The Best Dog Parks & Beaches in San Francisco

Lakeshore / Outer Sunset · Fort Funston, Skyline Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94132

The Bay Area's most famous off-leash destination: a vast clifftop expanse of dunes and sandstone bluffs above a wide ocean beach, beloved by hang gliders and dozens of dogs at a time. Dogs run off-leash under voice control across nearly the whole site.

Outer Sunset / Richmond · Ocean Beach, Great Highway, San Francisco, CA 94121

A miles-long stretch of Pacific shoreline where dogs run off-leash under voice control along most of the beach. The southern end is protected snowy plover habitat with a seasonal leash rule.

Presidio / Marina · Crissy Field, 1199 East Beach, San Francisco, CA 94129

A flat bayfront with a sandy beach, lawn and promenade and postcard Golden Gate Bridge views — one of the calmest places to let a dog splash in the Bay. Off-leash voice control is allowed across most of it, with a seasonal leash zone protecting shorebird habitat.

Presidio · Baker Beach, Bowley St, San Francisco, CA 94129

A mile-long sandy ocean beach in the Presidio with dramatic Golden Gate Bridge views. Dogs are allowed off-leash under voice control on the stretch north of Lobos Creek.

Outer Richmond / Sea Cliff · Lands End, 680 Point Lobos Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121

A rugged coastal headland of cypress-lined trails and cliff overlooks at the city's northwest tip, with views of the Golden Gate and the Sutro Baths ruins. Listed by GGNRA as a voice-control off-leash area.

Castro / Corona Heights · Roosevelt Way & Museum Way, San Francisco, CA 94114

A heavily used, rustic fenced dog run at the base of the Corona Heights natural area next to the Randall Museum, drawing dogs from the Castro, Cole Valley and beyond.

Alamo Square / Western Addition · Hayes St & Steiner St, San Francisco, CA 94117

An off-leash play area on the grassy, tree-shaded slopes of Alamo Square, with the famous 'Painted Ladies' and the downtown skyline as a backdrop. A social spot popular with neighborhood dogs.

Mission / Dolores Heights · Dolores St & 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Two designated off-leash zones in the city's busiest sunbathing park: a north area along the Dolores Street slope and a south area near the playground and promenade. Lively and very social on weekends.

Duboce Triangle / Lower Haight · Duboce Ave & Scott St, San Francisco, CA 94117

A compact, intensely social neighborhood off-leash area that's a daily gathering spot for Duboce Triangle and Lower Haight dog owners and families.

Bernal Heights · Bernal Heights Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94110

A big, open off-leash hilltop with 360-degree views of the Bay, Golden Gate Bridge and downtown — a former quarry laced with dirt trails where dogs roam the summit. One of the largest off-leash spaces in the city.

Excelsior / Visitacion Valley · Mansell St & John F. Shelley Dr, San Francisco, CA 94134

Two of the largest off-leash areas in San Francisco, set in sprawling McLaren Park — one behind the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater and one at Mansell St & John F. Shelley Dr — with big open fields and trails that serve hundreds of dogs a day.