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Pet-Friendly

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Pet-Friendly Activities

The Mendocino Coast is very pet-friendly!

You can take your dog with you on a sport fishing or whalewatching trip with All Aboard Adventures, North Harbor Dr., Fort Bragg, 707-964-1881 or Anchor Charter Boats, P.O. Box 103, Fort Bragg, 707-964-4550. Dogs can get seasick, too, so remember the Dramamine.

Sunset at Point Cabrillo Light Station SHPTake a walk down to Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historical Park, 45300 Point Cabrillo Dr., Mendocino, 707-937-6124. It's a pleasant half-mile walk from the parking lot to the lighthouse, and there are many side trails along the headlands. This is an excellent location for whalewatching.

You can paddle up Big River in a canoe from Catch a Canoe & Bicycles, Too, located at Highway 1 & Comptche-Ukiah Rd, Mendocino, 707-937-0273. They have outrigger canoes that are impossible to turn over, making for a steady ride for everyone.

The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, 18220 N. Hwy 1, Fort Bragg, 707-964-4352, showcase indigenous plants, including the rhododendrons that are found throughout the area. Your dog can walk with you throughout almost 50 acres of gradens and coastal headlands. They even provide bags for scooping up after your dog.

Mendocino Headlands State Park surrounds the village of Mendocino on three sides, and there are trails that take you along every bit of the headlands. You have sweeping vistas of the ocean and Mendocino Bay, as well as the mouth of Big River. During the annual migration of California Gray Whales, you have incredible views of the spouting. Dogs must be on a leash.

Your dog can go out with you on these beaches, but pets must be on a leash (no longer than six feet, either) at all times.

Noyo Dog Beach from across the bay at Pomo Bluffs ParkYour dog can enjoy an off-leash experience at Noyo Beach in Fort Bragg. Take the first right turn off off Main Street (Highway 1) north of the Noyo Bridge, turning right onto North Harbor Drive. Follow it down into the harbor, and all the way to the end and park below the Noyo Bridge. The dogs need to be on a leash in the parking lot, but once on the sand they are allowed to be off-leash.

Pomo Bluffs Park, on the south side of the river's mouth, offers spectacular views with outlook points for walking with your leashed pet. Located on Todd’s Point off Highway 1, take Ocean View Drive to Cliff Way. There is also a new off-leash dog park in Fort Bragg at Willow and Lincoln Streets. Take Maple Street east from Highway One (Main Street) until it ends at the dog park on Lincoln St.

In addition to beaches, State Parks are abundant in this area. State Park policy — the leash must be no longer than 6 feet, and in most cases, dogs are allowed in campgrounds, but not on park trails. Areas include: Mendocino Headlands State Park, off Heeser Drive in Mendocino, and Pomo Bluffs Park in Fort Bragg.

Pet-Friendly Restaurants and Coffee Shops

Mendocino

Fort Bragg And Elsewhere

Local Pet Supply Shops

Dog-Sitting Services

Here are some places to board your animals if you cannot take them along on an activity.