This is a beautiful little beach that's great for letting your dog get sandy, wet and tired from romping around with other doggy buddies or chasing a ball. It's not the kind of beach for quiet relaxation. Only bring your kiddos if they are comfy around running dogs. The stairs leading from the sidewalk down to the beach are kinda steep so beware if that's an issue for you. With patience, parking is ok in the nearby lots. No lifeguard. No restrooms on the beach but there is one within a 10 min walk. BYO poop bags and enjoy the entertaining show! read more

Its Beach - Resting up before stealing another dog's ball - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Walking along west Cliff, we found the beach for dogs to romp, swim, explore, fetch, play in the sand and just enjoy the beach waves. We went around what seemed to be high tide with crashing waves and lots of sea birds that flew by that we enjoyed. Plenty of parking along West Cliff drive and it's a lovely walk no matter where you walk to get to the beach... just be aware of the steep stairs to go down and up from the beach. read more

Its Beach - Nice beach for humans and dogs to enjoy. - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This place is a small and wonderful beach where a lot of dog owners congregate and let their dog roam freely. My wife and I spent our time here reading a book and watching dogs run around and play. Also, don't touch any of the kelp lying around, a lot of dogs pee on it. Same with the side of the cliffs/rocks. Pee everywhere. To get to the beach you have to take their staircase. Take it slow. When we were leaving, a dog got excited and flew down. Parking is easy to find. There are several parking lots on W Cliff Drive near the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. One issue my wife and I had was the amount of bugs at the beach. They were everywhere. read more

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We had originally tried to go toward the Lighthouse Beach, but some friendly locals saw us with our dog and directed us toward Its Beach. Steps down the beach were pretty easy to use (we can't do trecherous inclines with all our gear and small kiddos!) I loved how happy all the dogs seemed running around. It's a great place for the dogs to play and meet other doggies. All the dog owners we ran into were quite friendly. I was so taken aback by how gorgeous the natural bridge arch and surrounding rocks were. They made for some really lovely photos. Parking can be crowded- the lots are off of Cliff Drive but fill up. I recommend parking on Pelton instead, where there is tons of parking. You can easily walk through the grassy shaded field to Cliff Drive. Tons of paved roads through the field and it was actually quite scenic as well. We had parked at Pelton and Laguna. The path across takes you directly towards It's Beach. read more

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A bit overcast today so not many people around. This is our to go beach at Santa Cruz and we love it cause always lots of friendly dogs playing here.... read more

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I have visited this beach twice while being in Santa Cruz and I will be waiting for the next time I can visit it. It is a middle-size beach: it is quite clean, there is a pretty light house you could walk up to, and the best part is that this is an off-leash dog beach. read more

Its Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I was here this weekend and it is a really nice little beach. There are a few small parking lots along the main road and I was able to get a spot easily but I suspect it has to do something with the fact that I was here at 8am and these are Covid times. It was wonderful to watch the surfers doing their thing and I enjoyed getting some zen watching the ocean. Why only 3 stars? It is one thing to have dogs off leash but there were way too many and going wild to the point that we decided to just leave. read more

We'd never been to this dog beach before, but I does a few we've been to this has to be the best location!! My boyfriend and I have gone walking around the pier and to the Surfer's Lighthouse museum and never knew this part of the beach was below! Lol and to think we only walked the perimeter of this beautiful beach it's just funny! All the people were very polite and understanding of everyone's dogs running up/across peoples blankets. Lol one of my puppies was very interested in a family's lunch since they were sitting on their beach blanket but I was able to Hokes my puppy away with a treat. I did notice a number of the humans that sat in their own beach chairs propped up higher so their dogs couldn't sniff or get a whiff of their food as they eat their lunches. Lol we definitely would bring chairs the next time we come to this beach. Our dogs know not to ask for food, but they were reluctant to play until we were done eating in case we dropped anything on the blanket. Lol there's a little cove off to the far right of the beach and as the high tide comes in that area separate from the rest of the main beach. My dogs were very interested in jumping on that area and the rocks but we didn't want the waves to get them separated from us so we kept them on the other side/The main area of the dog beach. Since we have curious Huskies, we were also worried that they would try to escape and run up the stairs. But luckily they didn't. There were also six other huskies on this beach and the owners were able to keep their huskies from running up the stairs as well. Lol We will definitely be back to this beach!!! read more

Its Beach - Nice .70 mile Long Beach to run across - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great dog beach to just let your dogs off leash at. The waves are pretty calm and it's pretty easy to get in and out of. Sometimes you have to park a little far away but it's not too bad of a walk read more

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Its Beach is a very dog-friendly beach. in fact, the dogs might have outnumbered the people-not counting the many people surfing in the ocean. Dogs run about unleashed, so it would be a terrible place to go if you did not like dogs! The one drawback to the place is that is so small. If you want to walk along the beach, you cannot go far and will have to go back and forth. However, it is an advantage of sorts to dog-owners in that your dog cannot run too far away from you! I did not let my Zoey off-leash because since the lock-downs, she has reverted to a somewhat anti-social state and I never know how she will react to other dogs. Nevertheless, she had a wonderful time here! read more

Its Beach - Zoey at Its Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We asked someone for a dog friendly beach and this beach was highly recommended. Almost everyone had a dog here, it's a lovely beach for bringing your dog. It's clean, pretty and easy enough to find a quiet spot to chill with your dog. read more

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Its Beach is the same as Lighthouse Field Beach, so when looking for it make sure to look for the lighthouse and this beach is located to the right. This beach is perfect for dogs. It's small but you have enough room to walk up and down the beach. Probably one of my favorite dog friendly beaches. It's small enough that I don't have to worry about my dog running out of my sight. There's ample parking around the area. There are two lots located near the beach and lots of street parking. If you're looking for a good dog friendly beach or just somewhere to relax that's a little more quiet than other beaches this is the one for you! read more

This cove is a fully enclosed dog beach and faraday cage that offers privacy from both cellular calls and form the gawking eyes of onlookers. It's a little tricky to spot this beach from the road and it's really no better from the sidewalk. Yelp has a red pin right on top of it so be sure to have your mobile maps going when you try to hone in. The walk down to the beach is a bit treacherous. There's a sheer edge that could really cause trouble in any of these situations: A. You have bad balance B. You arrive during an earthquake C. You attempt the descent drunk. If you have a dog with you and you have the good fortune to get down to the beach alive you may want to check the tide tables on your favorite mobile tide tables app. "Doh!" you say at this point. The faraday cage at Its Beach has snookered you because you can't get any cell signal. Oh bother. Now you have to take you chances and let the dog run out into the potentially crushing waves. Aspirin may be required after your little precious returns to the car. Those waves can wreck havoc on the older ones. In all, Its Beach is a blast. Play safe! read more

Very dog friendly!! Always tons of really sweet dogs, and chill people. The beach has one entrance so it's safe and contained. read more

Its Beach - Happy Maggie - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Cool beach, local hang, nice place to bring your pup and let them go for a run. Heed warning, there are some larger aggressive dogs that are let off leash from time to time, by people who are likely not locals... so be wary of that and keep an eye on your dog. read more

Its Beach - Cute tent setup on the beach during a rainy afternoon day. Tent equipped with tabled, flowers, food & champagne. :) - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Great for dogs, stairs to the beach aren't super steep or long, beautiful photographic rock formation just a few steps down the beach

Amazing place to bring your fur babies! Always tons of dogs and the owners are pretty respectful and nice. We went there for the first time and my doggos had a blast :) there's plenty of room for them to be off leash and big rocks in the side so there's no way for them to run off the beach. 10/10 recommend and eminently our new fav spot read more

Its Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This is my favorite beach to take my pup! Off leash hours are great, with lots of friendly dogs for my golden to play with. The last time we came, there were surfers, so we were able to watch surfing, which was a plus! Parking isn't impossible to find, although during busy times we've had to park and walk about 10 minutes away. Not too bad because the walk to Its Beach along the street is scenic! Also, there is a good taco stand located in one of the parking lots. No restrooms near Its Beach, but there are regular bathrooms near the taco stand. If you have a dog, this is definitely a beach to check out!! read more

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Pretty disappointed when we got here. Brought my dog to play on the beach but when we got there, there was a huge pile of dead seaweed washed up and it covered probably 1/4 of the beach area. We had to walk on top of the smelly, disgusting seaweed in order to get to a cleared area. Won't be coming back. read more

What a fun place to take your dog! My boy made a lot of friends there. The cliffs to the left makes the place cozy ! We took our lil tent and an excited dog who came home super tired after a fun afternoon! The weather was perfect at 80! read more

Great beach for the pups to run amok. Just a note of caution... my dogs developed Kennel Cough after spending 5 days here. They don't go to dog parks where we live, so I've sorta narrowed it down to our time here. It's an airborne very contagious disease. Just be aware of a deep hacking cough and running nose. Antibiotics might be needed. My 1 yr old dog just had the hacking cough for a day, the older dog,(6 years old) needed to go to the Vet for the meds. Just something to watch out for your furry buddies. Other than that it was a great time watching the dogs play. read more

We came here on a beautiful Sunday at the end of January. All of Santa Cruz was pretty crowded, but Its Beach had plenty of room for our dogs to run. Everyone there was really nice and the dogs were all friendly. There were a couple of really playful Great Danes there that we loved watching gallop around the beach. This beach is pretty short... only about 100 yards. So there wasn't much to do but walk back and forth and stand around. That was fine, but we've enjoyed longer beaches where we can walk with our dogs. read more

Yelp has this beach incorrectly mapped. it's beach is the one directly north of the Lighthouse at Steamer's Lane. It is on West Cliff Dr bike path, and has steep, concrete sandy stairs, so not recommended for unsteady walkers. It IS recommended for dogs and their owners. It's Beach is a great place to socialize your dog - just remember to bring dog poop bags and make sure to clean up after your dog. Great for a walk, swim or a sunset, it is a local pleasure. read more

My favorite beach in Santa Cruz by far (let me hear it for the West siiiiiide!). I went every weekend when I lived there a decade ago and though I didn't go tutto nudo myself, I got accustomed to the naked people and dead heads. (Drum circles and patchouli do make me twitch nowadays, but that's why I escaped to the City!) The cozy enclave feeling of this little crescent moon of a beach made me feel safe and I could sleep and read and roast for hours without being bothered. Speaking of roasting, one of the many things I'm burning in hell for happened at this beach--wanna hear it? K, I had my little brother in town--he was 5 years old--and we decided to walk to the beach and have a picnic and meet up with a friend of mine who was getting off work at 4:30. Forgetting that Its Beach is not exactly Rated G, we held hands while we walked and planned what sort of sand castles we were going to make. Coming down the stairs and turning the corner to my favorite plot of sand, it dawned on me, too late, that this might just scar my dear, sweet, cute little brother for life. Just north of where we'd set up camp was an older, completely naked guy with big red shiny balls displayed in the sun like two heirloom tomatoes at the farmer's market. I quickly turned my brother toward the ocean and tried to distract him with talk of PB&J and sand castle strategy, but the damage had been done--plus there were other naked people at water's edge, in plain sight. I added up the shrink costs I'd need to start saving for and wondered if I was too old for my mom to hide me when she found out, then Cody asked worriedly, "Um, do YOU take your bathing suit off at the beach too?" I assured him that I do not and that we'll leave as soon as my friend arrived. "So does your friend take HER clothes off at the beach?" She did, but not today she wasn't!! "No, it's okay Cody, we'll just play in the sand and have some lunch and then leave, k? Don't worry." Now digging furiously and not lifting his eyes, he asked the kicker, "Do I tell my Sunday School teacher about this place?" Crap, if only mom had only stayed a hippie instead of going Christian when she raised this later generation of siblings, I wouldn't be faced with the conflict: tell the child to lie, or let him tell the world that I took him, a 5-year old, to a NUDE beach with a bunch of hippies and pervs. Greeeeat. Thankfully, my friend arrived and just as she was about to whip off her top and plop down, I deflected her like a offensive lineman and told her we were leaving NOW. Like any guilt-ridden older sister, I plied my besmirched brother with sweets and rides at the Boardwalk (which, in my opinion, is more traumatic than a nude beach in terms of sheer numbers of disturbed people) and hoped that he'd forget the ordeal. Now that he's 17, I suppose I should ask him if he hates me and if he's ready to put that shrink money I saved to use.... I went back to Its Beach yesterday for the first time in many years, and almost disappointingly--no naked people! But it is still cozily protected from the wind and was as inviting as ever, even with the clutch of goth kids in a smoking circle and the anarchy carvings in the cliff. read more

Yelp has the wrong location for this beach. The flag points to 2222 beach, Santa Cruz finest nude beach, where off leash dogs are prohibited by city law. 2222 boasts clean water and a cove that keeps the beach extra warm. This is a traditional ocean swimming beach. Its beach is almost two miles away next to the lighthouse, is not clothing optional, and is a great place to take your dog. It's kid friendly except for the part where some of the dog owners don't really clean up after their dogs. So far, the other reviews are about half for 2222, and half for Its beach. Hint: there aren't any naked people on Its beach. read more

I go here almost every week, commuting from Santa Clara is so worth the happiness on my dogs face. My ultimate favorite dog beach. This place is enclosed so your dogs wont run away! HA!! No worries for them running off because they cant! well... unless they climb up the stairs, but anyway great beach & very lively. read more

Its Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I was a bit disappointed today when I took my dog to this beach at 1PM - turned out that NO DOGS are allowed on beach between 10AM and 4PM, as the sign says next to the stairway. I could see that a couple of people with dogs were debating whether to break the rule or not and some intrepid blazed the trail. I followed suit and took my pug down there for 10 minutes but had her on leash the whole time. Too bad that they would not even allow dogs on leash during 10AM and 4PM. Otherwise, a nice little enclave. Did not see any hippies though. read more

A little crazy with the dogs but if you have dogs its a great beach. The stairs can be tough if you have any physical handicaps. read more

The best beach in Santa Cruz. It has lots of cool dogs, a few naked hippies, and a fun little beach break to play in. And its right around the corner from steamer lane. One time I was tossing around the frisbee with some frineds there and this old guy wearing nothing but short cutoff jean shorts w/ a book stuffed in the back walks by us a little ways, dropps his drwaers and starts reading his book. Well, we all kinda wanted to move away from him cause he looked like a creep, but my buddy went and launched the frisbee past him so I'd have to run by and get it. So as I'm walking back with the bee, the guy stand up and says "Hey- watch out for that pile of dog doo over there!" I kindly nodded my head, having already seen the doo and stepped around it. He continues "Yeah, I'm a dog owner myself and I hate it when people dont pick up after their animals.." Yeah, me too. But I'm not gonna have a conversation with you about it while your old ass balls are hanging out. I love this town. read more

Its Beach - If you go to the museum in the lighthouse, there hangs a cool picture of this beach covered in a blanket of snow - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Such a great, small beach to let your dogs run around in. There's only one way out and one way in through a steep set of stairs, so that lessoned my fear about dogs running up and away. I was worried my escape-prone husky would run up the stairs and flee, but it's so nicely enclosed with tall cliffs, and there are so many pups to run and play with, so it was a beautiful time there. The weather was perfect when we went -- sunny, warm, no wind. We had a blast! read more

Great spot to hang out with my dog, Buttons! It wasn't too crowded and is perfectly situated away from the streets.

If you're look'n to learn to see auras... "Its" beach in Santa Cruz is the easiest place to see. It once taught me! Its topography... Very much conducive to expanding awareness... read more

Its Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Even though it is a dog beach I highly recommend it. The beach was clean and everyone was friendly! read more

Its Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I give this beach four stars because my little woofs can come and romp around when she feels like it. There are usually several other dogs and everyone is really nice and responsible about cleaning up after their dogs. The only reason it is not five stars is that the beach is frequently covered in decaying kelp. Not fun for walking on and dogs like to do their business on it. read more

Yay! Off leash dog beach on the down low. Nice romp in the surf for the pup.

I've been going to Its Beach since I was in school at UC Santa Cruz. It's a great place to catch a sunset, especially in the winter, as the beach has more of a southern view. The stairs downs are easy enough and once on the beach head north. There are often drum circles, creative folks dancing, dog lovers, and friendly people. This is more of a locals beach and as such its a great place to randomly run into someone you might know. The bluffs above have a great walking path where you can wander for miles in either direction along the shore. Parking can be tough during dusk, but drive north and there will be other spots. If that fails you can park across the large meadow and walk across. Better yet, bike parking is everywhere! read more

me, wifey, boston biggie stop by here after walking past lighthouse... not bad short stretch of beach that some owners let their pups run wild. I did not get ranger Ron's harassment or anything negative. Big did the meet and greet... will go back nice stop for some sun and big to run around but Carmel by the sea would probably be more ideal if u want your pup to run wild without running through sunbathers. read more

Watch out for the naked frolicking hippies and the dogs running wild! This is a cool beach where you can bring your dog and enjoy the ocean, away from most of the tourists. Good boogie-board and skim spot as well, but you didn't hear it from me. read more

Wow, I didn't know that so many people even here in liberal California are freaked out by the human body. I don't make a point of going to nude beaches but what is really the big deal? Thank god for my hippy parents and not having a sheltered life. You must be the same insecure weirdo's that bring swim trunks to wear under your wetsuit or to take a shower at the gym, truly priceless. Anyhow... the beach is wonderful just like most every other beach in santa cruz county. If you paddle out here make sure you drift on down towards that pretty little light house and fumble around in the surf, I hear its a great beginner spot with lots of really friendly locals... read more