’s the scoop on today’s hike to Paradise Falls and much more! 💦

1. Teepee: Our first stop was to see this huge teepee (2nd photo). After the teepee, we headed to the falls(3rd/4th photos).

2. Falls: We actually saw two waterfalls on this hike! Paradise Falls and Indian Creek Falls (6th photo). The star is Paradise and you can see both the upper and lower falls. The best view of the lower falls when you reach it is a quick rock hop over the water to get the best view! Keep your eyes open for poison oak around you.

3. Lizard Rock: To keep exploring we left the falls and headed towards Lizard Rock (5th photo). Hmm…does it look like a lizard head to you!?

4. Cave: We almost missed this! We hiked down from Lizard Rock and connected to the Mesa Trail and found Indian Creek Trail past the parking lot. Once you see the wooden footbridge, hike over it and take the Little Cave Trail (it’s marked) on your right. It dead ends at the cave which was a lot of fun to explore (7-9th photos).

5. Wildflowers: There are lots of flowers blooming including our favorite mustard and cactus. Some of that mustard was over 5 ft tall! We saw a lot of purple sage which is one of the most aromatic sage plants we’ve smelled.

6. Water crossings: There are a few creek crossings but all of them that we saw had wooden planks in the water to help you cross.

7. Parking: We arrived at 7am and had the falls all to ourselves so it’s worth going early! If the lot is full, there’s an overflow lot down the street at the Elementary School (we assume when school isn’t in session).

8. Trail/Route: We’ve never been here so we packed it all in and hiked a few trails. There are free paper maps at the trailhead. Lots of trails to explore and connecting trails too so you can build your own route. We racked up 6.5 miles with 1,122 ft gain and tried to avoid backtracking or hiking the same trail twice.

Have a great weekend!

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05/19/2023

Happy Fur For All Friday! Are you going camping this year? 🏕 Developed campgrounds are filling up so check on your favorites and book those sites!

Below are a few dog friendly ones!

• Mount Laguna Campgrounds: Burnt Rancheria, Laguna and El Prado (group sites)
• Big Bear Campgrounds: Serrano, Pineknot and Hanna Flats
• Lake Arrowhead Campgrounds: Dogwood and Green Valley
• Idyllwild/Mountain Center Campgrounds: Marion Mountain, Boulder Basin and Toolbox Springs (free and can be reach either driving or backpacking)
• Angeles National Forest Campground: Mountain Oak, Lake and Table Mountain
• San Bernardino National Forest: San Gorgonio, Barton Flats, Fern Basin, Marion Mountain and Heart Bar
• Los Padres National Forest Campground: Mt. Pinos
• Cleveland National Forest Campgrounds: Dripping Springs (Temecula), Observatory (Palomar Mountain), Fry Creek (Palomar Mountain)
• Eastern Sierras Campgrounds: Big Pine and Grand View (Ancient Bristlecone Forest)
• Kennedy Meadows North Campgrounds: Deadman and Baker
• Point Mugu State Park: Sycamore Canyon Campground
• San Clemente State Beach Campground
• Crystal Cove State Park: El Moro Campground
• Malibu Creek State Park Campground

If you have other recommendations, please share them in the comments below. 🙌

📷 .the.sweetheart

05/18/2023

Happy Tail Trail Thursday!

Who has been to Carbon Canyon Regional Park?

Located in Brea, this 124-acre park has 60 acres of developed land for picnics and sports but the undeveloped area has the hidden beauty. The undeveloped area has a trail that leads to Orange County's 3-acre grove of Coastal Redwoods! It's so cool that we can see some redwoods without driving to Northern California!

The Redwood Grove trail is 1.5 miles and just 50 ft of elevation gain so you can enjoy the view, look around and take photos. The grove was planted in 1975. As a refresher, the redwood is the world's tallest tree and has a slender trunk vs. the giant sequoia which is the world’s largest tree in volume and has an immense trunk.

Check the OC Parks website for trail closures since they can close due to rain and muddy conditions in order to prevent trail erosion. Parking fees to enter are $3 per vehicle Mon-Fri and $5 Sat-Sun. Fees increase to $7 on specific holidays such as Easter, Mother's Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day. There is a big dirt parking lot for the Redwood Grove trail but we still recommend arriving early to enjoy the trail with less crowds.

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