My dog recommends these Bay Area spots

My dog and her canine pals have been dedicated to testing out Bay Area dog hot spots for over a decade. Since even after all this time, she can’t type, I am sharing this information on her behalf for you to share with your dog friends. 

In San Francisco

• Fort Funston: Golden Gate National Recreation Area touts itself as the only park within the national park service to have designated off-leash areas for dogs. Meyzi’s favorite spot here is Fort Funston, a beach that delights humans with its incredible Golden Gate views and dogs with its dog-party vibes. 
• Crissy Field and Presidio: Perched along the bay near the Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field is a long stretch of walking paths, beaches, and converted buildings that used to be part of a military base and now house things like trampoline parks, shops, and the perfect-spot-for-a-coffee Warming Hut. Not all of Crissy Field is dog friendly, but there are parts of the beach where dogs can run and explore off-leash. With the recent-ish completion of Presidio Tunnel Tops, it’s also a lot easier to combine a trip to Crissy Field with a detour into the Presidio, where there’s a fantastically giant lawn, food trucks, a visitor center with all sorts of interesting local info, and lots of trails. 

In the East Bay

• Cesar Chavez Dog Park at the Berkeley Marina: This off-leash dog park feels vast and is crisscrossed by different trails so you can mix it up on each wander. It’s ringed by on-leash trails, so there will be some holding-it-together requirements to get to the run-free part of the park, but it’s so worth it. At the entrance to the off-leash area, there are usually a lot of dogs congregating and playing, and then as you walk farther the dog traffic thins. 
• Point Isabel: Point Isabel Regional Shoreline dog park is legendary for its dog-first attitude to the outdoors. On its 40 acres of bayside walking paths, dogs outnumber people most of the time, and it really feels like a non-stop canine party. Next to the parking lot is the brilliant Mudpuppy’s, a combo dog wash spot and cafe. Book your dog’s wash in advance to be sure to secure a spot. 
• Albany Bulb: I’m pretty sure Meyzi and her bestie Oscar call the beach attached to the Albany Bulb Freakout Beach because they love to race along the water, splash in the waves, and generally live their best dog lives with a beautiful view of the Bay. After playing at the beach, we all walk the trails of the Albany Bulb, keeping an eye out for art that people have created along the trails and water over many years. (NOTE: In November 2024, elevated levels of radiation were detected at the Albany Bulb. At presstime, it was unclear what the next steps would be to address the issue.)

In the South Bay

• Pulgas Ridge: Pulgas Ridge in San Carlos is a 366-acre preserve, which is great for on-leash hikes with dogs (dogs are allowed on-leash on all the trails here). But the real gem here is its 17-acre off-leash dog play area where dogs can roam freely. Meyzi’s friend reports that there’s lots of good sniffing here. 

In Marin

• Field of Dogs: San Rafael’s Field of Dogs park is cool because it’s entirely volunteer driven, so it’s a true community project kept lovely by dog-loving volunteers. The fenced off-leash park has a main run-around area plus a smaller fenced area in the back for dogs who need a little more chill. 
• Red Hill Dog Park: This San Anselmo dog park isn’t huge, and it’s still sort of new, but it’s a great one-acre fenced-in dog park for dogs that could use a little containment. It has double gates so dogs are less likely to escape, and there’s some benches and picnic tables where dogs’ humans can hang out while dogs run around.