Dog Friendly California

Dogs allowed on beaches

Wouldn't it be nice if the laws regarding dogs on beaches were uniform throughout California? With over 450 beaches and 1,000 miles of coast under jurisdictions of counties, cities, private owners and the State of California, the dog beach permit policies are complex. Regulations change constantly so you should always check before taking your dog to a beach. Dogs are not generally permitted on public piers in California, but they are allowed on some beaches.

California's dedicated and semi-dedicated Dog Beaches:

1. Huntington Dog Beach, Orange County
2. Del Mar Dog Beach, San Diego County
3. Long Beach Rosie's Dog Beach, Los Angeles County
4. San Diego Ocean Beach Dog Beach, San Diego County

Some beaches where portions or all of the beach may permit dogs either seasonally or year-round:

ALAMEDA COUNTY

• Benicia Off Leash Dog Beach, Alameda County
• Buchanan Dog Beach Berkeley

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

• Richmond: Point Isabel Regional Shoreline

DEL NORTE COUNTY BEACHES

• Beachfront Park Crescent City
• Crescent Beach Crescent City
• Prairie Creek State Park Crescent City

HUMBOLDT COUNTY BEACHES

• Clam Beach
• Table Bluff
• Centerville
• Big Lagoon
• Gold Bluffs Beach, Orick
• Humboldt County Parks & Beaches
• Lost Coast Beaches, Petrolia
  Luffenholtz
• Mad River
• Moonstone
• Moonstone Beach Trinidad
• Samoa Dunes Recreation Area

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

• Leo Carillo State Park & Beach, Malibu
• Leo Carillo State Park
• Point Mugu State Park Malibu
• Rosie's Dog Beach, Belmont Shore -Long Beach
• Thornhill Broome Beach

MARIN COUNTY

• Agate Beach Park Bolinas
• Bear Valley Visitor Center, Point Reyes NS
• Chicken Ranch Beach Tomales Bay, Inverness
• Dillon Beach
• Upton Beach Stinson Beach
• Point Reyes National Seashore
• Kehoe Beach Point Reyes NS
• Kehoe Beach, Point Reyes NS
• Limantour Beach, Point Reyes NS
• Point Reyes/Great Beach
• Tomales Bay
• Kilkenny Beach
• Long Cove Beach
• Fruit Tree Beach
• Marshall Beach
• No Name Beach
• Tomales Beach
• Elk Fence South Beach
• Elk Fence North Beach

MENDOCINO COUNTY BEACHES

• Big River Beach
• Caspar Beach
• Irish Beach/Manchester: Manchester State Park
• MacKerricher State Park Fort Bragg
• Noyo Beach Fort Bragg
• Van Damme State Park
• Westport: Westport-Union Landing State Beach

MONTEREY COUNTY DOG BEACHES

• Asilomar State Beach Pacific Grove
• Carmel-by-the-Sea City Beach
• Carmel River State Beach Carmel
• Garrapata State Beach Carmel
• Monterey State Beach, Monterey
• Monterey State Beach l

ORANGE COUNTY

• Big Corona Beach, Corona del Mar State Beach Newport Beach
• Huntington Dog Beach Huntington Beach
• Laguna Beach City Beaches
• Little Corona Beach, Corona del Mar State Beach Newport Beach
• Newport Beach
• San Onofre State Beach, San Clemente

PLACER / EL DORADO COUNTY

• Coon Street Boat Launch & Beach
• Coon Street Beach Lake Tahoe
• King's Beach North
• Kiva Beach, South Lake Tahoe
• Lake Tahoe

SAN DIEGO COUNTY DOG BEACHES

• Coronado Dog Beach
• Del Mar North Beach Dog Beach
• Fiesta Island, Mission Bay San Diego
• Imperial Beach City Beach
• Main Beach, Del Mar
• North Pacific Beach San Diego
• Ocean Beach Dog Beach, San Diego
• South Beach, Del Mar

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY

• Baker Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Crissy Field, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Fort Funston/Burton Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Ocean Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BEACHES

• Avila Beach Main Beach
• Cayucos: Cayucos State Beach
• Fisherman's Beach, Avila Beach
• Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area,
• Olde Port Beach, Avila Beach
• Pfeiffer Beach Big Sur
• Pismo City Beach
• Pismo State Beach Pismo Beach
• San Luis Obispo Coast State Parks
• San Simeon Coastal Access

SAN MATEO COUNTY DOG BEACHES

• Bean Hollow State Beach, Pescadero
• Esplanade Beach, Pacifica
• Maverick's Beach, Half Moon Bay
• Montara State Beach, Half Moon Bay
• Marin County Parks
• Rodeo Beach and South Rodeo Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Marin Headlands
• Muir Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Mill Valley, Marin County
• Point Reyes, Point Reyes National Seashore
• Tomales Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY DOG BEACHES

• Arroyo Beach
• Burro County Beach
• Hendry's Beach
• Santa Barbara County
• Goleta Beach
• Summerland Beach

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY DOG BEACHES

• Lighthouse Point Santa Cruz
• Mitchell's Cove Beach
• Manresa State Beach Watsonville
• Palm State Beach, Watsonville
• Rio del Mar, Santa Cruz
• Seabright State Beach Santa Cruz
• Seacliff State Beach Santa Cruz
• Twin Lakes State Beach Santa Cruz
• Rio Del Mar State Beach Aptos
• New Brighton State Beach Capitola
• La Selva Beach Manresa State Beach

SONOMA COUNTY DOG BEACHES

• Blind Beach
• Carmet Beach
• Doran Regional Park Bodega Bay
• Duncan's Cove
• Furlong Gulch
• Gualala Point Regional Park
• Marshall Gulch
• Stillwater Cove Regional Park Jenner
• Portuguese Beach
• Russian Gulch
• Russsian River District
• Schoolhouse Beach
• Shell Beach
• Sonoma Coast State Beach
• Wright's Beach

VENTURA COUNTY DOG BEACHES

• Harbor Cove Beach Ventura
• Hollywood Beach, Oxnard
• Marina Park Beach Ventura
• Oxnard Beach Park, Oxnard
• Promenade Park, Ventura
• Seaside Wilderness Park, Ventura
• Silver Strand Beach, Oxnard
• Thornhill Broome Beach, Ventura County

NO DOGS

DOG NOT ALLOWED ON THESE BEACHES

• Andrew Molera SP
• Avalon, Catalina Island
• Channel Coast District State Beaches
• Dana Point, Orange County
• Del Mar City Beach & 15th Street Beach (except for River Mouth)
• Duck Island
• Encinitas No dogs allowed on beach
• Hog Island
• Nevada Beach, Tahoe
• Pope Beach, Tahoe
• Baldwin Beach, Tahoe
• Meeks Bay Beach, Tahoe
• William Kent Beach, Tahoe
• Kehoe Beach north of the North Beach parking lot. During the elephant seal pupping and mating season (December through April), pets and humans are not allowed on the beach south of the South Beach parking lot.
• Montana de Oro San Luis Obispo Coast District Dogs are not permitted on beach or trails, except at campsites. 805-927-2074
• Moss Landing SB
• Marina SB
• Pelican Point
• Point Lobos State Reserve
• Oceanside All dogs are prohibited on all City beaches throughout the year. You may walk your dog on a leash on The Strand.
• Palomarin Beach - no longer open to pets
• Point Reyes National Seashore Pets are not permitted in public buildings, on public transportation vehicles, or in locations designated as a swimming beach, or within any structure or area closed to the possession of pets by the superintendent. This prohibition does not apply to guide dogs accompanying visually impaired persons or hearing ear dogs accompanying hearing-impaired persons.
• All trails within the park are closed to pets—with exceptions.
• Point Reyes Seashore Beaches with exceptions
• Salinas River SB
• San Clemente, Orange County
• Seaside SB
• San Diego Coast District -- Dogs are not permitted within this park district.
• San Simeon State Park campgrounds San Luis Obispo Coast District Dogs are not permitted on beach or trails, except at campsites. 805-927-2074
• Seal Beach, Orange County No dogs on beach per SBMC 9.05.090
• Tomales Bay State Park Pets are not permitted on beaches parks.ca.gov
• Tomales Point Elk Reserve. Stop by a visitor center to pick up a free site bulletin containing pet regulations for the Seashore and other parks in the area.
• Zmudowski SB

Source notes: This page was compiled through personal experiences visiting dog beaches throughout the state and through California Public Records Act open records law.