San Diego dog beaches: the rules by season

Can my dog come to the beach? Around San Diego the answer depends on which beach, which month and what time of day. This guide walks through the rules as the cities and the state write them. The place cards always show today's rule, so if something changes after we publish, the cards will know before this article does.

City of San Diego beaches: mornings and evenings

Most beaches inside the City of San Diego follow one rule. Dogs, leashed or not, may not be on a public beach, in a public park next to a beach, or on a sidewalk next to a beach during these hours:¹

• April 1 through October 31: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• November 1 through March 31: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Outside those hours, dogs are welcome on a hand-held leash no longer than six feet.^1,3 That makes early mornings and evenings the time for a beach walk with your dog. From November 1 the afternoon window opens two hours earlier, so a walk after 4 p.m. works all winter. The same hours apply on Mission Bay's beaches.⁴

Two spots in La Jolla are off limits to dogs at all times: the Children's Pool beach, with its breakwater wall, ramp and stairs, and the closure area at Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach.²

Dog Beach, Ocean Beach: off leash, any hour

Where the San Diego River meets the ocean is Dog Beach. The city's daytime ban does not apply here: licensed dogs may be off leash at any hour.¹ In the city's off-leash areas one person may bring up to three dogs, must never leave a dog unattended, and may not bring a female dog in heat.²

Fiesta Island: leash optional, 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fiesta Island in Mission Bay is the other exception.¹ The city describes it as leash optional across the whole island, shoreline and interior alike, while it is open from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dogs are not allowed at the Youth Aquatic Center and camp on the island.⁴ Here one person may bring up to six off-leash dogs.²

Coronado: one beach for dogs

Coronado does not allow dogs on its beaches or in most of its parks. On the sand, the exception is Dog Beach, where dogs may be off leash.⁵

Farther south, Silver Strand State Beach allows no dogs on the ocean beach or the bay beach. Leashed dogs may use its parking lots, the campground and the bayside multi-use trails.¹⁴

Del Mar: off leash most of the year

Del Mar's North Beach, from 29th Street to the Solana Beach line, is off leash from the day after Labor Day through June 15. From June 16 through Labor Day, dogs may be off leash there from dawn to 8 a.m. and must be leashed the rest of the day.⁶ At the time of writing, in October 2026, the off-leash season is on. Del Mar's other two beaches have their own rules; we explain all three in Del Mar's off-leash season, explained.

North County: mostly no dogs, with one exception

The city beaches of Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside do not allow dogs.^7,8,9 Neither do Carlsbad State Beach and South Carlsbad State Beach, including Ponto.^12,13

The exception is Cardiff State Beach, at Cardiff Reef and Seaside. Dogs are allowed there on a leash up to six feet, from the San Elijo Lagoon mouth south to the park boundary.^10,11

Torrey Pines: leave your dog at home

Torrey Pines State Beach and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve allow no dogs. That includes the northern, state-run part of Black's Beach below the reserve's bluffs, and, at the state beach, dogs waiting in a vehicle. Service dogs are the exception.^15,16

A few habits that help everywhere

• Bring a six-foot leash even to an off-leash beach. You will need it in the parking lot and on the way to the sand.
• Keep your dog's license on its collar. The city's off-leash areas require a current one.²
• Bring water and bags, and pick up after your dog.
• Watch the clock on City of San Diego beaches, and plan around the 9 a.m. start.

Rules change, and the signs at the beach are the final word. Check posted signs.