Dogs at Portola Redwoods

Dogs are allowed at Portola Redwoods State Park, but only in campsites and picnic areas, on paved roads, and on the Upper and Lower Escape Roads. They must be on a leash no longer than six feet and attended at all times, and at night they stay inside your tent or vehicle with you. Except for service animals, dogs are not allowed on hiking trails, dirt roads or in the visitor center.

Where Your Dog Can Go

• Your campsite in the family campground
• Picnic areas
• Paved roads in the park
• The Upper and Lower Escape Roads

That makes Portola a place to camp with a dog, not to hike with one. The redwood trails, the Peters Creek Grove and the waterfalls are all off-limits.

Where Dogs Are Not Allowed

• Hiking trails, including the Sequoia Nature Trail
• Dirt roads, including the Old Haul Road
• The visitor center
• Slate Creek Trail Camp; State Parks bars dogs from all its Santa Cruz Mountains trail camps and their trails

The Rules

• Leash no longer than six feet, held by someone at all times.
• Never left alone at a campsite.
• At night, confined with you in your tent or vehicle.
• Service animals are allowed where pets are not.

Dogs at Nearby Parks

Rules change at every boundary, so check before you drive:

• Memorial County Park: dogs only in the reservable Huckleberry Flat camping area, where campers are required to bring one.
• Pescadero Creek County Park: no dogs or other pets.
• Sam McDonald County Park: no dogs or other pets.
• Castle Rock State Park: dogs prohibited throughout, except service animals.
• Butano State Park: dogs in the campground and paved areas, not on park trails.
• Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve: dogs not allowed.

More on these in nearby parks.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: campers who want to bring the family dog to a redwood campground and walk it on the park roads.

Maybe skip if: you want a forest hike with your dog. None of the redwood parks listed here allow dogs on their trails.