What Beaches Can You Bring Dogs To?

Beaches are natural stomping grounds for dogs, especially breeds that love swimming. But not every beach allows dogs at all, and those that do have strict rules --- from leashes-required to waste pick-up --- enforced by hefty fines. Dog-friendly beaches exist from coast to coast in 26 states, however, and there are even many sandy playground spots reserved specifically for your beloved furry canine. A little homework can prevent an unhappy trip to the shore. Laws that prohibit dogs on the beach come from residents' complaints about owners not picking up waste or not having trained their dogs very well.

  1. West Coast Dog-Friendly Beaches

    • Dogs are welcome at several beaches in California, Florida, the Carolinas and Oregon.

      California and Oregon welcome dogs at certain beaches. North Beach in San Diego, California, is a top-rated beach for pooches, who may walk the two-mile stretch of sand that locals refer to as "Dog Beach," 24 hours a day, or visit San Diego's two main parks, Powerhouse Park and Seagrove Park. But during the summer months, the city orders that dogs must remain on a six-foot leash at all times. Dogs may also visit Dog Beach in Ocean Beach, California, for off-leash romps on an area that can attract 100 dogs at one time. A short drive south of Los Angeles will take you to Huntington Dog Beach, where a mile of the Pacific Coast is reserved for off-leash dog action. In Oregon, dogs can visit Cannon Beach, but the city requires animals stay on a six-foot or smaller leash.

    Florida Beaches that Allow Dogs

    • Remember that not all dogs are as friendly as yours; always pack a leash just in case.

      In Gulf County, Florida several secluded and uncrowded beaches allow dogs as long as they remain on leashes. The beach inside St. Joseph Peninsula State Park at Cape San Blas is off-limits to canines, but the rest of the county's beaches are so dog-friendly that at least 20 waste disposal stations await. Only a few minutes from St. Petersburg Beach sits the dog-friendly Fort DeSoto Dog Beach, where dogs can run free off-leash and also get in some serious play time at an adjacent Paw Playground that includes dog water fountains. Another Florida hot spot for dogs is Bayview Dog Beach in Pensacola, which doubles as a water park for dogs and includes a washing station, along with picnic tables and trash cans. Other Florida beaches that invite dogs exist in Tampa Bay, Miami, Fort Myers, Key West, Sarasota, Naples and Daytona Beach.

    East Coast Beaches with Dogs

    • Double-check the rules on dogs before you plan your trip, as summer time often brings stricter laws.

      The Charleston, South Carolina shoreline welcomes dogs at certain spots and times of the year. The Isle of Palms County Park Beach has year-long access for dogs on leashes. Myrtle Beach has three beaches for dogs, but leash laws are year-round and restrictions apply during the summer. New England may be short on shoreline in comparison to California, but many states choose to share their sand with dogs. The Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, allows dogs on leashes along its 40-mile stretch of pristine sandy beaches year-round with few exceptions. Provincetown allows dogs on leashes year-round, while during the summer allows off-leash dog roaming from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Manchester allows off-leash dogs between October and May on its Singing Beach, but bans them during the rest of the year. Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket also allow dogs on their beaches. In Maine, Portland, York, Kennebunk and Bar Harbour allow dogs on beaches, while Rhode Island and Connecticut have restricted access for dogs on certain beaches. Further down the East Coast in Ocean City, Maryland, leashed dogs are only welcome on the beach and boardwalk between September 30 and May 1.

    Gulf Coast Beaches Welcome Dogs

    • Make sure you bring water, food, a toy and waste bags along with your dog.

      Grand Isle State Park on the southern tip of Louisiana welcomes dogs on its beach as long as they are on leashes, and even allows them in campsites. Watch out for designated swimming areas that bar dogs, though. In Texas, Corpus Christi, Galveston and South Padre Island allow dogs on leashes, and strongly remind dog owners to pick up all waste. Galveston State Park and the nearby Big Reef Nature Park also allow dogs that are on leashes. In Mississippi, the beaches of Hancock County in Bay St. Louis and Waveland allow dogs on leashes. Alabama's white sandy beaches at Dauphin Island welcome pooches and provide special play areas along with a few miles of undeveloped barrier beach. The campground on the beach welcomes dogs.

    Midwest Sandy Dog Spots

    • Leash laws are more common than not on many state and city beaches.

      Just off Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, dogs are allowed in a small fenced-in beach area at the Belmont Harbour Dog Beach. Still, they must remain on-leash. The city tickets dog owners who let their dogs run off-leash. Nearby Evanston, Ill, has its own fairly large Dog Beach but charges per season --- about $45 for residents and more than $85 for visitors at the time of publication. The "token" passes are sold at City Hall.

      In Michigan, dogs on leash are welcome at several sandy spots, including the Grand Mere State Park Beach in Stevensville, where a mile-long sandy beach runs along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Porter, Indiana, lets dogs on leashes on two of its beaches. In Erie, Pennsylvania, the Presque Isle State Park Beach welcomes leashed dogs at its unguarded beaches, where humans are only allowed to wade in up to their knees. Ohio and Wisconsin also have dog-friendly beaches.