5 dog friendly beaches to visit in California

Are you planning a trip to California? Want to bring your pup with you on this vacation? Then you may be looking for some dog friendly beaches to visit. And while there are actually quite a few where you can safely (and legally) bring Fluffy with you, we have pulled together five to get you started with.

Sometimes, when we are planning out a vacation, we want to consider what activities we can do with our dogs in tow. And when visiting California, you might be planning a trip to the beach. Or maybe you are planning your trip based specifically around the places you can actually take Fluffy. Then we have some suggestions based on which beaches in the state are actually dog friendly.

So which beaches are in fact dog friendly in California? Although there are actually quite a few, we are sticking with just five.

5 beaches in California that are dog friendly

1. Ocean Beach Dog Beach – Planning a trip to San Diego? Then you may want to give Ocean Beach Dog Beach a try. This section of the main beach is a dog friendly destination that can be found at the northern part of the beach where is heads towards the mouth of the San Diego River. Since we already love San Diego, we love that this is an option for us and our fuzzy friends.
2. Rosie’s Dog Beach – Looking for a dog friendly beach in Long Beach, California? Then Rosie’s Dog Beach might just be the answer. This is a section of the Belmont Shore Beach that has been designated as a destination for pups who can handle being off-leash. It is a great place to take dogs that already love the sun and surf and we love that it is a beach specifically for our pups to enjoy a vacation day.
3. Carmel City Beach – If you are heading to the center of California and you are looking for a beach where your dog can get their paws wet, then the Carmel City Beach is the place to be. According to their official pet policy, “Dogs allowed off leash.” And that means that Fluffy can get some exercise in too, which we love.
4. Pelican Point Beach – In the northern portion of the state, we have Half Moon Bay, California. Here we also have Pelican Point Beach, a dog friendly beach near an RV Park and even a golf course. This area is a destination for people looking to get away. And if you are taking Fluffy with you, then you are in luck because they can enjoy some downtime at this beach with you.
5. Huntington Dog Beach – If you are in the Huntington Beach area and heading to the Huntington City Beach, you can bring Fluffy with you to their dog friendly section of the beach. According to CaliforniaBeaches.com, “The zone where dogs are allowed on the beach is located between Seapoint Street and 21st Street. Dog Beach is considered an off-leash beach by locals, but signs indicate that the city ordinance requires a 6 foot leash.”

When vacationing with your dog, it can require a bit of research to find places where you and Fluffy are both allowed to relax and kick back. And in California, there are plenty of beaches, but not all of them will be dog friendly.

We recommend checking to see if the beach you want to visit has a pet policy before heading over. And if you are near any of these five beaches, we hope you and your pup enjoy that sun and sand.

Have you planned any vacations around your dog? What do you look for when planning a trip with your pup? What beaches have you visited in California?