Dog-friendly beaches in L.A. for a day by the ocean with your best friend

This stretch of sand in Long Beach is a pooch-friendly paradise. Indeed, it’s the only one of its kind around here: The four-acre waterfront spot is the sole off-leash dog beach in L.A. County. The park is named after the area’s late local canine celebrity, Rosie the English bulldog.

You’ll see some signs on the beach that mark the dog-friendly area (roughly between Granada Avenue and Roycroft Avenue), but otherwise there are no fences or any sort of other hard boundaries. You’ll know you’re in the right spot if you see the orange “Dogs at Play” sculptures. Look for metered parking ($2 per hour) in the Bennett Avenue lot between 6am and 8pm daily.

Time Out tip: If you’re hungry, stop at Monty’s Dog Beach & Bar (not to be confused with vegan burger chain Monty’s), a snack shop near the parking lot with an adorable agility course. Seating gets very limited on busy weekends, so consider finding a dog-friendly patio on nearby 2nd Street instead.

Leo Carrillo has the best of all possible beach worlds: a well-equipped stretch of sand with seclusion and scenic beauty. A rocky point splits the shore in two, and if you’re headed here with your pup you’ll want to stick to the northern end (that’s the area north/west of lifeguard tower three).

Dogs need to stay on-leash, and in addition to the beach you can take them into the campground and day-use areas—but not backcountry trails. That’s the same policy at Point Mugu State Park’s Thornhill Broome Beach, less than 15 minutes up the coast and over the Ventura County line, and an ideal option for camping; but I think Leo Carrillo is simply nicer for day use.

Parking costs $3 per hour and maxes out at $12; to enter the lot, turn onto Beach Access Road and follow the driveway under PCH and to a second parking lot at the other end. (Just a heads up that this lot has been closed a couple of times due to storm damage.)

Time Out tip: Alternatively, you can park for free on PCH and walk down the wooden staircase (roughly 36000 E Pacific Coast Hwy), or look for some dirt access paths just to the east.

Just across the county line, this OC beach is always buzzing with off-leash puppers. The wide sandy beach and the slow-breaking waves make this a perfect spot for oceanfront fun on four legs. The beach routinely hosts dog meet-ups as well as the annual Surf City Surf Dog competition.

You’ll find parking in a pair of lots just to the north along the Pacific Coast Highway ($3 to $3.50 per hour), as well as additional metered spots nearby.

Time Out tip: The sand along Huntington Beach can sometimes be a little stickier than its L.A. counterparts due to the (normally naturally occurring) presence of tar, so I’d suggest having your go-to paw cleaning routine with you.