CampsiteScanBeach Camping With Dogs in California
Here is the part most articles get wrong: your dog is welcome at essentially every drive-in campsite in the California state beach system. Camping with a dog is not the problem. The question that actually decides your trip is what happens when you walk down to the water, because most state beaches do not allow dogs on the sand at all.
So the trick to beach camping with a dog is picking the campground where the beach itself says yes. There are only a few, and they book out accordingly.
The short list: campgrounds where your dog can join you on the sand
- Leo Carrillo SP (Malibu). Leashed dogs are allowed on North Beach, the stretch north of Lifeguard Tower 3. South Beach and the trails are off limits.
- Point Mugu SP (Malibu/Ventura). Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach, including at Thornhill Broome where the campsites sit right on the sand. Backcountry trails are off limits.
- New Brighton SB (Santa Cruz). One of the rare state beaches where a leashed dog can walk the sand. Santa Cruz County parks are unusually dog friendly in general.
- San Elijo SB (San Diego County). Dogs are allowed on the beach south of Lifeguard Tower 16, a short walk from the campground.
Every beach campground, campground by campground
| Campground | Dog at your campsite | Dog on the beach | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Carrillo SP | Yes | Yes, North Beach only | Not on South Beach or trails |
| Point Mugu SP | Yes | Yes | Thornhill Broome sites are on the sand; no backcountry trails |
| New Brighton SB | Yes | Yes, leashed | Six foot leash everywhere in the park |
| San Elijo SB | Yes | Yes, south of Tower 16 | Rest of the beach is no dogs |
| Doheny SB | Yes | No | Campground, picnic areas and the paved trail are fine |
| San Onofre SB | Yes | No | Dogs allowed on bluff Trails 1 and 6, a real consolation prize |
| South Carlsbad SB | Yes | No | Campground only |
| Carpinteria SB | Yes | No | Campground and day use areas only |
| El Capitan SB | Yes | No | Leash rules enforced throughout |
| Refugio SB | Yes | No | Paved bluff top trail is dog friendly |
| Crystal Cove SP (Moro) | Paved areas only | No | Strictest of the bunch: paved areas only, no beach, no trails, and no dogs at all in the hike-in campgrounds |
Honorable mention outside this list: at Pismo State Beach and Oceano Dunes, dogs are allowed in the campground, on trails and on the beach, which makes the Pismo area the most permissive beach camping in the state system.
The rules that apply everywhere
- Leash no longer than six feet, attended at all times.
- Overnight, dogs must be inside your tent or vehicle, not tied up outside.
- Service animals are exempt from beach and trail restrictions.
- Rules change; the park’s own page and the entrance kiosk are the final word.
The hard part is not the rules, it is getting a site
The four sand friendly campgrounds above are exactly the kind that sell out the morning their booking window opens. Our beach availability data rates the Malibu parks among the hardest bookings on the coast. But cancellations happen constantly, and a freed up site goes to whoever hears about it first.
That is what CampsiteScan does: pick the campground, and we email you the moment a site opens for your dates. It is free while we are in early access.
Watch a dog friendly campground
Dog policies summarized from California State Parks pages and park partner sites, checked August 2026. Always confirm at the park; rangers enforce the posted rules, not this page.