Best Hikes With Dogs: Southern California [Paperback]

Allen Riedel (Author)

Book Description

Series: Best Hikes With Dogs | Publication Date: September 1, 2006

Southern California hikes selected to delight your dog (and you)—many accessible from urban areas

· More than 60 dog-suitable trails, accessible from metro areas including Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Diego, and Santa Barbara
· Most trails are lightly traveled; off-leash permitted on nearly half
· What to pack for your pooch on the trail

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 hikes are on lesser-known trails where travel is light and where youÂ’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 youÂ’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".

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An interesting compendium of information for dog lovers looking for hiking trails, many of which are off the beaten track." -- Santa Barbara News-Press

"Dog owners who hike - this one's for you." -- The Los Angeles Times

"Riedel is incredibly thorough." --San Luis Obispo Tribune

About the Author

Allen Riedel is reporter for Localhikes.com and writes a monthly hiking column for the Press-Enterprise. Chewbacca (aka "Chewee") is a Jack Russell terrier/Chihuahua mix; Socrates (aka "Socs") is a Schnauzer/terrier mix. Both dogs were rescued through the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Pet Adoption Program.

Product Details

• Paperback: 269 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089886691X
• ISBN-13: 978-0898866919
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.A. in English. I also hold a Masters degree in education from Chapman University. I am an English teacher and I have now authored 10 hiking guides around Southern and Central California.

I have an amazing wife, two beautiful daughters, and a son who mean the world to me.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book (that Shouldn't Have to be Written), September 10, 2006

By 

Fritz R. Ward "dayhiker" (Crestline, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best Hikes With Dogs: Southern California (Paperback)

So you live in Southern California and want to take your dog for a good walk in the out of doors. Where do you go? This is a problem that came up for me when my relatives from out of state visited and naively assumed they could take a dog pretty much anywhere. There are so many restrictions on dogs in this state that it can be downright daunting to take your four legged friend on vacation with you. Happily, you can find dozens of wonderful hikes in Allen Reidel's new book. You and your pooch are more than welcome on all of them.

Not surprisingly, this book does list some of the "dog beaches" where you can actually walk with your pet (unlike the remaining 99% of the coast), but the thrust of this book describes the many wonderful hikes open to your dog in the Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino and Cleveland National Forests. The multiple use policy of the forest service is much more open to pets than the other major state and national land agencies. And in Southern California, national forests offer some of the premier outdoor recreation in the state. Reidel includes some classic hikes in these areas: Knapp's Cabin, Mt. Baden Powell, and the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area are just some of the popular trailheads he describes. However, hikers will also find some remote and spectacular hikes to share with their dogs that are rarely mentioned in other guidebooks. Black Mountain, Cleghorn Mountain, and Kitchen Peak are some of my favorite trails. You can easily find yourself enjoying solitude on these trails even on weekends.

In all, this is an excellent book. I do have a few concerns however. In a few cases, I think mileages are too short. Also, Reidel suggests you should not walk your dog in areas with bighorn sheep. He then lists two trails (Baden-Powell and Toro Peak) where bighorn frequent. I'm not sure I understand that. But what I really don't understand are the policies that make a book like this necessary at all. Unfortunately, national parks and California State Parks have adopted an anti-dog (really anti-people) attitude about recreation. Their rationale is that dogs disrupt the "natural" wildlife in an area. And this is simply untrue. Dogs (wild and domesticated) have been around for thousands of years and they are a part of the environment. If anything, it is "unnatural" for dogs not to be in the wild. So, as you use this book to find wonderful adventures for you and your pet, consider a little political activism on behalf of "man's (and woman's) best friend." Maybe this state will eventually adopt a more enlightened policy and future editions of this book could simply be titled "Best Hikes in Southern California."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Hikes with Dogs Southern California, December 18, 2010

By 

gypsy907 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Best Hikes With Dogs: Southern California (Paperback)

Let our adventure begin. We are going to review all hikes and parks in the entire book in
2011. However, already found one that wasn't in there. That is Ocean Beach Dog Park, the
oldest dog beach in California, established in 1972. A must for any dog lover. Disneyland,
for Dogs......Would drive the 2 hours to go again.....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Hiking Trails with your dog (s)!, December 10, 2009

By 

Ellen K. Whiteknight (Newport Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best Hikes With Dogs: Southern California (Paperback)

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.