DOG-FRIENDLY PARKS IN SACRAMENTO, CA

The confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers positioned California's capital at a strategic inland location 85 feet above sea level. This city of 524,000 spreads across 100 square miles in the Central Valley, roughly 90 miles northeast of San Francisco. Mediterranean climate creates hot, bone-dry summers routinely exceeding 95°F and mild, wet winters averaging in the mid-50s. The flat terrain extends in all directions, with the Sierra Nevada visible to the east on clear days. Tree canopy covers much of the older residential areas, particularly notable in the grid-patterned neighborhoods near downtown.