Dog-Friendly Beaches in Los Angeles

The only legal off-leash dog beach in Los Angeles County: 1 km of soft Pacific sand on Belmont Shore, between Roycroft and Argonne Avenues, run by the City of Long Beach. The fenced zone is bounded north by Ocean Boulevard and south by the surf line; dogs can swim in the shallow Long Beach surf year-round. Open 06:00 to 20:00 daily. Free admission, paid parking on Ocean Boulevard ($2/hour metered).

A Pacific state beach 45 km west of Santa Monica with one rare exception to the California state-park no-dogs rule: Beach 1 at the north end allows leashed dogs on the sand year-round. Soft sand, gentle to moderate surf, dramatic tide pools and sea caves at low tide. Day-use vehicle fee $12. The rest of Leo Carrillo (Beaches 2 and 3) is off-limits to dogs, including the famous sea caves at the south end.

A 2.5 km off-leash dog beach on the open Pacific in Huntington Beach, just south of the Orange County line: the longest off-leash Pacific-surf dog beach in Southern California. Run by a non-profit foundation, free dog admission, paid vehicle parking ($1/hour with a 4-hour max in the lot). Dogs swim in real surf, often run in packs along the wet sand for a kilometre at a time. Open 05:00 to 22:00 year-round.