Four-Legged Sonoma: Dog Friendly Wineries & Activities

When you’re strolling through the Plaza, admiring the vineyards and enjoying wine tasting in Sonoma, why not have your four-legged friend by your side? The natural beauty of Sonoma makes it an ideal place to experience the outdoors, so bring along Fido and enjoy it together. MacArthur Place welcomes dogs with open paws/arms, so we thought it fitting to compile places around town that will as well. Enjoy our list of dog-friendly wineries, activities and more!

Dog-Friendly Sonoma Wineries

• Deerfield Ranch Winery: “We had a lovely experience at Deerfield. The tasting is inside the cave which sets a really nice ambiance. The wine was very tasty! Our little dog was also warmly welcomed here. We will be back!”
• Larson Family Winery: Larson has resident pups that love to mingle, and also grace the front of its wines such as “Three Lab Cab”.  “This is a great winery. Truly excellent wine and it’s very private. Not too busy like some of the huge wineries. Its very, very dog-friendly and very kid friendly. I really enjoyed it a lot and will be going back.”
• Muscardini Cellars: “Great wine and staff. The dog is awesome too.”
• Gundlach Bundschu Winery: “Decided to go for a tasting late in the day, and stopped by after hearing about this place being dog-friendly. The winery staff was wonderful!! They let us bring our small dog into the tasting room, gave her a TON of treats and lots of love and attention as we tasted the wines, and gave us such wonderful information about the history of the family and winery. It was beautiful. I’d definitely come back here again!”
• Roche Winery: Great staff who love what they do and spend extra time educating about the wine making process! The pours were generous, the patio was amazing in June weather, and we decided we do like Chardonnay at this winery because the wine was just that good!
• Kunde Winery: “Great wine tasting experience with all the dogs and infants!!” “Loved this winery and the beautiful property. Reed helped us with the tastings and in purchasing several wines. They were great. We especially enjoyed the Cab and Zin. We also purchased Meyer lemon olive oil which was amazing. Can’t wait to go back!”
• Ravenswood Winery: “Nice quiet tasting room just 5 minutes away from downtown Sonoma. Service was friendly and we got some extra pours off the menu – always nice. Dog-friendly.”

Quotes were taken from Google reviews of each winery

Many wineries are dog-friendly and will be clear about their policies on their websites. Heading over to Napa? Enjoy this video from Frog’s Leap winery – a lovely dog-friendly winery in Napa!

Dog Sitting in Sonoma

If you’re looking for a night out or going to be doing something without your dog, Rover.com offers a pet sitting or dog boarding search page where you can take a look at reviews and compare pricing and availability in the Sonoma area.  We know your dog is part of the family, so rather than making the decision on who should care for your dog, we think it is best if you can communicate and create a relationship with the sitter.  Please know that it is in our pet guidelines that dogs cannot be left unattended in our guestrooms and suites.

Dog-Friendly Sonoma Restaurants

Here are just a few restaurants that allow dogs in their outside seating.  We’ve found that anywhere dogs are welcomed, they ask that they be on a 6’ leash or shorter.

• HopMonk Tavern: HopMonk serves up craft brews and traditional pub fare that includes pulled pork sliders, bacon burgers, and hot beer sausage. Outdoor seating welcomes dogs.
• Sunflower Café: Established in 2007, Set in California’s Historic Landmark #501 “Salvador Vallejo’s Home” the Sunflower Caffé is the perfect place to start your morning, or for enjoying lunch at a dog-friendly sidewalk table.
• Taste of the Himalayas: Delightful al fresco dining on tiled dog-friendly courtyard patio, well away from the street. Outstanding Indian/Nepalese cuisine and welcoming staff.
• The Plaza Bistro: Italian-Mediterranean restaurant serves cocktails and wine with a dinner menu that features pork scaloppine, crispy duck confit, rigatoni, coriander-encrusted salmon, and grilled filet mignon. Patio seating is dog-friendly.

Dog-Friendly Activities

• Helen Putnam Park in Petaluma: Helen Putnam Regional Park is a compact wilderness park southwest of Petaluma, about a 35-minute drive from MacArthur Place. It’s 6 miles of trails through grassy hillsides and weaving through oak woodlands. Ridge-top trails provide panoramic views of the city and the southern Sonoma County countryside.  The park is great for biking, birding, fishing, and hiking/ walking.  There are also equestrian trails, a picnic area, and playgrounds.
• The Barlow in Sebastopol: The Barlow is a 12-acre Bay Area outdoor market district in Sebastopol, California featuring local food, wine, beer, spirits and crafts made onsite by Sonoma County artisans. Stroll our industrial-chic, dog-friendly campus and savor the organic edible landscaping. Almost everything sold onsite is produced right here by 30+ makers and merchants–from craft spirits to farm-to-table meals to handmade apparel.  The Barlow is about a 45-minute drive from MacArthur Place.
• The Jack London State Historic Park, about 20-minute drive from MacArthur Place, “loves dogs” and allows leashed and licensed dogs on the Wolf Trail and the 1-mile Beauty Ranch circuit.  The park is a wildlife sanctuary and your dog must be kept on a leash at all times while in this park. Furry friends are allowed in the Ranch area and on the trail to Wolf House Ruins but not on any other trails to protect the natural ecosystem, and not to disturb and frighten wildlife.

Guidelines for a Dog-Friendly Stay at MacArthur Place:

• A one-time fee per dog (non-refundable), will be charged to your account.
• Dogs must be leashed at all times while staying with us.
• We are excited to welcome you and your dog, however, we ask that dogs are not brought along inside the restaurant, bar or spa.
• Dogs cannot be left unattended in our guestrooms and suites.

We look forward to welcoming you and your furry friend to Sonoma soon!

Photo Credit: Steve Freling of Motor Oomph