We didn’t exactly get a crush of replies to the request for places to take a pooch backpacking. (Well, it’s August, maybe everybody’s out camping in the High Sierra. I know Rebecca at Calipidder.com is hiking the John Muir Trail.) I posted the same query to the North_CA Hiking group at Yahoo.com and received a few encouraging tidbits:

Bureau of Land Management-owned areas on the Lost Coast (with a proviso to stay out of any State Parks land nearby). (The link notes the bears up that way have been very busy this year).

Snow Mountain Wilderness. This is in the Mendocino National Forest. (Note there’s not much water up there this time of year).

Ventana Wilderness. Again, very dry this time of year.

Somebody also posted this handy link: Bahiker.com’s list of dog regulations at local parks.

Also worth a look, though much farther afield: Trinity Alps and Caribou Wilderness.

The original request was for places within 90 miles of Sausalito, and most of these are quite a bit more distant. It’s interesting that a place like the Ohlone Wilderness Trail would have prohibitions against dogs — there’s enough cow crap out there to power a small city; it’s hard to see how dogs could do that much more damage.