Carmel Beach

Or call (831) 624-2522 for more information.

• Mackenzie
  Sep 29, 2024
  Love it!

  I love this beach and just how dog friendly it is!

• Shamathmika
  Sep 6, 2024
  Pretty white sand beach

  Beautiful beach with white sand. We parked at downtown Carmel and had to walk (downhill to the beach and uphill back) a little to reach. Otherwise a really clean good beach
  Didn’t find a place to wash ourselves or the dog though

• Velocity K9
  Aug 13, 2024
  Rude Owners, Rude Dogs

  Growing up, I used to take my Australian Shepherd to Carmel Beach for ball time amongst the waves. Fast forward to the present, where I wanted my husband and my well-trained, well-behaved Siberian Husky to experience the same pristine sand and azure waters.

  However, my experience was a far cry from what I remembered. Not only did many owners just let their dogs beeline straight for my dog while he was holding a place command (which the place cot is a personal space), but multiple owners let their dogs walk up to our own beach setup and allow them to sniff our stuff. This is so incredibly rude and I'm sure choice words would be exchanged if a human did that to someone else's setup. Just because you have dogs doesn't allow you to be entitled and let them sniff or walk over stranger's stuff. Imagine if a random human touched your stuff, would you like it?

  In addition, the majority of owners should never have let their dogs off leash as their dogs had zero recall. I had to body block multiple dogs to prevent them from coming up to mine.

  We basically had to wait for waves of dogs to move past before I would release my Siberian from his place command so he could enjoy some time in the waves.

  Thankfully, there were a handful of well-mannered dogs and humans who were appreciative of my dog's obedience and I had good interactions with them, but the vast majority left a bitter taste in my mouth.

  Just because you have a dog does not mean it has to make friends with everyone, or that it has to be off leash. I certainly do not wish my dog to make friends with all dogs, especially ones that I have no idea of their history of. Rude owners seriously ruin everything, and what's honestly worse is that most of the time, they aren't even aware or care.

  I got plenty of weird looks for keeping my dog in line, aka POLITE, (as well-behaved dogs should act), which goes to show the entitled mentality of Bay Area folks. Meanwhile all my dog was doing was holding a place command, or a sit or down stay.

  I'll stick to the mountains where I belong, thank you very much.

• Elliott
  Aug 14, 2023
  A must go for dog owners

  The whole town above the beach is very dog-friendly, with many dog-friendly restaurants and hotels. The beach is my dog's absolute favorite. she can spend hours running around in the sand and water. It’s off-leash and super fun. My pup makes many four-legged friends and plays with them as we walk along the shore. She’s also a big fan of chasing birds. It is a long open beach, so I don’t recommend going off-leash if you’re dog doesn’t naturally stick by you or if you don’t have a good recall on them. - Also, if your dog is on leash, don’t be surprised if other dogs approach. It may be frustrating for your pup, so if they can’t handle not being able to play on-leash, then I don’t recommend coming. But for any dog that doesn’t have recall problems, then it is paradise! Me and my family like to take the long dive down, go to the beach, get some dinner then go to a hotel for a night, then going to the beach again in the morning and then go to all the dog stores in town before driving back home. It’s a lovely place and doggy-filled.

• Samantha
  Aug 12, 2023
  Super Puppers friendly

  We went on a Saturday mid day. it was very busy, but we still were able to find a spot and play fetch plenty. All dog interactions were brief and positive. we had a really great time. I highly recommend this beach. keep in mind the hike down and back up in quite the hike. Bring water for your dog!!

• AmyLynn
  Apr 28, 2022
  Beautiful Off Leash Spot

  Great for high energy pups as well or those trying to not be afraid of water! Some groups do straight up bolt, so be mindful of that when heading out. Never seen anything aggressive in our time there.

• Joy
  Feb 25, 2022
  Off Leash Beach Delight

  This is one of the most dog friendly beaches I’ve ever been too. Gorgeous views, fluffy sand, rocks and water pools to frolic in, and tons of dog friendly dogs and people roaming about.

• Rachel
  Aug 18, 2021
  Great Off Leash Area

  We visited on a Wednesday afternoon. The beach was busy but not crowded. Almost all of the dogs were off leash, having a great time. It was clean and the locals were friendly. Our girl had a blast and made a couple of new friends.

• Amy
  Apr 11, 2021
  Fun adventure

  We had a fun day at this beach with our dog. We had never been to a beach before where dogs can be off leash. Even though it was a very busy day, everyone as friendly and asked if they could say “hello” to our dog. Our dog had fun running in and out of the water, and almost all of the nearby shops were pet friendly. We will definitely be going back to this beach!

• Jennifer
  Nov 23, 2020
  Great Beach

  this beach is simply beautiful and the perfect spot for doggies and humans. Dogs can be on & off leash. love it here.

• Alishia
  Oct 5, 2020
  Beautiful Views

  Only giving this a 4 bone because we ended up not being able to find parking, so we ended up not being able to go, however, it looked like a wonderful place to take your pup! We saw a lot of dogs on the beach. Beach was beautiful. Only thing I would recommend is to not go on the weekend, especially if you drive a big truck 😂

• Katie
  Feb 17, 2020
  Great off leash dog park

  This is a great off leash dog park. Our dog loved this beach. It's a beautiful beach and the beach is large so we walked until we found a spot to hang out for a while. The location of this beach is great and it's a short walk from the downtown Carmel area. We will definitely come back to this place the next time we are in the area.

• Emily
  Jan 5, 2020
  Great Beach

  Found out our pup is a beach lover. Went here twice on our weekend trip. Lots of dogs both on and off leash, wide open sand, wasn’t too crowded even though it was a weekend.

• Julia
  Oct 11, 2019
  Dogs Run Off Leash Straight For Your Dogs

  I dont mind dogs being off leash but its not safe or fair for dogs who need to be on leash. Big dogs run right up to strange dogs. its not safe for the dogs or for people.

• Richard
  Feb 27, 2019
  Wonderful beach

  Close to Carmel is the main beach where dogs can roam of leash. My boy loved it. We walked a bit along the beach to a quiet area so he could romp around in the sand.
  It's so pretty.

• Ivon
  More than a year ago
  SO BEAUTIFUL

  This was the first beach we brought our girl to and she typically loves water so I was worried she would charge in. I loved there are pools of water that are safe for kids and children to play in. Plenty of dogs who were friendly. Definitely coming back.

• Amanda
  More than a year ago
  My Dog's Favorite Place

  I bring my dog here on most weekends and she loves it. We prefer to go in the mornings when there are less people and more dogs, but any time is a great time to visit.

• Cara
  More than a year ago
  5

  WOOF, WOOF (that is AWESOME & FANTASTIC!!)
  Cara & Matt had a good time too.
  Well behaved pups welcomed off leash as well as behaved pup owners who pick up their poop (poop bags are plentiful at station). Bathroom in the big parking lot. On the day we went (Friday) there were a lot off people and dogs, but everyone was friendly. Seems like a mixture of tourists and locals.

• Gerardo
  More than a year ago
  Happy Tails Spa Day

  My Wife and I have a German Rottweiler only 5 months old who absolutely Love this place! We will try and come down every weekend rain or shine! their is always a dog to play with! Downtown Ocean Ave Stores are also pet friendly so while you buy a coffee or grab a bite to eat you wont have to worry about leaving your dog in the Crate. Beach also Provides Tennis Balls, and Bags to clean up and keep the beach clean. Locals know us now and we always feel like we are at home. Have never had an unpleasant experience. Parking is free and you don't have to worry about the meters.

• Jen
  More than a year ago
  Perfection

  The sand at this beach is so soft and clean! And there are off-leash dogs EVERYWHERE. So many dogs! We had such a great time, wish we lived closer so we could come here every day instead of the dog park we usually go to.

• Traci
  More than a year ago
  Storybook dog beach!

  Carmel is a storybook city, and so is its dog beach. This is a pristine, safe place to let your well-behaved dog run loose and play. My Lab mix went silly in the surf, while I beach combed nearby. At one point, I actually spotted humpback whales feeding at the point past Pebble Beach! Everyone at the beach the day we visited seemed to be expert, friendly dog people, who welcomed my dog when he ran up to greet them. We had a wonderful day on the beach, culminating in the town's sunset viewing ritual. I plan to visit again, and stay in Carmel.

• AJ/Barbara
  More than a year ago
  Tired Cecil

  WOW - we are soooooo glad we went to Carmel - Dog Town USA - July 28-31, 2015. Carmel Beach is the dog dream - off leash, friendly, tiring, fun, fun, fun and caring dog parents every where. If you haven't gone, go, you will not regret it. And BTW a great place to stay with Fido - Carmel River Inn, see our comments on lodging in Carmel area, also check out our restaurant comments - Cafe Stravaganza

• Jerome
  More than a year ago
  Best Place Around

  Cannot say enough how great it was to bring our 4 month old lab puppy to this wonderful beach. He ran in the surf, chased other dogs and wore himself out. Slept like a champ. Best place on Earth to take your puppy and socialize him!
  

• Sue
  More than a year ago
  5 Bones & 4 Paws Up!

  This beach is doggie heaven! Lots of friendly people & pups to play with and plenty of space to run. Beautiful beach, too. Our dog LOVES it here.. A+++

• Kate
  More than a year ago
  my dogs new haven!!

  This place was absolutely gorgeous and SO much fun for my pup! I was worried when I read it was leash free but I felt very safe taking my little guy off his leash there. He ran so hard that he passed out in the sand! A must see place!

• Jill
  More than a year ago
  Great!

  This beach is always a great place for dogs and their people. Lots of opportunities to meet new furry friends.

• Rebeca
  More than a year ago
  Nice Time!

  This is a beautiful beach for both pooch and owner. The sand is very fine and the surf is wonderful. Large beach area with bluffs. No fence, so I didn't feel I could really trust my dog to stay off the golf course or out of peoples suntanning areas. I kept my pup on a 25 ft light leash and she had a ball! Other dogs were great and even the sea birds seems to be having fun with the case games.

• Melissa
  More than a year ago
  best place in Monterey County for off-leash galavanting.

  Tip-top. Best place to take your pups in MRY county hands-down. Off-leash fun.

• Michelle
  More than a year ago
  WOOHOOO!!

  HAPPY PUPPY!!!!!! It was low tide when we went so there was SOOOOO much off leash romping to be done! Every other dog we encountered was friendly and ready to play, and all the humans were nice too! If you are visiting Carmel and have some non friendly dog adventure planned - take the pup here for an hour or so - he/she will be so tired from all the play they won't care that you're gone! LOVED IT!! 5+++ bones!

• Maureen
  More than a year ago
  Off Leash Heaven

  The best of both worlds-off leash for dogs and absolute beauty for people. A wide expanse of beach for the dogs to enjoy the surf or explore at the base of the bluffs. The bluffs to keep them safe from the street and (mostly) off the golf courses. Free parking, clean restrooms and stairs at certain points along the beach.

We dug up 32 pictures of dogs at Carmel Beach.

Want to feature your creature? Upload a photo of your pet at Carmel Beach! You can also share by using the hashtag #bringfido on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.