Life with ArielAriel and I both love beaches. Growing up inland, I didn’t get many opportunities to enjoy them. Now that I live in California, going to beaches is one of my favorite weekend activities. Even though Ariel doesn’t know how to swim, she enjoys the ocean breeze and cooler weather. She also loves chasing waves and other paw-friends. Recently, she started digging sands! Here’s a list of my favorite dog friendly beaches along California coastline from north to south.
Tips:
- Beaches are popular destinations for both locals and tourists. Please be prepared for traffic jams and packed parking lots.
- While enjoying the beaches, please clean after your fur babies, leave no trace, don’t stomp on wild plants, and protect our beautiful nature.
- Ocean water is cold in north California even in summer. It may not be a good idea to swim.
- Wear layers as wind is strong along the coastline and the temperature drops significantly after sunset.
- Wear sun glasses and lots of sunscreens (even in winter).
1. Glass Beach, Fort Bragg CA
Glass Beach is relatively small. It’s a popular sightseeing spot known for the glass pieces on the beach. I talked about it in my other blog, “Spots to Enjoy the Breathtaking Pacific Coast Highway – North of San Francisco”. The beach was once a dump site, so the glass pieces came from the broken bottles in trash. Today, there are not many glasses left. But it’s still a unique beach to visit.
2. Goat Rock Beach, Jenner CA
Goat Rock Beach is a great dog friendly beach in Jenner. It’s quiet and clean, leaving us lots of space to run and play. Moreover, the view of sea stacks in various shapes is a unique scene here, especially during sunset. Note that the hike from the parking lot to the beach is pretty rocky and steep.
3. Stinson Beach, Marin County CA
Stinson Beach is a crowded destination for water activities just a little north of San Francisco. It’s extremely hard to find parking on the narrow streets. But the ocean view, long and wide beach, and soft white sand made it worth the effort. Ariel made lots of paw friends and learnt digging there. Note that it can be foggy in the morning.
4. Funston Beach, San Francisco CA
Among all beaches listed here, Funston Beach has the most dogs, likely due to its proximity to the city. Both the beach and the hike leading to it were heavily trafficked. Ariel happily greeted every single dog we encountered. But it was a bit too crowded for me. The beach was foggy and misty even on a sunny day, making it a great place to escape summer heat but less ideal for ocean views.
5. Esplanade Beach, Pacifica CA
Esplanade Beach is a hidden gem I randomly discovered. Tucked between Daly City and Pacifica, it’s not that crowded. The beach has black sand and lots of space for dogs to go off-leash. The hike to and from the beach is quite long and steep though. If you want to get away from the beach crowd, the trail overlooking the beach at the top of the cliff is paved and quiet.
6. Montara State Beach, Montara CA
Montara is one of my favorite places to spend my weekends. It offers many coastal hiking trails and beaches that are dog friendly. In addition, unlike Pacifica, it’s usually sunny. Thus, the ocean views are spectacular. Ariel and I like to stop by Montara State Beach after a hike in the area. The soothing ocean sound and soft sand are perfect for a relaxing break.
7. Bean Hollow State Beach, Pescadero CA
Bean Hollow State Beach is a little hard to reach because it sits between major highways that intersect the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). But you will be able to enjoy the stunning view of PCH on your way. The beach has big waves, tide pools, and sections of peddles. It’s also not overly crowded. Dogs have plenty of room to play.
8. Davenport Beach, Davenport CA
Davenport Beach is not only dog friendly but also great for peaceful sunsets. You will be able to enjoy Santa Cruz cliffs here, away from the crowd. Note that the hike down to the beach is slippery. FYI. The famous Shark Fin Cove is nearby if you are interested.
9. Carmel Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea CA
Carmel Beach is famous for its gorgeous sunsets. It’s a short walk from the cute downtown of Carmel, which makes it easy to fit it into your day trip to Carmel. Although clean, beautiful, and dog friendly, the beach is usually very crowded. I suggest you keep your dog on leash here given the heavy traffic.
10. Garrapata Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea CA
Garrapata Beach is about 30 minutes south of Carmel Beach and much less crowded. It’s a great stop between Carmel and Big Sur. The beach is not that long but clean and wide. In addition, the calla lily valley is next to the beach. It blooms in spring. Lilies are toxic to dogs. So make sure they don’t eat the flowers.
11. Morro Rock Beach, Morro Bay CA
Morro Rock Beach is named after the iconic Morro Rock which is a volcanic plug in Morro Bay. The view overlooking Morro Rock is fantastic, and the beach is long and clean. Furthermore, you may spot many types of wildlife here such as sea lions, sea otters, and seagulls.
12. Arroyo Burro Beach, Santa Barbara CA
Arroyo Burro Beach in SoCal is a popular dog beach. It’s technically a county park with picnic and grassy areas. Waves here are smaller than in NorCal. The beach itself is not big and often crowded with many dogs. But it’s well equipped – it even has a dog wash station on site.
13. Main Beach, Laguna Beach CA
The Main Beach in Laguna Beach used to be my favorite beach when I lived in SoCal. It got great beach city vibe and a quiet beach with great views. The water was also warm enough to swim or surf in. However, I found it more and more crowded in recent years. Even though dog friendly, Ariel didn’t have much room to run.
