With the sand for digging, the unlimited strange smells, and the constant surging water, beaches are doggy paradise. Lots of beaches welcome your furry friend, but others have strict no dog rules that’ll get you and your pup ticketed. Here are a few of our favorite recommendations from around the San Diego area, just make sure you check with your local beach before you head out!

The dog beaches listed are all Off-leash dog beaches unless otherwise noted. If your dog is not ready to be off leash, it may not be a greatidea to bring him where other dogs are romping off leash as on-leash dogs tend to be a little more territorial than off leash dogs and it may make them uncomfortable and cause a fight to break out. Train for the beach, not at the beach.

Coronado Dog Beach

200 Ocean Blvd Coronado CA 92118

Beautiful Beach that is near the Military Base on Amazing Coronado Island. The beach is wide with plenty of room to give your dogs a good romp. It’s not super long so it won't be a great beach if you want a long stroll with your pup.

• Parking may be a little tricky on a weekend day. Find parking on the nearby streets, there is no parking lot. Keep your dog leashed until arriving at the sign on the beach where it is legal to unleash him.
• (Beware that the sand may be hot on your dog’s paws if it is a hot summer day.)
• When leaving, there is a water spigot where you can rinse off your feet and your pup too.
• There is no restroom at this beach or nearby.
• The grass area across from the beach does NOT allow dogs so stay on the sidewalk or you may get a ticket.

Ocean Beach Dog Beach

5142 W. Pt Loma Blvd. San Diego, CA 92107

Ocean Beach (OB)dog beach is a unique beach. It’s ranked as the "original" dog beach and one of the first dog beaches in the country. OB is a great place to go if you want a long walk with Fido. The official dog beach runs North along the Pacific Ocean from the parking lot to the San Diego River mouth and then goes East along the river. This gives your dog a chance to swim in calmer water if they’re afraid of the waves. Just be careful because the river has a strong current!

• Access Parking lot: 5142 W. Pt Loma Blvd. The parking lot tends to fill up in the summer so plan on arriving early. There is also street parking available.
• There is no water to rinse off for the dogs at this beach so plan accordingly.
• There is a grassy picnic area where you can enjoy lunch if you want to escape the sand.
• There are no restrooms available at the dog beach. There is one available after a little walk south at the regular beach but do not walk on the beach with your dog to use it. Walk through the parking lot and access the restroom via the sidewalk as dogs are not allowed on the regular beach.

Fiesta Island

 

1590 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego 92109

A dog’s paradise! The entire island is an off leash playground for Fido on beautiful Mission Bay. It is a 5 mile, one-way drive around the outer loop of the island and a shorter, 3-mile inner loop. If you want to walk the perimeter of the island on the beach, plan on walking 5 miles with a short break where you will have to walk on the road past the Boyscout camp where the shorter loop bisects the longer loop.

• The Eastern side is the calmer side with wide beaches. Beware that there is no fence and the beach is not extremely wide so if Fido does not have good voice command, you may want to head to the west side of the island to avoid the road.
• The west side is completely fenced in from the road. There is a large parking area. Enter at the gate and let Fido have the time of his life! A huge sandy area to romp in and a narrow beach area runs along the water. This side of the island has more boats so the water is a bit choppy but no ocean waves. You can walk a complete 2-mile loop within the fenced in area with access to many different beach areas along the way with some more calm than others.
• There is no access to a water spigot or faucet to wash off Fido on the island. Plan accordingly with plenty of drinking water and rinse water. You will need it!
• There are several porta-potties on the island.
• No grassy picnic areas although you can walk the inner island and enjoy the beautiful spring flowers.

 

 

 

Del Mar Dog Beach

 

3200 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014

North Beach, affectionately called “Dog Beach” by dog owners, is the home of the World Famous Dog Surfing event hosted by the Helen Woodward Animal Shelter annually in September. It is located north of 29th Street and the 101 and stretches nearly one half mile to the border with Solana Beach. The area includes the mouth of the San Dieguito River and a stretch of coastal bluff. If the tide is high, the bluff area is not accessible so plan your trip accordingly if a nice walk is what you would like to enjoy. The area from the river mouth to the Bluff is wide with plenty of room for Fido to romp and play. They can also swim in the river mouth if they want to escape the waves but be careful of the strong current.

• North Beach remains open to dogs year round; however, dogs must be restricted to a six-foot leash from June 16th to Labor Day.
• There is an outhouse and a water spigot at North Beach at the entrance.
• From Labor Day to June 15th, dogs are allowed along the entire two plus mile stretch of beach from Torrey Pines State Beach to North Beach in addition to the city’s two major parks, Seagrove Park and Powerhouse Park that overlook the ocean.
• There is a restroom and water spigot and showers available at Powerhouse park above the main beach.
• All parking is strictly metered unless you can find free street parking on the nearby streets.

Cardiff State Beach

 

2506-2526 S Coast Highway 101, Solana Beach, CA 92075

Dogs are allowed on Cardiff State Beach but ON leash only. It is a beautiful beach to take a stroll with Fido. The dogs are not allowed off leash so it makes it difficult to swim but if you just want to take Fido for a walk and don't want to worry about off leash dogs, this is the perfect beach for you!

• There is a restroom located in the parking lot
• There is a fee to park in the parking lot. There is limited parking along the beach.

Huntington Beach

1 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648.

 

Located along Pacific Coast Highway between Seapoint Avenue and 21 ^stStreet, Huntington Dog Beach is open daily from 5 am to 10 pm. It is the home of the Surf City Surf Dog contest annually in September. The beach is one and a half miles long and a wonderful place to walk Fido. Portions of the beach are wide and other portions have a beautiful bluff. The beach has a shore break so be cautious especially if Fido is new to the ocean as it can be a very strong undercurrent.

• Under existing city ordinance, dogs must remain leashed. However, for the past several years only unleashed, potentially dangerous dogs have been cited or removed.
• There are two metered parking lots that fill up during the summer months. Restrooms are available in both parking lots.
• There is a nice grassy picnic area if you want to escape the sand.

Rules for ALL dog beaches:

 

• Please pick up after your pet at all times. Most beaches have poop bag dispensers but always be prepared and bring your own.

• Be responsible and keep an eye on your pet the entire time.

• Fido must have all of his required vaccinations.

• Do not bring Fido if he/she is suffering from Giardia or any other contagious diseases.

• Do not bring Fido if he/she is aggressive to other dogs or people.

• Fido should be controlled under voice command.

• Make sure Fido has a collar or harness on with the required dog license attached.

• Remember that beach sand gets HOT in the heat of the day so keep this in mind if arriving or leaving after noon.

• Remember that anything that you take to a dog beach is fair game to get peed on so don't take anything valuable.

• Many dogs do not like the water. Do NOT pick your dog up and put him in the water. Let him go in slowly and naturally. He will have to get used to it, especially the waves.
• We always recommend a dog life jacket. It will help keep him buoyant and they also have a handle on the top if you need to grab him to keep them out of the waves/ current.

• Do not allow your dog to drink the salt water. This will cause dehydration and upset tummy. Always have plenty of fresh water with you for Fido to drink - bring a pet travel bowl and water bottle. If your dog exhibits signs of lethargy, abdominal discomfort, abnormal breathing, discomfort walking / lack of coordination, nausea and vomiting, pale gums, etc. he may have water intoxication. He must be seen by a veterinarian immediately as water intoxication may be life threatening.