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Take it all off: Best Bay Area off-leash dog spots
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Papi enjoys his off leash time.
Wherever you live in the Bay Area, there are great places to take your dog offleash and enjoy a superlative human experience, as well. Our list of Bests is divided into regions so you can easily find one near home... or choose a new one for a little more adventure.
East Bay Energy
Albany Bulb: Most artistic dog run
The Albany Bulb began its life as a landfill. After the landfill was shut down, nature took over and today the area is covered in rich greenery—and that’s not all. At the Bulb, you’ll find a community artspace every bit as rich and varied as the nature surrounding it: giant sculptures and paintings created by local artists for the sheer pleasure of making art dot the landscape, providing a visual feast for you and an exciting run for your dog.
Be warned: this isn’t your standard, official dog play area (DPA). The Bulb has homeless encampments as well as resident artists. It’s not stocked with poop bags and doggy water fountains, and there’s no guarantee that the other off-leash dogs are going to be well behaved or friendly. The Bulb is a strange place, full of magic and beauty, but you pay for that with rougher edges and fewer rules.
You’ll find the Bulb in Albany Waterfront Park, at the Bay end of Buchanan Street.
Point Isabel Regional Shoreline: Best place to roll in something smelly and get clean
Too often, DPAs are barren, boring spaces, empty of exciting smells for the dogs and exciting sights for the humans. That is not the case at Point Isabel. The 21-acre park is landscaped, and all those trees and grass mean lots of great smells and exploration for your off-leash dog. They can even take a dip in the Bay if they are up to it. Meanwhile, you can relax and drink in the magnificent views of the Mount Tam, Angel Island and the Bay.
Your dog will find plenty to roll in at Point Isabel, although not a lot of dog mess, thankfully, as the park is very well stocked with poop bags supplied by PIDO (Point Isabel Dog Owners and Friends). Once he’s done rolling around, you can take your pal to Mudpuppy’s Tub and Scrub, which offers full service and DIY bathing facilities. If you opt to let someone else wash that grass right out of his fur, you can grab a bite at the Sit & Stay Café next door while your pup gets washed.
To get to Point Isabel, take I-580 or I-80 and exit at Central Avenue West to Isabel Street ot Rydin Road. Turn right to get to the Point Isabel parking lots, adjacent to Costco and the U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Center.
San Francisco Frolics
Pine Lake/Stern Grove: Best place to re-enact Caddyshack
If your dog likes sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong, she’s going to love the meadow at Pine Lake/Stern Grove. This flat bed of grass is dotted with gopher holes. And while you obviously don’t want your dog harming the wildlife, the chance to sniff and get excited about these little guys will delight her for hours.
Be warned, though: the dog area at Pine Lake/Stern Grove isn’t fenced in. Your dog should be under voice control if she’s playing off leash regardless, but you’ll want to make triple certain of it at this park.
We like the park because it’s mostly out of the wind, which is a big deal in chilly San Francisco. We also love the gorgeous greenery and the serenity of the lake itself. There are a few trails on the hillside and around the water, but the meadow is the main attraction. You’ll find plenty of other dogs here for your pup to play with, too.
The DPA at Pine Lake is at Sloat Boulevard & Vale Street.
Fort Funston: Best place to spend a whole day
For all the controversy surrounding it, Fort Funston remains one of the greatest DPAs in San Francisco. It combines all the best-loved aspects of being outdoors: getting wet, digging in sand, tons of smells and lots of other dogs to play with. And it’s just as great for humans, set in a beautiful spot surrounded by ocean and dunes, and complete with other dog owners to play with. In addition to the main doggy area, you’ll also find plenty of trails to hike through.
There is a 12-acre area that’s entirely closed to dogs due to environmental rulings, but the park is pretty dog friendly otherwise. It’s well-stocked with dog-accessible water and poop bags provided by the community, and is a popular destination for San Francisco dogs.
To get to the Fort, take southbound Highway 35 and take your first right after John Muir Drive. Bear right into the parking lot. Or take northbound Highway 35 and make a U-turn at John Muir Drive. Then drive south and take your first right, which is marked Fort Funston. Bear right into the lot.
Ocean Beach: Best place to run your heart out
Although Ocean Beach’s off-leash regulations are under fire, it’s still one of the best places to let your dog run free. The long, wide stretch of beach is perfect for smelling, digging, rolling and, of course, swimming!
Small dogs get an extra treat at Ocean Beach. The Small Dog Walking Group meets at the beach regularly for off-leash play. No toys, no leashes, and no big dogs allowed. This is a great chance to socialize your dog while hanging out with a very fun, relaxed group of people.
After the recent oil spill in the Bay, it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your dog, just in case she unearths a tar ball under the sand. (But then, you were keeping a close eye on her anyway, right?) If you find oil, call 415-398-9617 to report it. You shouldn’t still be seeing oil-damaged wildlife at this point, but if you do, call 415-701-2311.
Ocean Beach is easy to find: just enter San Francisco and head west!
McLaren Park: Best doggy swimming hole
McLaren contains seven miles of great hiking trails and a ton of standard park amenities (tennis courts, picnic spots, etc.), but the thing we love most is the dog pond. The “pond” is actually a landscaped reservoir that irrigates the park while it’s cooling down your dogs.
Because it’s not as dramatic as Fort Funston and Ocean Beach, McLaren is often much less crowded. This can be a great place to go when you want to play with your dogs without a lot of distractions from other dogs. Plus, when your pal is tired of swimming there are the trails to explore. Watch signs for leash regulations on trails.
You’ll find McLaren Park at the intersection of Mansell Street and Visitacion Avenue.
North Bay Beats
Rodeo Beach: Best place to roll in kelp
Rodeo Beach is a sweet little gem made of sand and sun and kelp. Less crowded than Stinson (and much smaller), Rodeo is a great place to relax, play and pelican-watch. This is one of the few areas in Marin where you can legally run your dog off-leash, and lucky for us that it is, because the views are unbeatable. The beach is also surrounded by some great hiking trails.
To reach the Rodeo Beach trailhead, take northbound 101 and exit at Alexander, then turn left on Bunker Road. Drive about three miles to the trailhead. Coming south on 101, exit at Sausalito. Drive up Conzelman Road and turn right on McCullough Road, then left on Bunker Road. The trailhead is at the end of the road.
Dillon Beach: Best place to race your dog
You’ll have to pay $5 to enter Dillon, as it’s a private beach. However, once you’re in, you’ve got vast stretches of sand and dunes: even the biggest dogs will have plenty of room to stretch their legs! And the beach itself is one of those soft, pillowy beaches where you’ll only find white sand, no pebbles to bruise tender paws. It is super windy, so be warned: some of that sand will get into your eyes and hair unless you bring the right gear. You can also bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at the picnic tables.
You can take Highway 1 to Dillon Beach. Check out the map for details at http://tinyurl.com/4elh97.
Remington Dog Park: Best dog-friendly AND human-friendly design
We love this community-created dog park in Sausalito. The 1.3 acre space is fenced in, so dogs are safe to run free. Within the boundaries of the park, you’ll find beautiful trees to provide plenty of shade for you and your dog, and lots of picnic tables where you can relax and chat with other dog enthusiasts. It’s as if someone recognized that dog parks should be pleasant places for people to hang out as well as dogs! This is also a great place to play fetch with your dog, and if you show up without a toy, you’ll find plenty of tennis balls here. Be a good citizen of the park and read the posted rules about poop scooping, persistent barking and aggression before you bring your pal into this little slice of doggy heaven.
Coming north on Highway 101, exit at Marin City/Sausalito and merge onto Bridgeway. The park will be on your right. Coming south, take the same exit. Turn left on Donahue Street, then continue on Bridge Blvd and turn right on Bridgeway.
These are just a few of the many fantastic off-leash areas that the Bay Area has to offer. So what are you waiting for? Grab your dog and start running free!
This list of best off-leash adventures was originally published in FETCH the Paper and was compiled by Kris Larson.
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