This Bay Area gem is a well-kept secret. Part of the East Bay Regional Park District, Lake Chabot Regional Park allows dogs on all of its 20 miles of hiking trails. Lake Chabot Reservoir was built in 1875 as a primary source of water for the East Bay. The 315-acre lake was closed to recreation for 91 years. Legislation passed in the 1960s opened the lake for controlled recreational uses.
There are nine trailheads (which the EBRPD refers to as “staging areas”) all of which provide trail maps and information kiosks; the trails are well-marked. A great place to start your hike is at the Bort Meadow Staging Area, taking the Grass Valley Trail to the Cascade Trail, then onto the Columbine Trail, which leads to the lake.
Because the lake is a back-up reservoir and water source, dogs (and humans) are not allowed to swim. But the lake is well-stocked, so bring your fishing pole!
Dogs must be leashed (six-foot maximum) in parking lots, picnic sites and developed areas. But once you’re out of these areas, your dogs are allowed off-leash provided they are under voice control—a superb reason to teach your dog to come when called and to heel off-leash.