Beaches to take your dog (on leash) in Marin County…
What dog doesn’t love the outdoors. Whether you decide to hike with your pups or swim with them you’ve got to know what beachs are verbotten when it comes to dogs off leash! Below is a list of beaches that require that you leash your dog (albeit you might have a 20 foot leash but leash it must be!):
| Doran Beach | Portugues Beach | Furlong Gulch |
| Carmet Beach | Duncan’s Cove | Shell Beach |
| Schoolhouse Beach | Wright’s Beach | Blind Beach |
Please note that dogs are not allowed at:
Salmon Creek North & South
Miwok Beach
Coleman Beach
Terra Linda Sleepy Hollow Divide a great “off leash” open space in San Rafael, CA
Ever wonder where to bring your dog, especially if you have a dog that doesn’t like the confines of a closed dog park? Then you must head on over to the Terra Linda/Sleep Hollow Open Space Preserve in San Rafael, CA.
This is a fantastic spot and a great alternative to the other “off leash” dog parks in the Marin County and surrounding area (Escalon Trail, Rodeo Beach, Crissy Fields and Fort Funston).
You’ll drive up 101 North and take the Freitas Parkway exit going West, head all the way down Del Ganado Road which runs parallel to the Terra Linda shopping center. Follow the road for about 6-8 minutes until you dead end into the Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve‘s entrance. Lots of bikers, hikers and dog owners so you’ll be in good company. As you first enter the park you’ll be on a black top that winds up the hill for about a 5 minute walk, then the road turns sharply to the right and transitions into a wide and level dirt road. Once on the top of the hill you have a 360 degree view of the Bay, Richmond Bridge, downtown San Rafael, Sleepy Hollow, Terra Linda and if you’re lucky up to Novato.
What I love about this San Rafael “off leash” trail is that you really feel like your on top of the world. From top to bottom it will take you a slow 15 minutes walk. The beauty and open space is simply wonderful, its quiet, you see dozens of hawks circling around, a few stone sculptures (like the one below) and soon you’ll find your self at a fork in the road. Whether you go to the right or the left it doesn’t really matter because its pretty much a horse shoe that loops you back onto the path headed down the hill. There are lots of off shoot trails to investigate but you’d be wise to go with a map if you are not familiar with the area and make sure to bring a water bottle…it can get hot on this trail!
Marin County offers so many fantastic areas for you and your dogs to investigate that you’ll love making the Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve one of your Top 10 “off leash” areas to visit.
Crissy Fields…another “off leash” beach for dogs near Marin County
Whenever I need a change of scenery but don’t have a lot of time I head on over to Crissy Fields just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes there are wonderful “off leash” dog trails/park/beaches in Marin County(like Escalon Trail in Mill Valley, Rodeo Beach at the Marin Headlands, Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Divide in San Rafael and Fort Funston in San Francisco) but sometimes it’s nice to have a change and when I’m looking for a change I high tail it over to Crissy Fields “off leash” beachin the i. It’s all of 6-7 miles from Mill Valley, CA, it runs about .08 of a mile and the dogs just love it. You’ll love it too because it’s a quick ride, there is plenty of parking, there are bathrooms and there’s a coffee lunch spot.
This particular “off leash” dog park/beach in the SF Bay Area is located right near the Golden Gate Bridge. What I like to do is get off at the first exit just after you go through the toll booths and loop under the Golden Gate Bridge and weave my way down to the first set of parking spots closest to the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the “off leash” beach area at Crissy Fieldsbut along on the right hand side you’ll see an open space that is perfect for your dog’s warm up before diving into the ocean. Make sure to pack a sweater, it’s San Francisco after all, bring the chucker and don’t forget the bags.
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