DOG-FRIENDLY PARKS IN RIVERSIDE, CA

The Santa Ana River gave Riverside its name, flowing from the San Bernardino Mountains through the city toward the Pacific Ocean. This city of 331,000 sits at roughly 900 feet elevation in Southern California's Inland Empire, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Semi-arid climate creates hot, dry conditions: winters average in the mid-50s with minimal rainfall, while summers routinely exceed 95°F with very low humidity. The San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains frame the area to the north and south. Citrus groves historically dominated the landscape, though urban development has replaced most agricultural land.