California by Van with a Dog: Sedona to Laguna, Carmel, Big Sur, Yosemite and Tahoe

California with a dog is a mix of “this is the most dog-friendly place on earth” and “sorry, no dogs on that trail.” We’ve done it twice in the van with Jack: a big loop in August 2023 that started in Sedona, and a 2025 trip through Park City, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite before Jack headed home and we went on to the national parks.

Route (2023): Sedona → Laguna Beach → Malibu → Carmel and Big Sur → Yosemite → Bishop and the Eastern Sierra
Route (2025): Park City → Lake Tahoe → Ukiah → Yosemite
Who came: Colin, me and Jack, our German Shepherd
Where we slept: The van, campsites, and a few hotel nights along the coast
Best for: Beaches, redwoods and mountains in one trip

On the way: Sedona

We started the 2023 trip with a couple of days in Sedona. We watched red rock sunsets from red Adirondack chairs, with Jack curled up in one of them, and hiked Oak Creek Canyon’s West Fork with him on a leash, stopping at the creek. Many Sedona trailheads require a Red Rock Pass for parking.

Silhouettes in red Adirondack chairs with Jack, our German Shepherd, on a red dirt overlook at sunset — Sunset chairs with Jack

Jack, our German Shepherd, on leash on the rocky bank of a forested creek in Oak Creek Canyon

Colin sitting on a large boulder above a creek, with red cliffs and green trees

Sedona's red rock formations glowing at golden hour under scattered clouds

Laguna Beach and Malibu

The whole 2023 route was planned around one weekend: our best friends Spencer and Taylor got married in Laguna Beach, and Colin was the best man. We traded hiking boots for a tux and a gown, celebrated right on the ocean, and snuck off for a sunset kiss on the terrace. Jack spent the weekend on the balcony watching the waves like a little old man.

Colin in a black tux and Angela in a red sequin gown on an oceanfront terrace in Laguna Beach — Spencer and Taylor's wedding in Laguna Beach.

Colin and Angela kissing at a glass railing over the beach at sunset

Colin in a tux and Angela in a pink floral gown on a garden path lined with white flowers

Rocky cliffs, blue ocean and red flowers below a clifftop terrace on the Laguna Beach coast

After the wedding we drove up the coast through Malibu.

Carmel and Big Sur

Carmel is the most dog-friendly town I’ve ever been to, and Carmel Beach is famous for letting dogs run. Jack had the time of his life.

Carmel Beach, the dog-beach of dreams.

A calm, clear cove with a sandy beach and rocky shore and people wading — Carmel's crystal-clear cove

Then we went down Big Sur: cliffs, redwoods, fog rolling in and out, and the most dramatic coastline in the country. Dogs aren’t allowed on most of the state park trails in Big Sur, so plan on pullouts and beaches with your pup.

Grassy bluffs above the deep blue Pacific along the Big Sur coast

Looking up tall redwood trunks with the sun bursting through the canopy

Angela smiling in the car with Jack, our German Shepherd, sitting behind her

Yosemite with a dog

Yosemite Valley is huge, granite and humbling. We made coffee at camp with Jack and spent our days in the valley.

Colin and Angela with Jack, our German Shepherd, under a tall pine with Yosemite Falls behind them — Family photo at Yosemite Falls

Yosemite dog rules: leashed dogs are allowed on paved roads, sidewalks and bike paths in the valley, and in most campgrounds, but not on most trails. The paved valley paths still get you views of Yosemite Falls and El Capitan, which is what we did with Jack.

A hand holding a mug of coffee at a dirt campsite with a red tent and Jack, our German Shepherd, nearby

A green Yosemite Valley meadow beneath a towering granite cliff and blue sky

A kayak on a sandy riverbank with Yosemite Falls and granite cliffs beyond

Bishop and the Eastern Sierra

Over Tioga Pass and down the east side, the Eastern Sierra near Bishop is alpine lakes, creeks and snowy granite peaks, and it’s way more dog friendly than the national park. Jack hiked, swam and slept hard. We camped with a red tent beside the car.

Jack, our German Shepherd, and a person wading in an alpine lake below snowy Sierra peaks — Alpine lake splash near Bishop

A person hiking with Jack, our German Shepherd, beside a rocky creek with pines and snowy peaks

Hikers on a rocky lakeshore trail beneath granite cliffs and puffy clouds

A red tent pitched next to a car under tall pines on a sunny day

Park City and Lake Tahoe (2025)

In the summer of 2025 we started in Park City, Utah, visiting Spencer and Taylor again. This time we were photographing their pregnancy in a wildflower meadow, and that same weekend we found out we were having a girl. Andi was on her way, and Park City will always be where we first knew it was her.

Then we drove west to Lake Tahoe. Tahoe’s water is so clear you can see every boulder on the bottom. Colin and Jack walked the beach at sunset, and in Ukiah Jack even tried paddleboarding on a lake.

Crystal-clear turquoise water over granite boulders on the Lake Tahoe shoreline — Tahoe's famous clear water

A pregnancy photo shoot in a wildflower meadow in Park City

Jack, our German Shepherd, riding a paddleboard with a paddler on a calm lake

A tall pine silhouetted against a pink and gold sunset over Lake Tahoe

After Yosemite, Jack went home with my parents so we could do the bigger hikes in parks that don’t allow dogs. That part of the trip, Olympic and Glacier, has its own post coming soon.

California with a dog: what worked

Know the national park rules. Dogs are limited to paved areas and campgrounds in Yosemite, so plan national forest hikes nearby.
Carmel Beach is a must if you have a dog.
Hot cars are dangerous. Never leave a dog in a parked van in the sun. We planned around shade, temperature and a remote temperature monitor.
Book coastal campsites early. Big Sur and Carmel fill fast in summer.

More from the West

Read our Moab, Grand Teton and Yellowstone by van with a dog guide.