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.