What to Do with Your Dog in Huntington Beach, CA

There are many neighborhood parks in and around Huntington Beach, however, the two favorite standouts for locals are Dog Beach & Central Park. Like so many of my neighbors, these are the two spots I hang out with most often with my favorite girl (she's a golden retriever).

1. Dog Beach

Dog Beach is a one-mile stretch of the coastline between Goldenwest St. and Seapoint St. on Pacific Coast Highway. This is a favorite spot of hundreds of beloved dogs and their owners. From the parking lot, you can choose to either walk your dog along the path that runs parallel to the beach, or you throw a ball or two into the surf. Dog Beach allows for dogs to be off-leash as soon as they get to the bottom of the beach path and onto the actual sand. There's plenty of other dogs to socialize with (as well as their owners), plus it's also a favorite area for local surfers. Make sure to bring your waste bags and clean up after yourself! More info on this local beach can be found at dogbeach.org.

The downside to Dog Beach? Be prepared for parking lot congestion! On weekend mornings, the line to get into the parking areas backs up several car lengths onto PCH. If you are heading south on PCH, you can try the first entrance to the parking areas. If the line looks too long, not to worry - there's a second parking area just passed this one. More than once I've driven through both parking areas, found nothing, driven up to Goldenwest, flipped a U-turn and tried again. You can shake your head and laugh, but I guarantee I wasn't the only one going through the same process! Don't forget change for the parking meters -- they are checked often, especially in Spring & Summer.

2. Central Park

Central Park is the crown jewel of the public park system in Huntington Beach, and is actually within 2 miles of Dog Beach on Goldenwest. This huge complex houses an equestrian center (which is definitely off limits for dogs), a frisbee golf course, a sports complex, lots of walking/hiking trails, the main city library, and more.

For dogs and their owners, it's an endless choice of winding paths to walk, or friends to play with in the actual enclosed dog park area (which is split into two separate yards for big and little dogs). There's even a dog-friendly restaurant! Most of the park is on-leash, but for certain large grassy areas around the Central Library, it is easy to allow a well-mannered dog off-leash long enough to catch a few frisbees or chase after a few tennis balls. Many dog owners join groups that meet at different locations within Central Park. You can find these groups on Meetup.com or craigslist.org.

Overall, Huntington Beach is a dog-friendly community which you and your pet will come to love!