Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Sonoma County

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Sonoma Coast beaches

Sonoma Coast State Park names the beaches where dogs are allowed on a lead: Marshall Gulch, Carmet Beach, Schoolhouse Beach, Portuguese Beach, Duncan's Cove, Wright's Beach, Furlong Gulch, Shell Beach, Blind Beach and Russian Gulch. Dogs aren't allowed on North or South Salmon Creek Beach or anywhere on Bodega Dunes Beach, to protect snowy plovers, or at Goat Rock Beach, where harbour seals pup from March to August. That's three named beaches closed and about ten open.

Redwoods

At Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve near Guerneville, dogs on a lead are allowed only on the main paved road, in one developed picnic area and in a registered campsite at Bullfrog Pond Campground. No dirt trails or dirt roads. You can walk under the redwoods, on tarmac.

Regional parks

Sonoma County Regional Parks allow leashed, attended dogs except where signs say otherwise, on a lead of six feet at most. All regional park campgrounds allow leashed pets. The parks don't publish a list of the restricted sites, so read the signs at the gate.

Trains and flights

The SMART train takes small pets only, in a carrier that fits on your lap or on the floor in front of you. Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport is served by Alaska, American and Southwest and has its own SMART station. We haven't confirmed a pet relief area at the airport, so ask your airline about that and its cabin rule.

Wineries

Dog rules are set winery by winery and none is confirmed here. Olea Hotel says many local wineries are happy to have your dog along, which is encouraging but not a policy. Ring each tasting room before you go.

Designated rooms

Olea Hotel, Inn at Occidental and The Stavrand take dogs in named rooms only, and The Stavrand's must be booked in advance. The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek takes pets in any cottage or room and asks for proof of rabies and Bordetella vaccination within the last 12 months.

Not confirmed

Vinarosa appears to be the Santa Rosa estate that traded as Vintners Resort, which we haven't seen stated in writing, so confirm with the hotel when you book. The city's rule for dogs on Sonoma Plaza isn't confirmed either, and nor are the beach rules on the Mendocino coast, so check the official pages for both.

Best walks

On the Sonoma Coast, Shell Beach, Portuguese Beach, Schoolhouse Beach, Wright's Beach and Blind Beach, all on a lead. The main paved road through Armstrong Redwoods near Guerneville. The 92 acres of vineyard at Vinarosa if you're staying there. Near Glen Ellen, Olea Hotel points guests to an off-leash dog park two miles away. On the Mendocino coast, the marked on-leash areas at Little River Inn and the ten acres at Stanford Inn, which also directs guests to the bluff-top trails and canoe hire on Big River.

When to go

Nothing on this page closes for a season. The one dated rule is on the coast: Goat Rock Beach is closed to dogs, and it's where harbour seals pup from March to August, so use the neighbouring Blind Beach on a lead. We haven't confirmed any official guidance on summer heat or wildfire smoke for the county, so check current conditions before you travel.