California Dog Guide

THE SALT HOUND PROJECT · CALIFORNIA

California, with your dog.

Adoption. Emergency help. Affordable care. Beaches. Trails. Hazards. Local rules. The resources that make life with a dog work town by town.

START WITH WHAT YOU NEED

MONTEREY BAY COASTAL HAZARDS · VERIFIED NOVEMBER 12, 2026

Stay out of the surf and well back from the shoreline.

National Weather Service advisories (PST): A Beach Hazards Statement remains in effect through 6 p.m. Friday, November 13 for Northern Monterey Bay and Southern Monterey Bay/Big Sur, with sneaker waves, strong rip currents and 15–20-foot breaking waves. A High Surf Warning follows from 6 p.m. Friday, November 13 to 4 a.m. Sunday, November 15, with dangerous surf of 25–35 feet and potentially higher sets. For Southern Monterey Bay/Big Sur, an existing Coastal Flood Advisory lasts until 4 p.m. Friday, November 13. A new Coastal Flood Advisory covers Northern Monterey Bay and Southern Monterey Bay/Big Sur from midnight Friday night, November 14, through 6 p.m. Saturday, November 14. The Friday-evening high surf warning and Saturday coastal flooding may cause dangerous runup and flooding of low-lying coastal infrastructure. These are distinct products with different coverage and expiration times.

Keep dogs out of the water and well away from jetties, rocks, seawalls and narrow beach exits; do not turn your back on the ocean. Temporary alert: remove or refresh when NWS modifies, cancels or expires these products. Check the live official message immediately before visiting.

Live National Weather Service coastal warnings and advisories →

BIG SUR STATE PARK ACCESS · VERIFIED NOVEMBER 12, 2026

Check each park's restrictions and dog rules separately.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: Reopened October 16 after the Timber Fire. Day-use areas, campground, Buzzards Roost Trail, River Path, Redwood Grove Boardwalk, Campfire Center and Big Sur Lodge are accessible. Still closed: Pfeiffer Falls, Valley View, Oak Grove, Mt. Manuel, Big Sur River Gorge and Pine Ridge trails. Dogs are permitted on Warden's Path and River Path, and in day-use parking lots and campground, not on other trails. Official Pfeiffer restrictions and dog rules →

Andrew Molera State Park: Trail Camp closed for the winter November 1, 2026, with reopening projected May 1, 2027; the seasonal Creamery Meadow Trail footbridge was removed October 29, 2026. Check river crossing and current trail conditions before visiting. Dogs are not allowed. Official Andrew Molera restrictions →

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park: The official trail-detail page lists open: Canyon Trail, the west half of Ewoldsen Trail (east half closed), Tan Bark Trail, Tin House Road for hiking (closed to vehicles), and Partington Cove Trail. Closed: McWay Falls/Waterfall Overlook Trail, Waters Trail, and the east half of Ewoldsen Trail. There is no beach or ocean access at McWay Falls; fenced cliff, beach, Saddle Rock and McWay Falls areas are off limits. The park's general page still contains broad legacy language about upper trails, so check the detailed trail page and posted notices before visiting. Dogs are not allowed beyond the paved day-use parking area; no dogs on trails. Official trail-by-trail status → · Official park/dog restrictions →

Park operational or fire-recovery closures are different from permanent dog-access restrictions. Verify the park-specific notices again before travel.

THE MAP WE ARE BUILDING

A dog-life guide to the entire California coast—and beyond.

We are starting where Salt Hound knows deeply: the East Bay, San Mateo Coast, Monterey Bay and Central Coast. The structure is designed to expand north and south without lowering the verification standard.

VERIFIED 24/7 EMERGENCY VETERINARY CARE

Know two options before you need one.

Emergency capacity can change minute to minute. These hospitals list 24/7 emergency service on their official sites. Call before driving when you safely can, especially during wildfire, holiday or overnight surges.

Last verified from official hospital sources: November 12, 2026. Availability at the moment you need care can still change.

WHAT EVERY TOWN GUIDE SHOULD EVENTUALLY ANSWER

Where can I adopt? · Where is the nearest emergency vet? · Where can I get lower-cost care? · Where can I get pet food help? · Who offers humane training? · Where can my dog legally go? · Is it leash or off-leash? · Is this outing reasonable for a senior dog? · What hazards matter here today? · What rules changed? · When was this information last checked?

We would rather show fewer verified resources than thousands of stale ones.

Every expansion should preserve the Salt Hound standard: original source when possible, clear date sensitivity, last-verified information, and a useful next step.