Best Hikes with Dogs Southern California Paperback – August 22, 2006

We were initially flumuxed when looking for locations were we could take our two chihuahuas for hikes. Max and Fifi were initially cowed by the wilderness and tired after several miles of brisk walking. This volume suggested locations that we had previously not considered. Despite losing Fifi to a coyote, we continue to take Max with us, however he now rides in our backpack rather than blazing a trail on his own.

My husband and I are new to Southern California. We love taking our Airedale Terrier hiking off leash. This guide is excellent! Each trail outline is very detailed- with both directions and wonderful description of the trails themselves. Not frequently traveled trails (have rarely seen any other hikers);and therefore very quiet, peaceful. Mileage and timing is right on target as well! Author gives very good tips for each trail. We plan to hike each and every trail listed and will return to our favorites! I highly recommend this book.

Let our adventure begin. We are going to review all hikes and parks in the entire book in2011. However, already found one that wasn't in there. That is Ocean Beach Dog Park, theoldest dog beach in California, established in 1972. A must for any dog lover. Disneyland,for Dogs......Would drive the 2 hours to go again.....

Bought it for a dog-invested friend who lives in Southern California. She is always looking for places that are dog-friendly, hiking, beaches, etc. She's done some of the hikes listed, but will try some she didn't know about. Great resource for those who are relatively new to the area.

We have now taken several of these walks. There are a lot of dog walks I didn't know about in So Cal. The book is very accurate thus far.

Mileage, elevation gain, maps etc. give great detail of hikes. However, I found many hikes that I know about were not included. I am looking for a book with many hiking options and would sacrifice some detail such as maps.

Nice book with great hikes. I like how the author incorporates historical, cultural and geographical tid bits with the hikes.

I just got this book and read it.DON'T waste your money on this book. Needs updating, deletions and additions.A better title for this book would be "My Favorite People Hikes in the National Forest and State Beaches Where I Took My Dogs Along".First off, this book includes Santa Barbara County hikes. Somebody needs to tell the author that Santa Barbara County is part of central California or Central Coast, not Southern California. Southern California includes the areas of Greater Los Angeles, Greater San Diego, and the Inland Empire.The book has VERY little dog hike related information for the trails. It reads like one of his standard people hiking books. The only thing they have added is paw comfort(trail surface conditions) and vague water information.In their trail key I need to know a lot more dog trail information:How many people use the trails?Is it heavily patrolled by rangers that ticket?Do they supply dog bags?Do they post rules for dog walkers(on/off leash;etc)Is there a drinking fountain or safe water source on the trail for me and the dog?Trash cans for dog bags nearby?Is there a lot of shade or mostly sun?What is the scramble level( will little dogs have to climb boulders, log hop, or jump series of rock steps?)Are there poisonous plants along the trail that the dog should avoid?Is there any physical or manmade hazards to the dogs?(cliffs/bluffs, barbed wire, open mine shafts, trains, abandon hazards? )Is there any horseback riders or fast and aggressive mountain bikers that share the trails?Is it a narrow single track trail in areas?Are there any endangered plants and animals that the dog should avoid?Are there range animals in the area the dog might chase or farmer or ranchers that would shoot at dogs?Is there cattle guards on the dirt roads?Is this a bear or rattle snake prone area?Are they or have they in the past poisoned or dusted the area for hantavirus or rabies in squirrel holes?What is the weed burr level( are there nasty burrs a dog would pickup in their fur, paws, and ears?)Above are just some of the things dog hikers really need to know in advance, yet this book gives little or NO information on.Also, there is very little mention of good hikes close to urban areas.Nearly ALL of the listed hikes are in the far off surrounding national forests of SOCAL which is VERY disappointing. He just copied some very well known human trails hiked with his dogs and pasted them together with a few well known dog walker sites like the dog beaches. Shows me the author took the easy route and did not do research by calling local pet shops/stores, cities, chamber of commerces, and local dog park people.Off hand I can think of three or four local dog friendly hiking trails in El Moro/Laguna Beach area of Orange County that are not listed.Also, he lists Dog Beach in Huntington Beach as a hike...WTF? This is a local dog beach hang out, not a hike. And the author leaves out tons of information on it. Like the parking lot meters are FREE before 8 AM. And locals park cars a half mile up on Seapoint Ave in the free area during the day to avoid the meters. This information SHOULD be in the book, but was excluded. He could have asked these questions at one of the dog beach booths or got the information from locals. Instead, looks like he just got basic information off the website.Also, this book is SO graphically misleading. All pictures show dogs off their leashes on the trails, but if you check the National Forest site, it plainly states all dogs MUST be restricted on a leash when on trails and inside the National Forests..."Your canine companions are welcome in National Forests. The few rules that apply to dogs are meant to assure that you and other National Forest visitors have an enjoyable outdoor recreation experience. Please practice the following - these rules will be enforced in developed reaction areas:Leave vicious or unusually noisy dogs at home.Please keep your dog on a leash no more than 6 feet long, or otherwise restrict its freedom to roam at will.At night keep your dogs and other pets inside an enclosed vehicle or in a tent.Developed campgrounds are for people, not animals. Please do not bring more than two dogs or other pet to any one campsite. Guide dogs are an exception.If you are traveling in a National Forest Wilderness, dogs are permitted. However, if you leave a National Forest Wilderness and enter into a National Park, dogs are not permitted."Same for state parks and beaches...[...]He should just state that leash rules apply in the National Forests, but nobody really follows them if they have well trained dogs.This book does not tell me anything new that I cannot lookup for free on the State Park and National Forest sites. I would not waste money on this book, since these are all long all day hikes you have to travel many hours into the mountains for. Not a very insightful or informative book that give a good balance of local and forest area hikes.I would wait until this book gets updated before buying. If you are interested in buying I would first look at it at a bookstore or REI.