Anthony Chabot Regional Park

Over 70 miles of dog-friendly trails weave across Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley. Just 9 miles from the center of Oakland, the park still feels private and remote. The recreation facilities near the Lake Chabot Marina draw a crowd, but small parking lots at trailhead staging areas are dispersed throughout the park. Since you can start your hike at more that a dozen different locations, your fur family can try a different hike every weekend.

A sprawling 3,300 acres, Anthony Chabot is also partly adjacent to Redwood Regional Park to the west and Lake Chabot Regional Park to the east. The trail system connects all three parks, meaning your pack can explore more than 5,000 contiguous acres. You'll find plenty of open grassland and chaparral, ideal for soaking up sunshine on a warm spring day. If the sun gets too intense in summer, though, there are shadier hikes among tall redwoods elsewhere in the park. 

Do Fido and Fifi like their independence? They'll love the laid-back leash policy here! Dogs are welcome to explore under voice control on most trails. A few trails require leashes, and please heed the signs: restrictions are in place to protect pups from encounters with wildlife. Doggos must also be on-leash in parking areas, recreation areas, and trailheads. For the most part, though, your pups can celebrate their freedom at Anthony Chabot.

Whether you have a few minutes, hours, or days to spend hiking, you'll find the pawfect trail for your needs. For a quick stretch, the Big Bear Trail on the park's western boundary offers an easy half-mile loop across a wooded hillside and connects the MacDonald and Big Bear Staging Areas on Redwood Rd. If you'd rather push your limits, you and your doggos can cross the entire length of the park on the East Bay Skyline National Trail (and even follow this 31-mile route all the way to Richmond). Chabot Regional Park is also a hop-on point for the 375-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail, and 6 of those miles are located within the park. Meanwhile, the Goldenrod Trail and Brandon Trail both lead east to scenic Lake Chabot (where you'll also find dog-friendly camping). 

Whichever trail you chose, make sure you don't leave unpleasant surprises for the visitors behind you: trash cans are located at most trailheads. Restrooms and drinking fountains are harder to find, but the Chabot Equestrian Center on the southeastern end of the park is an easy pit-stop on your way to the trails.