Best Dog Friendly Beach (2016)

Windy City canines have their own designated beach for splashing. The Montrose Beach Dog Friendly Area offers a fenced, off-leash area where dogs can splash in the waters of Lake Michigan.
Photo courtesy of sphinx / Flickr

Dogs and their owners will easily recognize the off-leash Wildwood Dog Beach by the 25-foot-tall fire hydrant sculpture rising from the sand. A city block wide and 1,500 feet long, the beach offers plenty of room for leashed dogs to soak up the sun. Fresh water and clean-up bags are also available.
Photo courtesy of Wildwoods

Bald Head Island, accessible via a dog-friendly ferry, is ringed by 14 miles of beaches where dogs are allowed off-leash from sunrise to sunset. The calm waters on the south end of the island are ideal for swimming.
Photo courtesy of BringFido

Rosie's Dog Beach is the only legal off-leash dog beach in Los Angeles County, and it's a favorite with area pet owners thanks to the 3-acre space where Fido can run free. The beach is named after Rosie the bulldog, the canine companion of the man who spearheaded the efforts to establish the off-leash beach.
Photo courtesy of BringFido.com

The massive and historical First Landing State Park is where English colonists first landed in 1607. It's also the site of a 1.5-mile beach on Chesapeake Bay, where dogs are welcome year round.
Photo courtesy of Virginia State Parks / Flickr

While dogs must be leashed on the beach within the city limits of Long Beach, they can romp freely on the miles of open beach throughout the peninsula year round. Dogs and their owners can also explore the 8.5-mile Discovery Trail along the waterfront.
Photo courtesy of Long Beach Peninsula

Surfers, especially the four-legged variety, love Huntington Dog Beach where they can run through the sand off-leash and wade into the Pacific Ocean waves. Disposable baggies are provided for cleaning up after Fido.
Photo courtesy of Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Beautiful Cannon Beach, famous for its offshore rock formations, welcomes dogs on leash or under voice control of their owners. The quaint town of Cannon Beach is also very dog-friendly.
Photo courtesy of Breanna Agnor / Flickr

Double Bluff Beach permits dogs to run off-leash, and there's even an available washing station for cleaning up after. Pups love this 2-mile stretch of sand along Useless Bay, not only for the wide expanse of sand, but also for the tangles of driftwood that make an excellent doggie obstacle course.
Photo courtesy of Antediluvial / Flickr

One of Florida's best off-leash beaches can be found at Jupiter Beach, where a designated section along the A1A is open for dogs to romp around. The Friends of Jupiter Beach provide disposable waste baggies so owners can do their part in keeping the beach area clean.
Photo courtesy of Beth Scupham / Flickr