Product Description

San Diego County is full of great places for you and your dog to appreciate the fabulous scenery and famous climate, from "dog beaches" to desert hikes. Now local journalist Donna Lawrence has gathered the 77 best places to hike with your canine companion into one book. With dozens of trips—easy to difficult, short and long—the book is sure to provide inspiration for planning fun day trips for years to come. In Part One, "Traveling with Your Dog," Lawrence gives tips on planning a trip, including preparing your dog and yourself for a hike before you go, how much obedience training is necessary, what supplies to pack for you and your pet, and what you need to bring in case of emergencies.

Part Two begins with general tips for hikes with your pooch, describes the great wealth of exploring to be done in our National Forest, then moves on to California State Parks, including Palomar Mountain State Park and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Part Three, "Desert Dogs," concentrates on trails in and around Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Part Four lists all the City of San Diego regional parks and open spaces, plus county parks. Part Five, "Rex in the City," lists all of the San Diego dog parks from Balboa Park’s Morley Field to Escondido’s Mayflower Dog Park; plus dog beaches from O.B. to Del Mar; and finally some urban walks for you and your dog, from Shelter Island to Oceanside Harbor. Appendix 1 lists all the walks by their location, and Appendix 2 lists many local hotels and inns that welcome your best friend.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #603853 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Review
Explores best places...in the city, beaches, mountains, and around lakes...handy index...makes it easy to find walks. -- North County Times, July 3, 2006

Fidos across the county may have something new to bark about...hikes for all levels...describes each location in detail. -- San Diego Union-Tribune, July 27, 2006

Lawrence picks 77 of the best, with many options to choose from--urban or rural, easy or difficult, short or long. -- Desert Magazine, August 2006

Paws that refreshes...Dog hiking guide offers more than a walk in the park...Sniffing out 77 parks, beaches... -- La Jolla Village News, July 26, 2006

The ultimate guide for hiking with your dog...Good info...A listing of dog-friendly inns/hotels is a nice bonus. -- San Diego Pets Magazine, August 2006

a must-have reference for dog owners and their faithful companions, with travel tips and insights into open spaces and parks -- The Embery Institute for Wildlife Conservation

From the Publisher
San Diego County is going to the dogs! Our county is full of fun places for dogs and their people to visit, and more "dog parks" are being added, as residents look for places close to home where their furry friends can frolic. Now local journalist Donna Lawrence has gathered 77 of the best places to take your canine companion into a book, Leave Only Paw Prints: Dog Hikes in San Diego County.

Author Donna Lawrence is not only a dog-lover but also a local journalist and a long-time resident of San Diego County (she now lives in Temecula). Lawrence says she had long appreciated San Diego’s varied terrain; now she has covered the county on foot, with her husband, Bob, and their faithful dog Bailey. An adorable mixed breed they adopted from a local shelter, the energetic Bailey is always ready to go!

The book starts with specific tips for planning a trip and hiking with your pooch, then gets right to the many wilderness hikes to be taken in our nearby National Forests and California State Parks (a separate section is devoted to the many trails in and around Anza-Borrego Desert State Park). Chapters also cover the many City of San Diego regional parks and open spaces, plus county parks.

And speaking of parks—San Diego has dozens of "dog parks" to choose from in every corner of the county. Some even allow Fido to run and play leash-free, as do most of the dog beaches. Lawrence also includes a few urban walks for you and your dog, and an appendix of some local hotels and inns that gladly welcome your best friend.

From the Author
As any dog owner knows, a dog is part of the family. He (or she) is not a possession. Even though we say dog owner, Fido ranks right up there with the kids. The family unit consists of parents, kids, and a dog. Or it may be just people and a dog, with no kids. Many dog owners sign their dog’s name to holiday cards and celebrate their pooch’s birthday. Canines are called man’s best friend for good reason. We seriously feel they understand us and love us unconditionally. They relate to us in ways no other pet does. (Note to cat owners: sorry. This is my opinion and the opinion of other dog owners. It does not reflect the opinion of anyone who has not owned a dog.) As close as we feel to our dogs, it is natural that we want to take them along on our travels. Whether we are leaving for a day or a week, we tend to want to bring along our canine pals. When taking them with us, not only do we not have to leave them alone for the day or board them in a kennel, but also we can enjoy their zest for life. We watch their pure joy in being outside, being with us, and discovering the larger world. They magnify our pleasure in the experience. The problem is, there are people who do not share our affection for dogs and do not welcome them. The purpose of this book is to discover places throughout San Diego County where you can happily take your dog to hike, romp, and play.

Customer Reviews

Will be my dog's favorite book!
I just picked up this book at Barnes & Noble the other day, and I'll already taken my dog to two new--to us--dog parks pretty close by that I never knew about before!
I like that the author tells you a little about each park--is it shady or sunny, busy or empty, fenced off or open...That is a big thing for me, since I don't want to drive somewhere expecting one thing and find another.
We look forward to exploring more of the parks in the mountains and the dog beaches in the book, too, as the summer goes on...
This will definitely be my dog's favorite book ever!

If you have a dog in San Diego County, you have to get this book!
I just received Leave Only Paw Prints and was amazed at all the information that it contains. Also, it is so well organized that it was easy to find the trails that were good for me and my dog! I really think that if someone has a dog in San Diego County, this should be required reading!

Dog gone good book
This a well organized and concise small book to keep handy for discovering new places for you and your dog. The book emphasizes the parks of San Diego County. After reading this you might feel like, so many trails so little time but this book will help you pick and choose. The descriptions and directions to the numerous parks are very helpful. I take my dogs to many of the locations and compared my thoughts on the areas described and found them to be accurate. There are also suggestions for urban walks with you pet, including the numerous dog parks and beaches found throughout San Diego. Another helpful feature is the hours when dogs are allowed since there are restrictions at many locations. This is a dog gone good book to get you and your pet on some new terrain.