Looking for dog friendly beaches and hiking trails at Point Reyes National Seashore? You can find all the information that you need to spend a day in the sand at Kehoe Beach with dogs, one of the best dog friendly beaches at Pt. Reyes. Continue reading to find out more about our experience at this dog friendly beach in Pt. Reyes National Seashore and hiking down Kehoe Beach trail.
Visiting Point Reyes National Seashore with dogs: What you need to know
Point Reyes National Seashore is that ecologically preserved part of Northern California that juts out into the Pacific, surrounded by the water of Tomales Bay on the east and Drake’s Bay to the north.
This part of California is actually a National Park and is a nature lover/hiker/photographer/wilderness lover’s paradise all rolled in one. Point Reyes is also one of the best romantic getaways in Northern California for nature loving and outdoorsy couples and one of the most charming beach towns in Northern California.
Home to more than 1500 species of flora and fauna, cattle ranches, pristine sand beaches, idyllic countryside contrasting with roaring ocean waves crashing against the rocks and sanctuary to mating marine mammals, this seashore extending all the way from Drake’s beach in the south to Tomales Bay in the north is an easy Bay Area day trip and a must visit.
Being an ecological preserve, many parts of Point Reyes do not allow dogs, which includes most beaches, attractions (Point Reyes Lighthouse and Tule Elk Reserve) and most trails. Here is what you need to know when bringing dogs in Point Reyes:
Can I bring my dog to Point Reyes?
Yes, but they should be on leash at all times. Only some beaches allow dogs (this is subject to seasonal closures). Dogs can only hike on the Kehoe beach trail to get to Kehoe Beach and a few other trails on the other side of the Tomales Bay near Lagunitas. Find out more about these trails in my dog friendly Bay Area hikes guide
What are the Dog Friendly Beaches at Pt. Reyes? Which beaches in Point Reyes allow dogs?
This perfect California winter getaway boasts of some of the best beaches in California but many of them are not accessible to dogs. In reality, only three beaches (that can be accessed by car) are dog friendly at Point Reyes, of which the best and most popular is undoubtedly Kehoe Beach. The other two beaches are Limantour Beach and Point Reyes/Great Beach.
Are dogs allowed at Kehoe Beach?
Kehoe Beach is not only the most popular dog friendly beach at Point Reyes but also boasts of one of the very few dog friendly hiking trail at Pt. Reyes National Seashore which is its namesake Kehoe Beach trail. In this post, I am going to tell you everything that you need to know to take your dog to Kehoe Beach at Pt. Reyes.
How far is Kehoe Beach from San Francisco?
Kehoe beach is 53 miles north of San Francisco (1.5 hrs drive). This makes it an easy dog friendly day trip from San Francisco. You will need a car to go to Kehoe Beach with your pup. For a long weekend getaway from San Francisco, you can read my in-depth Pt. Reyes guide for further inspiration and itinerary.
How to get to Kehoe beach with your dog: Hike the Kehoe Beach Trail, a dog friendly hike in Point Reyes
The only way to access Kehoe Beach is via the Kehoe Beach trail, which is the only dog friendly hiking trail in Point Reyes National Seashore. Park on the side of the road from where the trailhead starts (there is no designated parking lot here) and get walking.
The trail is about 2 miles long and is pretty narrow-so your dog has to be on leash at all times. The trail passes by marshy land and protected vegetation with a final sandy stretch that leads to the beach. The trail is pretty flat and the hike is easy-moderate.
Dogs at Kehoe Beach: Beach rules
Anytime is a good time to go with Kehoe Beach with dogs so long as you remember to keep your dog on leash at all times on the beach and strictly to the north of the trail.
Since Pt. Reyes beaches are often breeding grounds by snowy Plovers, there might be signs posted or restricted access to certain parts of the beach during breeding season (mid-March to mid-September). Please respect all posted signs at all times.
Read all of Point Reyes dog friendly beach and hiking trail policies here
DOG FRIENDLY HOTELS IN POINT REYES
During our trip to Kehoe Beach, we spent a night at the Cottages at Point Reyes Seashore, a series of beautiful cottages on a sprawling property adjacent to the beautiful Tomales Bay, which are very dog friendly and charge a small fee ($ 20) for staying with a pet. We have been to Point Reyes several times with Babu, and have also stayed at Nick’s Cove at Marshalls which is on the pricier side but has a great dog friendly restaurant and a great boardwalk.
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I hope you enjoyed reading this post on visiting Kehoe Beach with dogs at Point Reyes National Seashore and hiking down Kehoe Beach trail! You can check out my other posts on dog friendly hiking in Marin county below for more outdoor fun with your dogs. Thanks a lot for stopping by!
- A day out at scenic Muir Beach Overlook with dogs
- The best things to do in Mill Valley with your dog
- The best dog friendly hiking with panoramic views at Tiburon
- Dog friendly hike to Dawn Falls in Larkspur
- A dog friendly guide to Sausalito: Marin county’s most charming town
- 3 Dog friendly waterfall hikes in Marin county that you cannot miss
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Oooooh… trails and nature and beaches and views and wildlife all rolled into one!!! I’m jealous. What a gorgeous place. Love the pictures too!
I’m always jealous how dog friendly California is – in Ontario, Canada there are so many rules. Then again, Canada loves rules. Beautiful beach, though I would need places to run the dog leash free. He’s terrible on a leash, but pretty good off. I hiked with him recently on a very crowded trail and he stuck right by me. Someone said, ‘wow, that’s a good dog.” I said, “he’s doing a good imitation of one.”
Hi Sherri, yes although we are lucky in some ways,California still does not allow dogs on many beaches. So yes that kind of sucks. There is no better sight than seeing pups play leash free 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
What a beautiful area! And how nice that it is dog friendly. Of course, my cats think the beach is the biggest litter box in the world. 😉 ~Island Cat Mom
What a lot of pictures! Wow, This looks an amazing place for a walk (with our without a dog!!)
You should put all the pictures in a slideshow and I can sit here in wintery New Zealand with a hot coffee and just enjoy!!
It’s funny … Jasmine LOVED water. Puddles, streams, lakes, ponds … but when we took her to a big lake, she hated it. She just couldn’t get over the waves! LOL Of course, were we to go there more often she’d get used to it but there was no good reason to do that.
What a beautiful beach! Your photos are just stunning. I’m glad you all had a great time.
It is one beach I have not yet done with Layla because I cannot drive, but I have heard so much about it and it is on my to do list with a friend of mine and his dog soon. Thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures and post
What a gorgeous place to be able to visit! It’s great that they allow dogs on some of the trails. It’s hard to strike a balance between access and conservation and it looks like Point Reyes National Seashore has found such a balance. Beautiful!
That is a gorgeous place to walk. I understand why dogs have to be on leash. Cattle with calves would not be a good combination with curious dogs!
What a beautiful place to visit. I’m glad that dogs are allowed. Hopefully, people respect the leash law and clean up after their pets, so that it remains pet friendly!
What a beautiful location! It’s nice you found some areas you could take your dog with you. I know it’s frustrating when you can’t take your dog everywhere with you, but I guess people have their reasons for restrictions.