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Orange County is a dog-friendly place especially when compared to their coastal counterparts in California. See the descriptions below by city as their are some rules you need to abide by. Newport and Laguna are the most friendly as they allow dogs on most beaches in the mornings and evenings, but Huntington Beach has the best dog beach of all!

San Clemente Dog Beaches

The only dog beaches in San Clemente aren’t technically in Orange County, but they are just a short drive away. They are both located at Bluffs Beach in San Onofre State Beach. There are six numbered trails that go down the steep bluff to the beach in this park. Beach 1 and Beach 6 are open to dogs, but they must be on a leash on the trails and on the beach.

Dana Point Dog Beaches

Dogs are not allowed on any beaches, but Dana Point has a dog-friendly park directly above the beach. At Salt Creek Beach dogs are allowed on leash in Bluff Park, but they can’t be taken down to the beach unfortunately.

Laguna Beach Dog Beaches

Almost all of the city and county beaches in Laguna Beach are dog-friendly if you abide by the rules. Dogs are not allowed on the beach between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. from June 15th through September 10th. At all other times they must be on a leash. Thousand Steps Beach and Totuava are the exceptions and dogs are never allowed there. They are also prohibited on all the beaches in Crystal Cove State Park.

Newport Beach Dog Beaches

Similar to Laguna, Newport Beach allows dogs on most of their beaches with certain limitations. They are not allowed on the beach between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. year-round, and must be leashed at all other times. This includes Corona Del Mar State Beach, Newport Municipal Beach, Balboa Pier Beach, and most of the beaches on Newport Bay.

Huntington Beach Dog Beaches

Surf City is the only coastal city in OC that has an off-leash dog beach. It’s called Huntington Dog Beach and it is located between Seapoint Street and 21st Street. Signs say leashes are required, but it’s been an off-leash beach for so long that this rule is not enforced. Sadly, at all other HB beaches dogs are prohibited.

Seal Beach Dog Beaches

Dogs are unfortunately not allowed at Seal Beach City Beach.

Below is our list of the dog-friendly beaches in Orange County.