Where can dogs go off leash on California beaches?
16 verified: Arroyo Burro Beach County Park; Baker Beach; Carmel Beach; Coronado Dog Beach; Crissy Field; Dog Beach (Ocean Beach, San Diego); Esplanade Beach; Fort Funston; Main Beach (Del Mar); Mesa beach, Shoreline Park to Arroyo Burro (Santa Barbara); Mitchell's Cove Beach; Muir Beach; North Beach (Del Mar Dog Beach); Ocean Beach (San Francisco); Rodeo Beach (Marin Headlands); Rosie's Dog Beach.
Beaches where the managing agency's own rules allow dogs off leash, at all times or in certain seasons or hours. Leash rules usually change at the beach boundary.
Checked October 26, 2026 to October 28, 2026. Published when at least three verified places qualify; this list covers only places verified so far, sorted by town and name.
| Place | Type | Town | Dogs | Answer | Leash | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muir Beach | beach | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. On the beach itself, dogs may be on leash or under voice control. On Kaashi Way and the Coastal Trail, dogs must be leashed. The Redwood Creek lagoon and riparian area are closed. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 | |
| Rodeo Beach (Marin Headlands) | beach | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be on leash or under voice control on Rodeo Beach and South Rodeo Beach, excluding the lagoon. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 | |
| Carmel Beach | beach | Carmel-by-the-Sea | Yes | Yes. Dogs may be off leash under voice control. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Coronado Dog Beach | beach | Coronado | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be off leash only on the designated Dog Beach area at 200 Ocean Boulevard and must be leashed at all points before reaching it. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Main Beach (Del Mar) | beach | Del Mar | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. From June 16 through Labor Day, no dogs are allowed at any time. From the day after Labor Day through June 15, dogs must be leashed at all times except from dawn to 8:00 a.m. The area runs between Powerhouse Park and 29th Street. | Off leash allowed at certain times or seasons | October 28, 2026 |
| North Beach (Del Mar Dog Beach) | beach | Del Mar | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. From the day after Labor Day through June 15, dogs may be off leash under voice control. From June 16 through Labor Day, dogs must be leashed at all times except from dawn to 8:00 a.m. The area runs from 29th Street north to the Solana Beach border. | Off leash allowed at certain times or seasons | October 28, 2026 |
| Rosie's Dog Beach | beach | Long Beach | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be off leash inside the Dog Zone, open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and must be leashed on the way in. Dogs are not permitted outside the Dog Zone and its access paths or outside those hours. The zone is on Ocean Blvd. between Granada Avenue and Roycroft Avenue and may close for special events or poor beach conditions. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Esplanade Beach | beach | Pacifica | Yes | Yes. Dogs may be off leash. | Off leash allowed | October 27, 2026 |
| Dog Beach (Ocean Beach, San Diego) | beach | San Diego | Yes | Yes. Dogs may be off leash under voice control. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Baker Beach | beach | San Francisco | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be on leash or under voice control on Baker Beach north of Lobos Creek. Lobos Creek and the Battery to Bluffs Trail are closed to pets. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Crissy Field | beach | San Francisco | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be on leash or under voice control, except in picnic areas. In the Crissy Field Wildlife Protection Area, dogs must be leashed from July 1 to May 15. The Crissy Field tidal marsh and lagoon are closed to pets. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Fort Funston | beach | San Francisco | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be on leash or under voice control except in the 12-acre Habitat Protection Area in northwest Fort Funston, on the Coastal Trail from the Horse Trail intersection to the Great Highway (closed for erosion), and in signed administrative areas. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Ocean Beach (San Francisco) | beach | San Francisco | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be on leash or under voice control, except in the Snowy Plover Protection Area from Stairwell 21 south to Sloat Boulevard, where dogs must be leashed from July 1 to May 15. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Arroyo Burro Beach County Park | beach | Santa Barbara | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be off leash under voice control in the posted off-leash area, and must be on a 6-foot leash until they reach it and after leaving it. No more than 3 dogs per adult; puppies under 4 months and dogs in heat are prohibited. | Off leash allowed under voice control | October 26, 2026 |
| Mesa beach, Shoreline Park to Arroyo Burro (Santa Barbara) | beach | Santa Barbara | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be off leash on the beach from the Shoreline Park staircase west to the eastern edge of the Arroyo Burro Estuary. Dogs must be licensed and tagged, healthy, not in heat and not aggressive. | Off leash allowed | October 26, 2026 |
| Mitchell's Cove Beach | beach | Santa Cruz | Yes, with restrictions | Yes, with restrictions. Dogs may be off leash before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Beach access is by the stairway on West Cliff Drive at Sunset Avenue. | Off leash allowed at certain times or seasons | October 26, 2026 |