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We were on a mission to find the best off-leash dog beaches in Southern California and to our surprise, our choices were quite limited. There are plenty of on-leash beaches, but we have pups that really enjoy running in and out of the water freely, so off-leash beaches are a must.

We explored all the off-leash dog beaches in southern California over the past few months and listed them in order from our favorite to least favorite.

1. Huntington Dog Beach

100 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Parking Lot: Yes
Street Parking: Yes, Metered
Bathroom: Yes
Dog Rinsing Station: No
Distance from LAX: 36 miles

Huntington Dog Beach was definitely our favorite off-leash dog beach in southern California and we would come here every weekend if we lived closer. The dog beach area is clearly marked and we had no issues finding a parking spot since we arrived before noon.

Its length, cleanliness, and shallow waters made for the best environment for our pups. This was the first time Zooey ventured off into the water alone and was having so much fun running in and out of the water.

A wonderful nonprofit group runs this beach and does a fantastic job of preserving the “off-leash” status so our pups can run and play freely.

2. Hendry’s Beach (Arroyo Burro Beach)

2981 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 9310
Parking Lot: Yes
Off-Street Parking: No
Bathroom: Yes
Dog Rinsing Station: Yes
Distance from LAX: 100 miles

We were staying at the Hilton Beachfront Resort in Santa Barbara and a friend highly suggested we visit Hendry’s Beach. Crystal absolutely loved the landscape here.

The dramatic cliffs were gorgeous and there was plenty of beach space for everyone. The off-leash area begins east and there are clearly marked signs to lead you in the right direction.

We saw a restaurant here overlooking the beautiful Arroyo Burro Beach; however, they do not allow dogs. Not to worry as there are plenty of other nearby dog-friendly options in Santa Barbara.

3. Carmel Beach

Ocean Avenue and Scenic Road, Carmel, CA  93922
Parking Lot: Yes, but very limited
Street Parking: Yes, but very limited
Bathroom: Yes
Dog Rinsing Station: No
Distance from LAX: 325 miles

This was the first off-leash beach we visited and the furthest away from LAX. For some reason, this dog beach is always listed as a Southern California region; however, Carmel is actually part of Northern California and is much closer to San Francisco than Los Angeles.

We decided to go ahead and include it in our list since Carmel-by-the-Sea is a dog heaven and rated the #1 Dog-Friendly Town in America.

We were staying at a nearby dog-friendly hotel, so we decided to walk to Carmel Beach since parking is extremely limited. The landscape here is gorgeous and the powdery white sand felt so good on our feet.

Kuma especially loved the sand here and was super excited when her tiny paws touched the sand. We think the white sand reminded her of Florida.

4. Ocean Beach - A.K.A. The Original Dog Beach

5156W Point Loma Blvd, San Diego, CA
Parking Lot: Yes
Street Parking: Yes, but extremely limited
Bathroom: Yes
Dog Rinsing Station: No
Distance from LAX: 123 miles

This was by far the busiest dog beach we visited. We arrived early around 9 AM and was shocked to see the parking lot completely packed with a line out of the lot.

Luckily, we snagged a spot and the key was to be patient because it seemed like there was always someone walking back to their car to leave.

There are a ton of beachgoers here from surfers, beach volleyball players, and dog owners, so despite the large parking lot, it was full.

We loved how huge the dog section was and the water was shallow for our pups to go in and enjoy the waves. There is a pile of huge rocks here as well, so if your pup likes to jump on rocks, it’s a great spot.

Zooey LOVES jumping and climbing rocks so she had a blast here. Kuma also had a fun time climbing rocks, trying to one-up Zooey, and chasing other dogs.

5. Rosie’s Dog Beach

1 Argonne Ave, Long Beach, CA, US 90803
Parking Lot: Yes
Street Parking: Yes
Bathroom: Yes
Dog Rinsing Station: No
Distance from LAX: 25 miles

We spent the weekend in Long Beach and Rosie’s Dog Beach was just a couple of miles away from the super pet-friendly hotel we were staying at.

When we first started Googling off-leash beaches in the Los Angeles area, Rosie’s Dog Beach was always at the top of the search results. It’s also currently the only legal off-leash dog beach in LA county.

When we visited on an early Saturday morning around 9:30 AM, there was ample parking and there was plenty of room for our pups to run around. For some reason, the pups didn’t seem super excited about this beach.

There was nothing wrong with it and it was clean, but it did feel a bit run down. The sand near the water also looked more like mud and the dog’s paws and legs looked super muddy every time they stepped in and out of the water.

Again, not a bad dog beach, but it just didn’t give us or the dogs that excitement like the other beaches did.

6. Coronado Dog Beach

100 Ocean Boulevard, Coronado, CA  92118
Parking Lot: No
Street Parking: Yes
Bathroom: Yes
Dog Rinsing Station: Yes
Distance from LAX: 130 miles

This one was our least favorite for several reasons. First of all, there was no parking lot in the area so your only option was to find street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Access to the dog beach section was a fairly long walk and when you finally get there, the space is pretty small.

Plus, right behind you is a long stretch of wired fencing protecting the U.S. Naval Station. It just seemed like a lot of effort from parking to the long walk to the shore to end up with a mediocre view and limited space.

The only thing we really enjoyed was admiring the gorgeous neighborhoods from the car to the beach.

With that being said, many of our friends love this beach and highly recommend it. If you live near the area or visit on a day when it’s not so busy, it’ll probably be a much better experience.

We hope our review helps you plan for you and your pup’s adventures at an off-leash dog beach.

Care to share any secret off-leash beaches in Southern California that isn’t on this list? Our pups would be delighted if you could share in the comments below.