Doggo Bloggo — BayAreaSnowDogs

Tucked in the Santa Cruz Mountains, East of HWY 9, sits a beautiful area seeming known only to local fishing enthusiast.

Loch Lomond Recreation Area sits nestled in the hills, a 15 min drive from the highway, but a world away. Reviews online echo the fact that people who have lived in this area for decades often don't know about this place, and that's a real shame. The area is beautiful, and absolutely worth hitting up, with or without pups. There are a ton of activity options, and a number of different hiking routes that criss-cross the area.

Our trip began with the drive in, which once you get off HWY 17 (you can also approach from HWY 9 if you want a more scenic start) meanders through a mix of smaller and at times one-lane roads. It leads you to the gate for the recreation area, which was staffed when we got there. There is an $8 fee to get in, but it's well worth it. Parking is plentiful as long as you don't want to park lakefront; there are a number of lots as you drive in, most with picnic tables, trash, and restrooms, and some with grills.

At the end of the road is the lake (loch?). It's quite picturesque, and there are a number of things at the lakefront. You can rent a number of different types of boats, there is a small store with snacks, maps (free), and other things, and of course, there is fishing. Like I mentioned earlier, this place is very popular with local fishermen, and we saw them nearly the whole time we were hiking lakeside.

Note, doggos are NOT allowed in the rental boats. They, along with humans, are also not allowed to swim. This no swimming this made us a little sad (we should have done more research ahead of time) but the nice girl at the gate informed us it wasn't worth it. "Usually when we go to clean off the boats, they smell like dead fish. I don't think you want to swim even if it was allowed." Good to know!

Now, since we cant swim, and dogs aren't allowed in boats, and we need some exercise... off on a hike! We chose to hike the longest loop available, which is about 4-4.5 miles with, as it turns out, a fair amount of elevation. Lots of rolling sections, up and down, with a few pretty steep spots; be ready for those. There are a ton of cut-offs along the lake side that lead back up to several of the parking lots, making loops of all different sizes. This being a case, and since we were already lakeside, we chose to start on the lakeside part of the "Highland Loop".

The trail begins wandering alongside the lake. You'll likely see a ton of people fishing, probably the entire time you're lakeside, which is nearly half of the trail. We got a lot of "Hello"s and "Good morning"s, as well as the usual "What beautiful dogs!". We had to be careful in a few spots, the fishing folk are on or just off the trail, so we had to watch the dogs so they wouldn't get too close to fishing supplies or spare rods sitting out; no one wants to untangle a husky from a fishing line...

There are a ton of picnic areas scattered along the trail, all the way until you leave the lakeside. You're in and out of shade to your right, and the lake is typically on your left, except for a few winding sections that go inland slightly from the lakeside. They offer more shade.

Once you've been going for a while (maybe a mile?) the trail gets more interesting. It snakes inland and back to the lake, there are stairs and makeshift stairs, very narrow trail sections, and some little bridge areas. It's a very neat little path!

Eventually you will approach the end of the lake, or at least the point where the trail leads away from the lakeside. At this point, there is one last restroom. There is also a little dock with an amazing view, so be sure you check that out!

"What do you think's out there, Kenga?"

"Critters, Nal,

Nali also stopped here for a stick snack...

Then, the real hiking begins. You start to head uphill, the path widens and you go through a number of switchbacks and rolling sections. It's a really lovely spot, but the elevation climb is kind of sudden so be ready. The switchbacks seem to go on forever, and you wonder if the trail will ever turn for good and start leading you back to the lake and parking lots again. Don't worry, it does! The good news is that you still have a ton of shade!

Eventually, you do get to some signage. Hurrah, you're roughly halfway there! There will be a gate with a sign saying "You are now leaving Loch Lomond Recreation Area". DON'T go that way, clearly. Instead, follow the small sign post for the Highland Trail. It notes there is a panoramic view in 0.45 miles, and that is quite the view, so just a little farther and a nice payoff!

The trail stays nice and wide on this section. You loose some of the shade here and there, but it's still very nice. Soon, you get to the panoramic view area. There is a picnic table, and it makes for a great place to pause; we stopped here for pictures and a quick rest, and of course to get the pups water. Check out this view!

Now that you're sufficiently watered, taken some pics, and maybe had a quick snack, it's on to finish up. At this point you have about a mile back to the road, and maybe another half mile to your car after that, depending on which lot you parked in. We had parked nearly at the bottom of the road, so we had about 1.5 miles to go. This section is a little rough. Views are still pleasant and shade is pretty good, but there are some pretty steep uphills and downhills.

Nali found a stick to keep her occupied for awhile...

Some of the downhills were so steep we didn't want to walk the dogs for fear of them pulling us over! Instead, I walked to the bottom while Colette stayed up with the dogs. Then I would call them down to me and let them run downhill a short ways. They LOVED it, but it was a little tricky to catch two huskies running full speed downhill at you... We prevailed and continued, and eventually got back to the lot. All in all, it was an awesome hike, and I am sure we will be back.

After the hike it was lunch time! We took advantage of one of the picnic areas to cook up some food and let the doggos take a break. They needed it! Kenga, the nap anywhere dog, was pretty quickly out like a light in the dirt. He only moved much when some fellow hikers passed the area and came to say hi to the pups. Kenga never misses a chance to meet new humans! Nali, despite being tired, mostly sat on critter watch. She also came over to the grill to try and steal some sausages. That girl...

Loch Lomond is a seriously awesome area to spend the day! We loved coming here and will definitely be back. We may try the Highland Trail in reverse, or maybe some with some friends for a BBQ. Maybe we will even come without the pups once, just so we can do a little boating.

PROS OF THIS PARK

Excellent Hiking - Nice, well maintained trails, and a good variety depending on how long you want to go
Shady! - This is excellent for hikes, especially with two furballs in toe on a hot day.
The temperature! - It was at least 5-10 degrees cooler here than it was at our house, which makes it a nice nearby getaway on hot days.
Parking - Parking is plentiful, especially if you dont mind being a ways from the lake. Most of the lots also have real bathrooms and picnic areas, which is awesome!
On-Leash Park - Which I know isnt a pro for some dog owners, but with Mr. Leash Reactive (Kenga) being in an on-leash only area is much easier and more relaxing for us.

CONS OF THIS PARK

No swimming. Sad, but it sounds like the water isn't very nice anyways...
Elevation - there were some pretty steep sections on the trail. If you're here for a workout, it is a nice thing I suppose, but it makes the trail seem longer than it is, so be prepared!
On-Leash Park - We always put this in pros and cons, as it depends on you and your dog(s).
Not Huge - Granted 4+ miles isnt a super short hike, but if you're looking for more than that, you'll either have to double up some of the loops, or look elsewhere...

Like I said we will be back here for sure, and we're always looking for friends to hike with! Post in the comments if you'd like to come here on a hike with us =D