Located on the west coast in southern California, San Diego is a popular tourist city and beach town. It is known for its warm and sunny climate and 71 miles of stunning beaches as well as family attractions like the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, and LEGOLAND. The population is almost 1.4 million, and it is the second most populated city in the state, right behind Los Angeles. What else makes this city so unique is that it is only 12 miles from the Mexican border.
With an average high of 77 degrees F in the summer and 67 degrees F in the winter, you can imagine people spend a lot of time enjoying the outdoors here. It rarely rains and has only snowed a few times, so there are no bad weather days in San Diego. In fact, there are over 400 parks in this stunning city, and many of them are dog-friendly. Here are our top 15 picks for the best dog parks in San Diego.
Capeheart Dog Park
Also known as Soledad Dog Park, this one-acre dog park is open 24 hours and is located on Soledad Mountain Road and Felspar in Pacific Beach. Capeheart Dog Park has two sections. One is for little tykes under 30 pounds, and the other is for pooches over 30 pounds. Although small pooches are welcome in the large dog area, you should only do so if they are comfortable with larger breeds.
Capeheart Park is located about eight miles northwest of San Diego downtown, just past Sea World. Both sides of the pup park are covered in short, well cared for grass, pavement, and some dirt areas. Luckily, it does not rain much in San Diego, so you will not have to worry too much about mud. But it does get quite dusty. Pet parents have plenty of choices for seating both in and out of the shade, doggie bag dispensers, and water fountains.
Charles Lewis III Dog Park
At the northeastern end of Charles Lewis III Memorial Park, there is a good-sized pooch play area open from dawn until dusk. It is in City Heights on Home Avenue, less than five miles east of the city center of San Diego. There is about a half acre of fenced space for your canine companion to play with other fur babies. However, there is no separate area for small pups. If you have a little one who is anxious around big dogs, skip this one.
The park is long and narrow, giving dogs the opportunity to run those zoomies out or just chase each other around. It is also a fantastic spot for a game of fetch or frisbee. There are large boulders that pooches love to climb on and play king of the hill too. You will also have several covered picnic tables and benches for shade and relaxation, poop bags, and water fountains.
Civita Dog Park
Civita Park is just under seven miles due north of San Diego, with two distinctively separate parks to choose from. You will find them at the northern end of the 14-acre park, backed up against large hills for an awesome view. The small dog section has plenty of space for little pups to play, as well as a fire hydrant, weave poles, and a water fountain. The large dog section has a good-sized ramp, fire hydrant, and water fountain. There is enough room for quite a few dogs to play here too.
If you want to go see the rest of the park, put your pup’s leash back on, and you can visit the gorgeous interpretive gardens, picnic areas, and the amphitheater. Your canine companion is not allowed in the historic mine, basketball or bocce court, or the water play area for kids. There are usually some food trucks or carts about so you can grab some food and have a picnic if you wish.
Doyle Community Dog Park
In La Jolla Village, about 20 minutes north of the city center of San Diego, Doyle Dog Park is located in the Doyle Community Park behind the rec center. At one time, there may have been a grassy field here, but with so much use, 24 hours a day, you will notice that the grass is mostly gone. But dogs do love the dirt! Running, rolling, and digging in the dirt is a pooch’s dream, especially when he can do it off the leash.
There is a separate space for small dogs, but it does not have any grass either. That means it gets muddy by the watering stations. But the dogs love that, too, even if you do not. It is not huge, with about one acre in total, but there is room for running, playing fetch, and chasing. The park also provides waste stations with dog poop bag dispensers, but it is a good idea to bring your own because the park gets a lot of use.
Dusty Rhodes Dog Park
Dusty Rhodes Dog Park can be found in Ocean Beach, about six miles northwest of San Diego by Sea World. It is right in the middle of Dusty Rhodes Community Park on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. Your tiny tot will be happy to know that there is a special fenced area just for dogs his size to play here. And large dogs will enjoy being able to romp around and get rowdy with the big guys. With both grass and dirt, your canine companion gets to enjoy rolling around or digging.
You can bring your own water and doggie bags to be on the safe side, but the park does have doggie bags and water fountains. However, it never hurts to be prepared. With the abundance of pet parents with pups here every day, you may also want to bring your own portable chair. Or you can always sit in the grass but watch where you sit!
Grape Street Dog Park
Grape Street Dog Park is one of three dog parks in Balboa Park, which is right in downtown San Diego. In fact, it is the biggest one, with a total of five acres to explore and enjoy! It is in a stunning area in the southeastern section of the park, surrounded by eucalyptus trees. The first thing to note is that this is not a fenced dog park. While it has some fencing and your dog does not require a leash, your pooch can run off or get out of the park easily if he is not voice controlled.
If your pup does not have good recall, just keep him on a leash. The park also has a mini obstacle course for your cuddly canine made of recycled tires and old logs. He can jump, climb, and run through the obstacles for agility practice or just for fun. They also have water fountains for dogs and a restroom and benches for pup parents.
Little Italy Dog Park
By the name, you probably already figured out that the Little Italy Dog Park is located in Little Italy in downtown San Diego. One of the best things about this park is the K9Grass synthetic grass from Forever Lawn. It is soft for doggie paws and stays cleaner than regular grass because there is no dirt. The little dog section is much smaller than the large dog area, but this is understandable. Both sides have benches and shade, as well as water bowls and fountains.
The best part of the park for pet parents is the coffee cart. They serve beverages and snacks for you and your pupster. Of course, you can always bring your own drink and snacks for you and Fido to share. To make cleaning up after your pup easy, the park boasts several doggie bag dispensers and trash bins, but it does not hurt to bring your own, just in case.
Maddox Neighborhood Dog Park
About 17 miles north of downtown San Diego, Maddox Neighborhood Dog Park can be found in Maddox Neighborhood Park in Mira Misa. This off-leash pooch play area is just over a half acre of open space for running amok and chasing each other. There is no separate space for little poochies though, so if your little one is nervous around large dogs, try one of the other dog parks on the list. There are plenty!
Pet parents love the panoramic view of the stunning Rattlesnake Canyon, and it makes a wonderful backdrop for selfies and dog pics to share on social media. There are benches and picnic tables to relax and watch your pup play. The park also has water stations so dogs can wet their whistles and waste stations so you can pick up whatever your dog drops. However, they do run out, and sometimes the water is not working, so bring your own anyway.
Morley Field Dog Park
Morley Field Dog Park is another of the dog parks at Balboa Park, and this one is open 24 hours. You will find Morley Field located in the northern section of the park at the corner of Morley Field Drive and Florida Drive. The play space is not fully fenced, so this is best for dogs with good recall unless you want to keep him on a leash. Because there is no real fencing, there is also no small dog area. But it is a big space, and most dogs with good recall tend to be well-behaved.
The park provides several doggie bag dispensers, but it is still a good idea to have your own with you. And bring your own water with a bowl for your fur puppy too. There are not many signs marking the off-leash area, and with no fence, it can be confusing, so be aware of that. Also, there are trails you and your canine compadre can explore after putting the leash back on.
Nate’s Point Off-Leash Dog Park
The third dog park at Balboa Park, Nate’s Point Off-Leash Park, is the only one that is completely fenced, so it is the most popular and often crowded. It is also open 24 hours a day, which is great for dogs that need to run around after hours. Just be cautious, as there is no attendant or guard here at night. The fenced area is about 2.4 acres and was named after a city employee named Nate Wells.
You will find Nate’s Point in the western section of Balboa Park by El Prado and Balboa Drive. Like the other two dog parks at Balboa, this one also does not have a separate area for small or shy dogs. But there is plenty of space to find a secluded area if you are worried about your tiny tot getting scared. Pup parents have a variety of seating choices, from strangely-formed logs to benches. And there is a water fountain and doggie bags too.
Pacific Highlands Ranch Dog Park
Approximately 21 miles to the north of downtown San Diego in the Pacific Highlands, you will find the Pacific Highlands Ranch Dog Park in the southeastern section of the park, right next to the Pump Track and behind the ball fields. The large open areas are separated by fences for large dogs to have their own space while the little pooches play in theirs. That way, nobody gets overwhelmed. Believe it or not, many large dogs are afraid of small dogs.
Pack up some water, extra doggie poop baggies, and some snacks so you and Fido can spend the day here. The dog park has some grass and gravel but mostly dirt surfaces. However, we all know fur babies love dirt. Rolling in it, digging in it, and running in it is just plain fun! If you want to explore the rest of the park, put your canine companion’s leash back on, and you can check it out.
Rancho Bernardo Dog Park
Just six miles east of the Pacific Highland Ranch Dog Park, Rancho Bernardo Dog Park is a large dog park with three different sections separated by fences. One is for dogs under 30 pounds as well as elderly or handicapped pooches. Another is where the big fur babies romp around and chase each other to get rid of the zoomies. The third section is a free-for-all small and big dog section for those with both.
Each section has a double-gated entry for safety, a water spigot for filling dog bowls, and several biodegradable doggie bag dispensers. But as usual, bring your own just in case. There is lots of well-tended grass, mature trees for shade, and benches for pup parents to chill. No more than three dogs per person, so if you have four dogs, bring another adult with you. Also, your pooch has to be spayed or neutered and have all of his shots.
Rancho Penasquitos Dog Park
The Rancho Penasquitos Dog Park is across from the library on Salmon River Road and Fairgrove Lane. There is one acre of pup popular space for playing with about a quarter of an acre for dogs 30 pounds and under, and the rest is for the larger and more boisterous cuddle buddies. However, all sizes and breeds are allowed to play in the large dog section. So all the pooches can work off that excess energy and have fun doing it.
There is no reason for you to sit around, even though there are plenty of spots to do so. Why not bring a ball or frisbee and play fetch? Dogs love that one-on-one time with their humans. It is a good idea to bring your own poop pickup baggies because although they have a few dispensers, they can run out fast. Pack extra water for you and your pup too.
Torrey Highlands Dog Park
Just a few miles west of Pacific Highlands Ranch Dog Park, the Torrey Highlands Dog Park is another fun pooch place for playing. Although it is not a huge area, it has everything you and your cuddly pup need for playtime. It has just less than an acre and is all in one, so if you have a tiny tot that has big-dog anxiety, you should not bother with this one. One thing to note, there have been intermittent closures for construction, so you may want to call first.
There is also not much shade, so pack some sunscreen and wear a hat and sunglasses. The fenced area has a nice paved path that goes around the whole thing, so pup parents can walk on that instead of in the grass or dirt. Bring your own doggie bags and water for both of you because they do not always have them available.
Ward Canyon Neighborhood Dog Park
Ward Canyon Neighborhood Dog Park is about six miles northeast of the city of San Diego in the middle of West Canyon Neighborhood Park. Unlike the other pup parks on the list, this one has mulch and bark ground cover, along with some dirt that can get pretty dusty at times. And when it rains… mud happens! So be prepared for that. It has two separate fenced areas for big and small fur puppies, but the big dog section will accommodate the small ones too.
Pup parents have several spots to sit, including shaded areas with trees or the wooden pergolas they built. And the park also provides doggie bag dispensers too. But bring your own anyway. They get a lot of pet parents who forget to bring some. And there is a water fountain, but it will not hurt to bring your own anyway. You could also bring along a ball for a game of fetch.
The Final Woof
If you want to get away from the dog parks for a while and need some retail therapy, Seaport Village is a 14-acre shopping complex with a variety of retailers, eating establishments, and entertainment attractions. Or you could visit Westfield UTC in La Jolla Village, where you can find 164 boutiques, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. There are many that allow dogs, but you should always ask first. For some real pup popular entertainment and a beer garden, head over to the Quartyard on Market Street. They host events and have a dog run for off-leash play. For a day on the water, Disco’s Paddle Surf will rent you a paddle boat where dogs are always welcome.
