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As of September
2002 Chicago (illinois) has an official dog friendly beach with
legalwater access at Montrose Beach.
Don & Meredith
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We rented a house
on North Beach in Hampton Beach (New Hampshire). Although it
is dog-friendly off season, you can bring your dog to North Beach
in the morning and late day...before and after the lifeguards
take post. You can set your watch to it at night. As soon as
the lifeguards go home (4? 5?) you all of sudden see dogs playing
and swimming off leash with total glee. Our Vizsla is only 5
months but everyone got all extremely well....it seems responsible
owners frequent this particular beach since that immediate area
is primarily year round residents and not just tourists. Also,
in Maine....Seapoint Beach near Fort Foster is dog friendly all
the time. cheers,
Traci
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Along Lake Huron,
Burtchville Township Beach (Michigan) does not prohibit dogs.
It is a very small beach but hey, at least it's a little sand
and water for the pups. It is between Port Huron and Lexington
almost directly east of Jeddo. Thanks,
Shelly
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Our favorite beach
in California is Pfeiffer Beach on Big Sur. It is tucked into
a cove backed by wooded cliffs. For those dogs who don't enjoy
ocean waves there is a small freshwater pool fed by a mountain
stream.
Ben
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Fort Foster (Maine)
has great beaches and allows dogs on the beach, and there is
plenty of beach for them. Dogs must be leashed but there is a
section of beach where everyone lets thier dogs run free. A great
spot with picnic grounds and hiking trails. For the most beach
time, go around low tide.
Angela
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I have an addition
to your list of dog friendly beaches on Lake Michigan.
Since late last summer, Chicago (Illinois) has had an official
dog friendly area on Montrose Avenue beach. Located on the northern
end of this beach, this large fenced area regularly hosts dozens
of dogs and their owners. It's a great place for city dwellers
to allow their dogs off leash, and is the only 'official' dog
friendly beach in Chicago.
Tom
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Was just browsing
your wonderful site and wanted to alert you to "Huntington
Dog Beach" in Huntington Beach, California. This is a 1-mile
stretch which allows dogs off-leash as long as they're on wet
sand or in the water. It's a wonderful spot; has been there for
about 8 or 9 years.
Ann
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One of the BEST
dog beaches is Ft. Desoto in St. Petersburg....it is a State
park and has about a 4 acre fenced in grassy area for pups..and
o on the back side you walk out onto the beach...where the pups
are allowed to run off leash..its FANTASTIC!! It's a beautiful
white sand beach that is very wide and the back has dunes and
sea grasses for the pups to play in. There is also a shower on
the way out
Next in the middle of the city of Tampa on Davis Island is the
Davis Island Dog Beach...It is near the Davis ISland Airport..totally
fenced in..and while not the most beautiful beach...the dogs
just LOVE IT!! IT also has a doggie wash.
Hope this information is helpful and will be included in your
next edition!!
Kelly
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There arebeaches
in Southern CA in Los Angeles County (Long Beach/Belmont Shore...www.hautedog.org),
and also in Orange County (Huntington Beach).
And, I believe
you might find more before you get south to San Diego
nowadays, since more people are interested in sharing time with
their furry family members.
Deb
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I actually got
a ticket ($80.00) for taking my dog to the beach at Lundington
State Park on Lake Michigan. I was along the road, no where near
any controlled beaches. "But" I take my dogs all the
time to Muskeygon State Park. The unoffical "dog" beach
is on the south side of the park along the road. You have to
climb over the guard rail and climb over rocks to get to the
beach, but there are always people there with dogs. The beach
is wonderful, especially at sunset. The best beach in Michigan
for dogs is the Lake Michigan Recreational Area between Lundington
and Manistee. It is a national forest area with a rustic,
but wonderful campground. You climb over a dune to get to the
beach and there are two direction, one way for dogs and the other,
no dogs.
So, everyone is happy. This shoreline is totally natural as far
north and south as you can see and there are lots of trails for
hiking. Nearby Manistee is good for ice cream and groceries.
If you love to hike and swim with your pooch, this is the place.
Susan, with Georgia Peach (yellow lab) and Dolly (golden retrieve/husky.)
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At Kohnler-Andrae
State Park on Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Wisconsin dogs are
allowed on the beach NORTH OF THE NATURE CENTER. Pet waste must
be removed and placed in trash containers - do not bury it in
the sand.
Bridomom
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Located just south
of Venice Florida near the airport and situated on
the Gulf is a dog park with access to a stretch of beach that
is
intended for dogs and their owners. While I live in Michigan,
I have
used this park and was very happy with it's facilities including
the dog
beach.
Dan
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Flagler county
on the north-east coast of Florida is a great place to take your
dog. Dogs are allowed on the beach as long as they are leashed,
and most areas are relatively quiet year-round. A few hotels
even allow pets. One, The Topaz, allows multiple pets for a very
resonable charge (I think $10 per pet, per day.)
St. Augustine is nearby, and dogs are also allowed in the historic
district (as long as you pick up after them.) However, the downtown,
historic district is ALWAYS busy and noisy, so only well-behaved
and people-friendly dogs should go. There is also an old time
photo (black and white pictures with scenes) shop downtown in
an indoor strip-mall type area. The name of the place is Heritage
Old Time Photo, and they are great with including pets in the
pictures.
Hope this helps,
fellow pet lover, Ashley
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the
best time with dogs has to be on Cape San Blas, Florida, in the
Panhandle between Panama City and Apalachicola. The whole area
is super for dogs and people who want beach and not much else
but the beauty. Leashes not necessary most of the time and most
of the places, everyone cooperative on keeping it all clean and
sanitary. Just great.
JULIE |
DAILY: off-leash,
Dog Beach in Long Beach, Calif.; www.DogZone.org
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There is a stretch
of beach in Lewes, Delaware that allows dogs. You have to deal
with all the fishermen, but it is still worth it!
David
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hi
I bought property (8 acres on a private lake) in Walton County
NW
Florida- just so i could take my dog to the beach there!
I love going to Ed Waline Park off of route 30a, near Grayton
Beach.
I do run into non- residents with dogs on the beach at times
but
Ed Waline park is the least restrictive and only seems to have
the ATF
sherrif driving around & checking registrations on weekends.
The park is great for parking and has bathrooms too!
Just thought i would pass this info on
thanks
Jf
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I live in Florida
and I noticed the previous reference to Ft. Desoto Park. Yes
it is nice and it is convenient but it is a far cry from the
Ft. Myers beach area. First there are a number of beach front
motels that allow guests with dogs. During the magnificent sunsets
(Ft. Myers is on the west side of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico)
you may find your dogs being teased in the water by dolphins
just a few feet away. The sand is magnificent and the beach area
is probably 4 times deeper than what Ft. Desoto offers. The entire
beach (except for the pubic beach by the pier) is dog friendly
- that translates into miles of dog beach. The dogs must be on
a leash but only once have I encountered a warning when the dogs
were running free and that was on a holiday weekend by a friendly
beach patrol. At night the dogs love to run and chase birds illuminated
only by the moonlight.
Now for the
real treat - head further south about 10 miles or so from Ft.
Myers Beach to Lovers Key state park and at the south end is
a paradise of leash free beaches for the pups. I think it is
actually a county beach at the end of the state park property.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey/default.asp
You may encounter
2 dogs or 50 as they run and splash in the shallow water. My
Aussies and Border Collie come home so trashed and covered with
sand they are barely able to make it back to the car. Ft. Myers
is probably the most beautiful area in Florida and one of the
few truly natural areas left. I lived here over 15 years before
I discovered Ft. Myers. It is also one of the most reasonable
tourist stops and features many excellent restaurants.
Another place
closer to Tampa is Honeymoon Island state park which is on the
Gulf near Dunedin.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland/default.asp
There is a daily
fee but you can take your coolers, beach chairs and dogs for
a day in the sun. One end of the island's beach is reserved for
dogs on a leash. It falls somewhere in between Ft. Desoto and
Ft. Myers as far as beaches are concerned. I don't know much
about the Atlantic side of Florida's dog beaches - does anyone
have any favorites??
Blueberry, Babe, Bambi (Doodle) and Jim
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Jekyll Island
s a dog paradise, dogs can stroll at all beaches. They are suppose
to be on leash, yet the beaches are usually so empty, so dogs
can run and catch some waves. My puppy was so tired catching
waves. St Simon Island allows dogs a the beach too.
New Smyrna Beach has a nice dog beach, yet they sometimes fine
you if the puppy is not on the leash.
Sanford /FL and Winter Springs FL have nice leash only Paw Parks,
same has Venice FL.
Jacky
Ocean Park, Maine
(near Old Orchard Beach) has a very liberal policy regarding
dogs: Dogs are banned only between 10am and 5 pm from Memorial
Day through Labor Day, and there is no posted leash law. Many
people bring their dogs first thing in the morning and then at
sunset. The sand is soft, and my dog Anna loves to play in it!
Megan & Anna
There are many
miles of open beach for dog owners to hike with their
precious friends along Bolivar Peninsula near Galveston Island.
I raise
and show American Staffordshire Terriers and we often take one
of two of
our 'kids' for long walks in the sand and surf in this area.
With males
that get up to 80 pounds, we need lots of room for them to romp
and this
area is perfect for us.Check out such places as the town of Crystal
Beach
in Texas on the internet for images and more information of the
area.
Mark
We have taken
Oreo to RI beach twice now - pic attached.
It is called Watch Hill Beach in Westerly RI.
No restrictions during summer season. Spring season may see restrictions
of all traffic for Plover bird nestings.
Dunes are roped off to protest grasses for rare Plover birds.
Lots of other dogs to play with. OK to take off leash to swim.
Ocean side and bay side to the beach.
Its a nice time!
Lis and Joe
hello, great topic,
thanks!
in North Carolina, Ocean Isle Beach (located approx. 12 miles
from the NC/SC border) dogs are allowed on the beach ANYTIME
between Labor and Memorial day and are also welcome during the
summer months, but only after 5 pm... Of course they require
that you leash your dog.
Its not a big beach, but they are somewhat dog friendly there...
I just thought id pass it along
happy trails !
Lee
Hi There
In Prince Edward Island Canada dogs are allowed on all public
beaches, on a
leash in Provincial parks and not at all in National Park [figures].
I take my
dog to the beach at Tracadie Harbour and so do lots of others.
On a Sunny
Sunday there might be 30-50 dogs of all breeds and in ten years
I have never
seen a fight. It's always the owners after all, never the dogs.
Cheers,
William White
We have been
visiting St. George Island on the gulf coast of Florida South
of Tallahassee. There are many dogs walking the beaches. They
even have poop bag stations along the way. Unfortunately, the
East end of the Island is a national park and dogs are only allowed
on the roads. That still leaves 8 miles or so of beaches to wander.
Zev and I are looking forward to our trip in December. Steve
Hi there, I
just came across your site and I think it's great!
I live in Toronto, Canada. I operate a small B&B / short
stay rental
property on the shores of Lake Ontario. It's called " Boardwalk
Beachhouse." It's dog friendly and has a huge fabulous "off
leash"
area right on the beach a stones throw from my home. I walk the
shoreline everyday with my two dogs and so do many other people.
The
Beach area of Toronto is for dog lovers, most folks have a least
one.
There are actually 3 great "off leash" areas along
the 4 or so km. of
boardwalk! It's pretty amazing considering we are in the city.
On leash dogs are welcome everywhere. A lot of the local shops
allow
dogs while you're shopping. They even offer treats or have water
bowls
outside.
This neighbourhood is very dog friendly and the beach is beautiful!
People here pick up after their pets! ...generally.
My daughter is a professional dog walker so I have 4 legged friends
visiting me quite often......& love it!
If you haven't been here yet.....maybe you will come to Toronto!...and
bring your dog of course!
Sharron
P.S. - I forgot
to mention the names of the Beaches in Toronto.
Ashbridges Bay, Woodbine Beach, Kew Beach and Balmy Beach.
Fabulous!!...Dogs love it and swim everyday all year round!
Hello,
Here in Lincoln City, Oregon we have pet friendly beaches that
people and pets love to visit.
Mark Baete
Ester Lee Motel
Hey we just lived
in AL for two years and took our dog to Fort Morgan Beach,west
of Gulf Shores, just before the actual fort on the left. It was
really pretty and natural W/O any hotels, restaurants, and few
beach homes. The sign says to keep your dog on a leash, but we
never did and nobody asked us to. It is pretty secluded and never
crowded so we just let our dog run around all day, she loved
it! Just to let yall know!-Elizabeth
Rockport beaches
become very dog friendly from October through May, and not enforce
in the evenings. Some of the beaches are even lit up. It's a
blast, like a dog party on the many Rockport and Gloucester beaches
off season.
Pam
Hi!
Great site! I see that Cape San Blas, in NW Florida is listed
and that is the most TERRIFIC beach there ever was for dogs.
The Air Force owns five miles of it and it is totally deserted.
We camped down there for five year, had our dogs leash free for
miles of fun and were never questioned. The common courtesy however,
which is almost always followed, is that when you see another
dog person or just people walking without dogs, that you then
leash your dog until you have passed them. The LAW of Gulf County
says "dogs must be leashed on the beach". However,
I actually had a Sheriffs car pass me with my two Border Collies
loose, and wave and say "have a nice day" ..
The past two years I have camped at Indian Pass Campground, about
eight miles down the beach from Cape San Blas. The exact same
is true at Indian Pass, because it is still in Gulf County. However,
though very lucky to be able to unleash my dogs, there are lots
more houses on the beach here, and you often risk dogs flying
down the steps of a house at you unexpectedly. So only completely
under control dogs that are in no way dog-aggressive should be
loose at Indian Pass Beach.
Woofsonwheels
They have an awesome
beach called "dog beach" in FT Monroe in Norfolk, VA.
The are planning on closing the base- so it will be available
for public access pretty soon.
Ted
Travelers may
want to take a day to stop at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis
Maryland. There is hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, children
play areas, gated dog play areas for both big and small dogs.
But, most important of all, there is a dog beach and there is
a nice rinse off station to rinse your pooch after a rewarding
swim in the South River! All of this for a $5.00 entrance fee
to the park. So, grab a picnic lunch and make a day of it!
We just love Cape
Cod.. particularly Provincetown National Seashore at Herring
Cove Beach.
We vacation in this area every year and it is fantasticly dog
friendly. We spend the day at the beach with our
Weimaraner Pup Thor in tow. He loves to dig a hole in the
cool sand under the umbrella and take a nap with Dad. On
beach BBQ's are allowed so you bet Thor is always ready for a
'hot dog" or two. Swimming in the ocean is a breeze
here. The rule is dogs allowed 24/7 on a leash. Looooooooooong
leashes are seen quite often around here. In the cool evenings
the people leave the area and if you pick an isolated spot the
rangers tend to turn an eye to off leash dogs. Just make
sure you are far way from people.
About a mile away from the far end of the parking lot area is
a wonderful lighthouse surrounded by tidepools galore.
Doggie heaven. I am attaching a photo of Thor sniffing
out a crab in the water during our last vacation.
We just love this place. The main street in Provincetown
is also commercial street. A 3 mile stretch of sidewalks
and stores. The nightlife here is interesting and the favorite
local pastime is people watching. This is also a great
place to walk and walk with your dog. In this area there
is also several park trails such as Beech Forest which is a 2
mile loop around a pond. Camping is nearby which is also
dog friendly even for tent campers.
Jessica
Can you tell from
these pictures that Desdemona had the time of her life playing
in the sand and surf in Waves, NC?
Anne
Quiet Waters Park
in Annapolis, Maryland
It offers two large fenced in areas for small/large dogs and
a private dog beach.
Entry to the park is $5 per car or $25 per season.
Areti
On beautiful Cape
San Blas, on Gulf of Mexico, in Florida's panhandle, dogs are
allowed on the beach. Cape San Blas beaches were
named number 1 beach in the USA in 2002 by Dr Beach. There
are a lot of pet-friendly accommodations which you can rent.
Anne
I have taken my
dog(s) to the Outer Banks of North Carolina two different times
some years apart. The last time I was there was May 2005.
We have always rented houses and have had no trouble finding
plenty of oceanfront houses to choose from. We stayed in
the town of Duck, NC the last time. It has the advantage
of a walking path by the road if you want a change of pace from
walking the beach. I was amazed at the variety and amount
of wildlife that was to be found right in town on early morning
and dusk walks. The first time we took a dog to the beach
we stayed in Avon, NC which is nice too. CAUTION !!
Be sure to check the rules for each separate town and/or beach
area. They have very specific times that dogs are allowed.
Some areas do not allow them and some are very liberal about
dogs. Please remember that summer on the beach can be VERY
HOT for both you and your dog. Don't forget to at least
rinse your dog after he has finished his dip in the ocean. Unless
your dog is a seasoned, experienced ocean swimmer, I would suggest keeping him
very close to shore and on a leash attached to a harness.
Ocean currents are very powerful. North Carolina has
other walking/hiking opportunities nearby, but I can never pry
myself off the beach to enjoy them.
Happy Hiking !
Barb
Just wanted to
let you know that there are two beaches in Anne Arundel County
Maryland that are for dogs only. They are Downs Park and
Quite Waters Park. Both allow dogs to swim in the Chesapeake
Bay. Quite Waters is also located near historic downtown
Annapolis.
Ken
We like to take
our dog to breezy point, its the end of the rockaways closest
to coney island in brooklyn. you must exit before the rockaways
and drive all the way down to the fisherman's parking lot. If
you have a 4x4 you can drive out onto the sand. Otherwise it
is a very nice beach and a nice walk out to it.
Matthew
We travel with
our dogs in our motor home. We have visited many beaches all
through the country. Those that allow dogs and those that
are not posted to prohibit dogs but allow them on leashes.
The BEST beach we have ever been to and continue to return to
is Coronado Dog Beach located on Coronado Island, San Diego County
California. This is truly a dog friendly, off the leash dog beach.
There are no time restrictions and plenty of doggie bag stations
with trash cans placed on the way to the beach. Visitors are
asked to pick up after their pets and most comply.
Treat your best friend and yourself to this wonderful beach where
the summer water temp. is generally in the high 60's to the low
70's and the waves break gently on the shore. You will not regret
nor forget the time spent here.
Edward
I just wanted
to let you know about our favorite vacation spot to take our
pups!!
Topsail Island!!
It is a little island in North Carolina, between Wilmington
and Myrtle. It is the most fabulous place. Dogs are
allowed on the beach year-round and all day long. It is
very quiet there, a perfect getaway to relax with your best
friend.
Check it out!!!
Thanks for all the info!!
Wendy
Coco Plum Beach
in Marathon, FL is much more dog friendly than Sombrero Beach.
In Islamorada, Founders Park has a dog friendly portion with
a small jetty that does can swim from. Also, on the Gulf coast,
you didn't mention the dog park in Venice which also has a wonderful
beach.
Judy
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