12.4 mile trail. Leashes required in some posted area only. 510-635-0135.

Almost one thousand acres. Interstate 880, to (West) Decoto Rd. (Highway 84), North on Paseo Padre Parkway to (left) Patterson Ranch Road, to the entrance. 510-635-0135.

Memorial Park put up for a Loved Dog. Complete with agility run, small & large dog areas. Location: Mission Blvd at Appian Way. Directions: 880 Decoto Exit towards the hills, Right on Mission Blvd, corner of Mission Blvd and Appian Way.

Highway 17 to Green Hills Road.

Fenced, off-leash areas for small and all dogs. Shade pavilions, announcement board, and 25% of space is reserved for small dogs. The park shares parking with the adjacent skate park. This park frequently runs out of bags, and has not yet caught onto the use of the small, biodegradable type. The land used to be an municipal airport and the tarmac partially remains underneath the layers of wood chips. Location: 361 Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley, CA. Directions: From Highway 17 take the Mount Hermon Road exit. Turn right onto Kings Village Road. At the T intersection with Bluebonnet Lane, turn left to continue on Kings Village Road. Turn into the first paved parking lot on the left.

A one and three quarters acre fenced off leash dog park at Morgan Hill’s Community Park. Separate areas for large and small dogs. Poop bags, scoopers, and drinking water for dogs are available. Very nicely landscaped. Dogs must wear collar with identification, license and rabies tags attached. Location: Edmundson Avenue. Directions: From Highway 101, exit on Tennant Ave. and travel west. Turn right into Community Park just after crossing Monterey St.

Off-leash dog area. Location: Branciforte Drive. This is a small off-leash dog area on and below a sandy cliff. The fire road continues on in shady secondary redwood growth all the way up the golf course. The shady part of the fire road is not off-leash, but it is not patrolled. Directions: From downtown Santa Cruz, take Ocean Street to Market Street. Heading out of town Market street turns into Branciforte Drive. Park in the gravel turnout on the right 1/4 mile after Grunewald Street. Climb the fire road a short way to the off-leash area.

20 miles of trails. Mission Blvd. (Highway 238), Tamarack Drive to Dry Creek Regional Park. Or to Garin: Garin Avenue take you to Garin. 510-635-0135

Dog swimable shoreline trails and off-leash permitted! There is also a $1 dog fee. Location: 7000 Del Valle Road, Livermore, CA 94550. Directions: There is only one entrance to the park so you can use Mapquest or Yahoo Maps to get full directions. Once entered the park, proceed to the main boat launch/concession area where the trail head start. Off-leash are only allowed beyond this gate. Enjoy!

16 acres in the middle of a preserve. Accessible via the Blue Oak Trail or the Cordilleras Trail. Dogs must be kept on-leash to and from the off-leash area. Directions: Off Crestview Drive and Edmonds Road near San Carlos.

1.5 acre park at the 2700 block of Melendy Dr, West side of Heather School. Portofino and Melendy Drives. 650-593-8011.

Shore Dogs dog park is a fully fenced park with both an area for large dogs and one for small dogs. The park is part grass, part DG. Water bowls are available along with poop cans, scoops and plastic bags. There is plenty of parking. The park is open from dawn until dusk. Fenced, off-leash dog exercise park. Location: Radio Road. Directions: From San Francisco International Airport, take 101 South and exit at Holly Street/Redwood Shores Pkwy. Stay to the left in the fork and circle around up over the freeway. Stay on Redwood Shores Parkway for about 2.4 miles to Radio Road. Turn right on Radio Road to the stop sign and turn right again, (entrance to the dog run is a short distance from the stop sign on your right).

Interstate 680 to Castlewood Drive, left on Foothill Road.

Fenced, off-leash area, including partitioned small dog section. Open sunrise to sunset. There are benches and chairs. One parking lot and driveway serves an open space area (technically leash only), the off-leash park, the bicycle stunt course, and the first soccer field. There are almost always at least a couple of dogs here, more often several. At peak periods there can be more than 30 dogs. The atmosphere is social for humans, as well. Locals are encouraged to join the yahoo group AptosDogPark. The park floor is thick with wood chips and mulch, whatever garden refuse local landscapers and arborists dump by the truckload. The county also contributes large quantities, ever replenishing. This park has little shade in the summer midday and can get hot. Winters are quite wet and nippy. Nice park keeps getting better with each improvement. Biodegradable bag dispensers and garbage cans are plentiful and there are a couple of pooper scoopers. There are usually a few dozen tired tennis balls around, but bring more. There is plenty of room to really use that Chuck-Itï¾®. Be aware that Great Meadow adjacent has a walkway around the perimeter, and there are trails to a creek; but the entire area outside the fences is bound by the leash laws. Patrol staff has increased, so citations have been handed out. Challenge the law at your own risk, but PLEASE keep the dogs off of the manicured grass unless you are watching a soccer game. You WILL get cited and you WILL incur flack for the park if you walk your dogs on the lawns/playing fields. Location: 2255 Huntington Avenue, Aptos, California. Directions: From the south take Hwy 1 to Rio Del Mar Blvd exit and turn right at the end of the ramp. Turn right again onto Soquel Drive but then continue straight onto Huntington Drive, which then veers left. Huntington is the left for again after a short way. The Polo Grounds County Park entrance will suddenly be on your left at the top of a small hill in the road. You’ll know almost immediately you’re in the right place.

Boothbay Avenue and Edgewater Lane

Interstate 580 to Portola, South on Murietta Blvd, right on Stanley Blvd, left on Murdell Lane for two miles. 510-373-5700.

Small Park with fencing. Good park. There are separate areas for big dogs and little dogs, poop bags, water, picnic tables and some agility toys. Location: Foster City Blvd. Directions: From S.F. take 101 South to the Hillsdale exit. Go east on Hillsdale Blvd. until Foster City Blvd. then turn right. Park is on the right at the corner of Foster City Blvd. and Bounty.

Over six thousand acres. East Bay Regional Park Headquarters at Del Valle, Sunol, or Coyote Hills

600 Foster City Blvd. 650-345-5731.

North side of West Cliff Drive, West of Point Santa Cruz. 408-429-3777. Dogs ON LEASH between 10:00 and 4:00. Please comply with these regulations and help us save our off-leash privileges.

South side of West Cliff Drive, West of Point Santa Cruz, between Almar and Woodrow Avenues. 408-429-3777. NO DOGS 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please comply with these regulations and help us save our off-leash privileges.

Fenced half-acre site on the west side of the 30-acre park. Located at 1970 Via Buena Vista. From 880 take Hesperian exit. Turn Right at Bokman St. Left at Via Carmen follow road around to the right and road will eventually dead end at the San Lorenzo Community park.

An enclosed quarter-acre run for small dogs under 20-pounds. There are often specific breed meetings held at this location, like daschund. Location: 3300 Finnian Way (Keegan Street at Maguire Way). Directions: Take 580 and exit at Tassajera. Go North to Dublin Blvd and turn right. Follow Dublin Blvd to Keegan and turn left. Go two more blocks and the dog park will be on your left at the corner.

Two off leash dog runs. Amenities include picnic tables, barbecues, a play area, two parking lots, rest rooms, an open lawn area, and of course two fenced dog runs. The hours are from dawn to dusk seven days a week. Location: 4660 Crow Canyon. Directions: At the end of Paradise Knls off of Center St.