Details
Allen Riedel and his canine trail companions, Chewbacca and Socrates, have hiked thousands of miles together in southern California to select the best dog-friendly, dog-fun, and dog-safe hikes in the region.
More than two-thirds of the trails in Best Hikes with Dogs Southern California are lesser-known, where travel is light and where you're unlikely to meet horses, bicycles, or motorized vehicles. On nearly half of the trails, off-leash hiking is permitted. The hikes avoid steep, rocky terrain and many offer lakes or streams as a reward. Paw comfort rating (whether you'll be walking on sand, dirt, or pavement) is clearly noted in the information block at the beginning of each hike description; potential dog hazards such as ticks or poison oak are described in the text.
A Trail Finder chart in the front of the book indicates trail length, which hikes include water, swimming, or shade, which are "good for senior dogs" or "best for fit dogs".