North of Eureka and Arcata, Highway 101 hugs the continent’s edge, offering panoramic views of crashing surf and rugged headlands. Stop in Trinidad to dine on fresh-caught fish after you’ve let Fido have a romp on nearby, leash-free Moonstone Beach.
Just north of Trinidad, the road skirts a quilt-work of parks created to protect the giant coast redwoods, tallest trees on Earth. Visitors with dogs will face some restrictions, but not enough to forestall a rewarding visit. In Redwood National and State Parks, dogs are allowed in paved areas and on Crescent and Gold Bluffs beaches. Dirt trails are off limits, but a rewarding experience is to be had on paved but lightly traveled Cal Barrel Road, which runs for three miles through old-growth forest in the Prairie Creek Redwoods sector.