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Dog access in California State Parks

Can you bring a dog to a California state park? Usually, but rarely onto a trail. These figures come from the official dog rules California State Parks publishes for each of its units, as of October 26, 2026.

Key findings

• 212 of 284 California State Parks units (75%) allow dogs somewhere in the park. 72 (25%) do not.
• Of the units that allow dogs, 176 list specific restrictions, and 93 (44%) mention trails in those restrictions. Statewide, dogs are barred from trails unless a trail is designated for them.
• Beaches are less open than parks overall: 41 of 63 beach units (65%) allow dogs, always on a leash of 6 feet or less.
• Wherever dogs are allowed, the statewide rules apply: a leash no longer than 6 feet, never left unattended, and no entry into buildings.

Share of units that allow dogs, by region

Table view

Method

We import the department's official dog rules table and join each unit to its Park Entry Points record for county and location. “Allowed” means the table answers “Yes” for the unit; “with restrictions” means it also lists a restriction. Beach units are those with “Beach” in the official name. Regions group counties as described on theregions page. Two units without a location record are counted statewide but not by region. The import re-runs on a schedule, and changes appear on the rule changes page.