No American city has more dogs than Los Angeles, a million and counting, and few offer more excuses to get them outside, with close to 300 days of sunshine a year. But if your mental map of LA dog hikes predates January 2025, it needs an update. The Palisades Fire and its siblings tore through some of the region’s best-loved canyons, and a year and a half later, the recovery is uneven: some trails are fully back, some are partially open, and some old favorites are still closed. Tuna Canyon in Topanga, long the connoisseur’s quiet ocean-view hike, remains shut as fire-area restoration grinds on, and parts of Topanga State Park are closed indefinitely.
So here is the revised shortlist: four dog-friendly escapes, near and far, that are open, verified as of this writing, and genuinely worth the leash time. Check conditions the morning you go; that habit is the real lesson of the last two years.
The comeback story
1. Malibu Creek State Park Campground, Malibu
The Santa Monica Mountains dip straight into this campground, which means breathtaking views in every direction and a web of hiking trails out your tent flap. Two practical virtues set Malibu Creek apart from the LA camping pack: you can actually reserve a site in advance, and there’s usually availability for the dates you want. It sits closer to the 101 than the coast, so expect more sun and less marine-layer gloom. The abundant trees are hammock-perfect, and the park has bounced back well from the fire years; the famous MAS*H set area even got its footbridge reinstalled in 2026. Dogs must stay leashed and stick to campground areas and paved roads, standard state park rules. Campsite connoisseurs’ picks: 53, 56, 57, 59, 61, and 62.
Location: Malibu/Calabasas. Parking: included with reservation. Cost: around $40 a night. Bathrooms: yes. Water: yes. Off-leash: no. Info: reservecalifornia.com.
Open with an asterisk
2. Runyon Canyon, Hollywood
The quintessential LA hike survived its own fire scare and reopened, with an asterisk. The main trails are back in business, and from the top you can still track the whole basin, water on one side, towers in the middle, valley beyond the ridge. But the West Trail remains closed from Sunset Fire damage, so plan your loop on the east side.
Everything that made Runyon the city’s dog headquarters still applies. A large section is legally off-leash, a rarity that makes it the default social club for LA dogs. Several routes are paved and stroller-friendly, water fountains dot the park with many at dog height, and there are drinks and snacks for sale at the Fuller Avenue entrance. The people-and-dog watching remains among the best free entertainment in the city, cotton-candy sunsets included.
Location: Hollywood. Parking: free street parking near the Fuller Ave. entrance; free lot at the Mulholland entrance, sunrise to sunset. Cost: free. Bathrooms: no. Water: yes. Off-leash: yes, in designated areas. Info: laparks.org/runyon.
Untouched escapes
3. Serrano Campground, Big Bear Lake
The mountain option. A couple hours up the hill, Serrano sits in the pines at the top of Big Bear, walkable to the lake, where you and your dog can both swim, with plenty of shaded sites and trails fanning out from camp, including one that links to the Pacific Crest Trail. It takes advance reservations through recreation.gov, which release in spring for the roughly late-April-through-October season. Summer weekends book fast; a midweek trip gets you the same lake with half the humanity.
Location: Big Bear Lake. Parking: included with reservation. Cost: around $50 a night. Bathrooms: yes. Water: yes. Off-leash: no. Info: recreation.gov, Serrano Campground.
4. Caravan Outpost, Ojai
The recovery day. Ojai’s not-so-secret Airstream hotel has a row of polished trailers sitting on a side street a short walk from everything, with dog-friendly caravans among them, each with a full-size or larger bed, running water, AC, and heat. The formula for a perfect 24 hours: arrive early, work remotely from the communal firepit area with your dog at your feet, hike the Ojai Valley in the late afternoon, then walk to dinner, since most of the town’s restaurants and bars sit within strolling distance. It’s glamping economics, from about $199 a night for the trailer plus $40 a night for the dog, but as a bolt-on to a Big Bear or Malibu Creek itinerary, it’s the difference between a camping trip and a vacation.
Location: Ojai. Parking: included. Cost: from ~$199/night + $40/night per dog. Bathrooms: yes. Water: yes. Off-leash: no. Info: caravanoutpostojai.com.
What’s new: the fire recovery scorecard
For trip planning, the current state of play along the fire corridor: Topanga Canyon Boulevard reopened to round-the-clock travel in May 2026 with lingering construction restrictions, most of Topanga State Park’s backcountry reopened in June 2026 while several southern trails stay closed, Tuna Canyon Park remains temporarily closed, and Runyon’s West Trail is still fenced off. The pattern to internalize: LA’s trail network is a living system now, and every canyon hike starts with a thirty-second status check. Your dog will forgive you the delay.
References
- Runyon Canyon Park — City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks
- Runyon Canyon Park is Now Open, West Trail Remains Closed — WEHO Times
- Malibu Creek State Park — California State Parks
- Serrano Campground — Recreation.gov
- Tuna Canyon Park — Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
- Caltrans restores daytime travel on Topanga Canyon Boulevard — Caltrans District 7
- Topanga State Park — California State Parks
