I love coming to this beach! It's an off-leash spot, so there are always plenty of dogs running around and having the best time. Every dog I've seen here has been super friendly and well-behaved, which makes the whole vibe really rewarding and fun. A lot of dogs get in the water, and sometimes people do too -- it's a great mix of energy whether you're here for a walk, to sunbathe, or just to hang out and enjoy the view. Parking is convenient -- there's one-hour complimentary parking at the top of the hill. From there, it's just a short walk down a few steps to get to the sand (though it's worth noting that it's not wheelchair accessible). The beach has two areas: to the left is the main stretch, and to the right there's another section you get to by a different set of stairs. That side isn't very big, but it's a really pleasant area if you want to relax in the sun or enjoy a quieter spot. Overall, such a fun and relaxing place to visit, especially if you love being around dogs enjoying the beach life as much as people do. read more

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Very small beach with limited parking, but nice views. There were lots of dogs running around, but one dog in particular sort of ruined it for us and we left after a short amount of time. The dog was a large, dark-grey poodle named Seamus and he was out of control, harassing other dogs (including mine), and caused three fights in the short time we were there. His owner did not have him under voice control at all and yet she never put him on leash despite his bad behavior. I got the sense everyone else there was local, so I would not go again purely to avoid encountering Seamus and his clueless owner as I suspect they are regulars. The beach is just not big enough to avoid them. read more

Small and secluded beach, parking is tough along the street but when we came in the afternoon no one else was here. It's located near the prison which seems like an odd stop but they have a historical facade and a museum with prisoner-made artifacts and some memorabilia from Johnny Cash. It's in a cove and because not a lot of people come it's pretty clean, there is an interesting rock area on the left you can scramble on and check out tide pools. The rocks are beautifully worn and there aren't other places in the bay area that look like this. If it wasn't for these rocks the beach wouldn't be so nice but it adds some diversity to what you can do. Some other unique things are cactus growing right on the cliffs which is always strange to see near the ocean and if you come at the right season there are also ladybugs here. The beach is public access but there are homes along the cliff, one of which you can go directly under if you keep following the rocks so be respectful and quiet. We found some cool shells and rocks in the sand and the kids enjoyed our time here. read more

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Curiosity led me to Che k-out this charming, isolated beach that attracts family's w/dogs but not terribly family friendly if that's of interest. I do recommend checking this spot out but be aware parking is very limited. It's a residential community w/this tiny cute beach playground. read more

I will try to stop off every time I return home from Marin. If you are a dog lover and of more stair beach experiences, though limited one hour parking Frits the brief single street, it's a nice view. Not of San Quentin, which is just a head turn to the right. It's mainly wet sand and shallow beach sand space, honestly more for just dog watching and the Bay looking out toward the bridge. Glad I finally consciously made a stop here! That pooor manta was èxsanguinating when I came imo it read more

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Very pretty area and a great spot to walk the pups. You probably don't wanta pick up hitchhikers, though... Especially if they're wearing an orange jumpsuit read more

San Quentin Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Quentin, California

Small but beautiful dog friendly beach . Really beautiful. Tucked away but well worth it read more

This is a really small but nice dog beach PROs: Dog friendly beach The water isn't very cold which makes it swimmable for both you and your dog CONs: Barley any parking you have to park on the residential street and only on one side. So parking is sparse Definitely not some where you want to take your dog if they are untrained. Majority of dogs are off leash and very well behaved. Will definitely come back once my pup has a bit more training. But is a nice oasis read more

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NOTICE: Hello everyone! The San Quentin Village would like to welcome you to our beach! We would like to remind everyone of some important information while visiting our neighborhood. 1) It should be known that our beach is a privately owned area managed by the Heron Ct. Association, this is NOT a public beach. This means access is permitted, not a right. 2) It should be known that our beach is NOT a designated dog beach. This means that you are bringing your dogs at your own risk as traditional dog park rules do not apply here. Dog scuffs here are common, so if your dog has a tendency to be aggressive in any way, please do not visit our beach with your dog. 3) It should be known that Main St. and the sidewalk from the beach are public areas and fall under Marin County Ordinances. * Leash laws are in affect when not on the beach and will be enforced. Due to recent attacks and harassment upon the residents here, the Marin County Sheriff is on high alert and will issue citations if necessary. * Noise ordinance is in affect and any accessive noise will be reported and cited. This includes accessive dog barking and loud music. * Street parking is 1 hour and will be enforced. Parking enforcement will be making rounds so everyone can have a chance to enjoy the area. * Please do not park anywhere off street. Any space off street is residential and is subject to being towed at the owners espense. Parking on the street and blocking a residential space will be subject to tow at the owners expense. * Neighborhood watch and video surveillance is active and in use. * Please use the San Quentin Village provided dog waste bags and trash near the beach entrance if needed. We pay for this out of pocket for your convenience to support keeping our beach clean for everyone. Residential trash cans should not be used for your trash. We want everyone to enjoy this beautiful area with their family, friends and pets, but please remember this is a residential neighborhood first - this is our home. Please be respectful so we may keep this beach open to the public and enjoy it together. - San Quentin Village - read more

San Quentin Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Quentin, California

The views are simply stunning. My boyfriend and I spent some time at the beach last weekend and saw plenty of people with their four-legged friends. After all it is known as a dog beach. We saw a dog swim out a couple hundred feet from the shore to fetch his ball and a couple other dogs playing together. There is another secluded beach next to San Quentin with a tide pool (when it's outgoing tide), birds, and lots of seashells. I saw quite a few seashells on the main beach too. The beach is adjacent to the Richmond Bridge, the last Marin County exit. We climbed up to the top of the small hill where there's a different view of San Quentin. It was a beautiful clear day and we could see all the way out to the Bay Bridge. Paradise Cay and Corte Madera are directly across the water. It is peaceful up there with breathtaking views of Marin and the Bay Area. On my way back to the car I almost stepped in some dog poop. Be careful! Parking is restricted to 1 hr street parking only on Main Street next to the East Gate. read more

San Quentin Beach - Beaches Near Me - San Quentin, California

Nice spot for a picnic. At least the mockingbird on the prickly pear thinks so. Looking out towards the ferry lane buoys it was immediately apparent the herring run was on! Grebes and buffleheads in the dozens floating and diving to catch the silver darlings. A thick column of fog low at the bridge's flank, a dramatic low tide, warm sunshine, blooming succulents, signs of spring. And imagine below the schools of herring, more fish yet--the quiet giants, white sturgeon, blithely vacuuming roe off of the eelgrass and rough rocks. read more

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Cute beach in a surprising place! Don't tell anyone else, but it's actually very simple to get here. It's a public access set of stairs or a slight path going down to the beach. You can park right up top. This beach is pretty much a dog's beach. Of course, people are allowed, but most of the inhabitants are dogs running to catch balls. The day that I visited, two standard black poodles were having fun running around. There's actually a couple different places to go visit. There's two separate areas, and a bluff. You can walk up to the bluff and get an incredible view of the Bay and San Quentin prison. It was easy to find a parking space up top on the residential street. But as others have noted, only one hour parking. The parking above is actually very close to San Quentin visitor parking, and the little post office. Although I did not have a dog with me, I found it fun to just go down and watch the various dogs running around having a great time. After you visit the beach, just go to your right and up some stairs to a bluff. Absolutely gorgeous views from there. There's a little path down to another rocky area, which is not really much of a beach at all. There was no one down there, even dogs. read more

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What a great find! Our first time going and my pups had a blast. It's quite a hidden gem and the people and their dogs are not so pretentious as other dog beaches. read more

San Quentin Beach - Happy face of Cooper having just jumped in the water and swam out pretty far. Didn't know he could swim!!! - Beaches Near Me - San Quentin, California

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Review #116 - 2020 After we grabbed our drinks and snack, I decided to find the nearest beach that would be an easy drive back toward our home because I was already getting tired & I didn't want to go somewhere that was out of our way. We showed up at around 3:45 PM on Saturday, June 27th, and there was actually quite a few people playing on the beach with their kids. This beach is pretty tiny so don't expect too much! There's no restroom, so make sure to empty your bladder before you stop by. It's easy access from the freeway, but located in a pretty residential area so parking is very limited. We didn't stay very long as it got cold & windy after a while. The girls were shivering, but they still wanted to stay around and play so I gave them about 45 minutes of play time & I was ready to leave after that. While we were leaving, we saw a few more families show up so I guess it's pretty popular for this neighborhood. read more

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Face masks required due to COVID-19. There's a big sign stating this as you go down the walkway to get to the beach. This is a dog friendly beach, which is great to know for the future. It is much smaller than I expected, which meant really small crowds. There were probably more dogs than people! I saw about 8-10 dogs and only 5 people. This seems like a great place to bring a pet. There is parking nearby. If you reach the prison you've gone too far. There's a small section that allows people to park for only one hour. One hour may not seem like enough but it was plenty of time. Overall, this is a great spot to bring a pet. read more

San Quentin Beach - Relaxing! - Beaches Near Me - San Quentin, California

I went to the beach with my son, daughter in law and their dogs. It is a small beach but it's perfect for the dogs. They could run up and down and get in the water. The surf was mild so it was safe to go in. Everyone there was friendly and had dogs. The only downfall is that there is very little parking. It also is not handicap accessible. read more

The best little hidden gem of a beach, nobody really knows about it unless they see it on the Yelp app or live in the area. Let's keep it that way...shhhhhhhhh. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly, not parking friendly. It's less busier and much smaller than Schoonmaker beach. Still a nice beach to take a stroll and bring your furry friends. The San Rafael-Richmond bridge is a great background shot for pictures. Life is a BEACH! =) read more

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A good spot to swim when it's not too windy. The water is warmer here than many other places I've swam in the bay. However there's a rocky outcropping on one side of the beach that is partially submerged under the bay water so I'd be mindful about where you enter. read more

Best beach for dogs! Very friendly dogs and owners, more so than Marin dog parks or off leash trails. Surprisingly warm water as well! I'm not sure I have ever seen happier dogs read more

Cute little beach with dog friendly vibes and nice people. Town of San Quentin is also cool. Small little quaint town.

Ok, but very small, very crowded, and only 6 legal parking spots. Do NOT come here if you don't like dogs. This place is completely covered in dogs. I love dogs so it works for me, but they will run into little ones and get your blanket sandy. Not worth a drive to have to turn around. China camp is a better bet. read more

Very small. There's not really any room to run around. Since the key factor in the quality of a beach for me personally is how much my dogs enjoy it I would have to give this beach 2 stars. Also there's no nooks or crannies to have any privacy so if someone else shows up your having a beach experience together. I guess it depends on how social your feeling . read more

I kind of don't want to yelp this because I would prefer to keep it a secret. But for the greater good, I guess I'll do it. San Quentin Beach is a small sheltered beach on the bay. It's dog-friendly, which, to me, is a big plus. When we were here, all the dogs and their owners were well-behaved. My dog had a great time, as did my one-year old, who has an endless appetite for filling buckets with sand, pebbles, and shells. Because it's sheltered by cliffs, I didn't worry about either my dog or my toddler escaping. (There are so many dumb jokes to make about escaping here). The beach is somewhat sandy, at least it's much less rocky than China Camp beach. This beautiful little secluded beach is in a surprisingly adorable little neighborhood. Is it weird that I want to live there? Private-seeming beach, water views, a village feel. You can walk to the post office and there's a shop to visit. (Okay, it's only open two hours a day and one probably has a limited need for inmate-produced handicrafts, but still...) And I would guess that the neighborhood is pretty safe. Note to real estate agents: if something relatively affordable opens up here, dm me? read more

I love this little beach, so I'm reminding everyone not to trash our ocean and beach! As someone that works in the conservation, I care a LOT about our oceans. It's shocking to me that people would bring BAGS of balls and not care that they go floating away into the Bay. For anyone that seeing an older white woman with a blond doddle, please tell her to get her dogs balls and clean up her bags of dog poop‼ RUDE‼ I've seen too many injured and deceased marine mammals and shore birds in my career, not to know the impact. I politely informed her that tennis balls kill marine mammals and she didn't care. This little gem is not her backyard pool, but our ocean and beach! I was just trying to enjoy my time with my own dogs, and ended up retrieved my dogs balls AND her's. People like this need to be called out or cited. read more

What an amazing hidden gem! Not too crowded, plenty of friendly dogs to play with, and friendly owners who clean up after their dogs. Water is surprisingly warm, waves are gentle, and it has a great view. Neighborhood only has 1-hour parking, but it's a quick walk down some stairs to the beautiful beach. read more

San Quentin Beach - The look on her face says it all - what a magical spot! - Beaches Near Me - San Quentin, California

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Private beach...Too small for humans and dogs...will ticket you...normally says 1 hour parking,but due to covid19, permit parking only..$100.00 ticket...wow.....Was told by home owners, that a lot of homeowners don't have off street parking...And barking dogs are annoying to the quiet village that they love... They also said no one but people that live in the village are ok to use beach, not people who drive or walk in, as this is not their neighborhood do to Covid 19.... I guess I'll find another beach or dog park for my fur baby.... Might I add Sheriff will ask you to leave beach at this time due to Covid. read more

Such a great safe haven for dogs! There are enough but not too many steps down to the beach so you are separated from the street, a beautiful view of the Richmond Bridge and the Bay and a fun amount of space to run free and play with abandon! Lots of respectful dogs and doggie's humans. read more

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I don't know what doggie heaven looks like, but it must be pretty dam close to this beach. My dog absolutely loves this place and that's good enough for me. read more

Great small beach to run the dogs. We went during the week it had less then 3 people, plenty of parking great views too read more

Cool place to bring your pup. This is a very small beach that seems to be 90% used by dog owners and their pups. Limited parking but all the dogs I've run into here have been friendly and the owners have been cool. My dog isn't into water but likes to play on the beach so we swing by every once in a while. Parking is 2 hour parking, no idea if it is enforced, but keep this in mind when you go. Would suck to get a ticket on your visit to the beach. read more

The view is quite stunning here. If you climb to the top you can see the prison from here. The picturesque homes are pretty amazing as well. I can see why my friends moved to this side of the bay. It's peaceful, calming and just off the highway. If you're tired of the hustle and bustle of the city, I would recommend stopping over here. It's a great place to be on a nice day. read more

The good: dog friendly, quiet, free parking nearby The bad: One road in and one road out of SQ mean a steady stream of, um, "traffic" going by. read more

My butt was sore from all the stairs. It was a small flat beach with some broken shells in some places. Really interesting looking rock formations on the beach & on the cliffs. A little seaweed clinging to some rocks. Up the stairs over the promontory to a larger & more rocky beach in view of the prison. People & dogs not this side, although there's more beach. If you like views & quiet time this is a good place. Great view of the bridge & civilisation in the distance. read more

Came to this beach to chill out and enjoy the view its small and a bit smelly because of all the seaweed. The surprise was watching all of the dog owners getting into heated arguments while protecting their furbabies. Unexpected but somewhat entertaining. read more

Almost makes me jealous of the inmate population nearby. Shhh... you, your kids, and your pooch may feel a little uneasy about playing in Death Row's backyard, but not I. You'd hate it. read more

Smaller beach and secluded i love it! I get to bring the dogs which makes it way better.

My dog had so much fun here today. It is so nice and pretty, and all of the dogs were friendly as were their owners. Hidden gem, and all the dogs had smiles on their faces. Nice views. read more

Don't let the name and location fool you, this beach is perfect for you and your pup!!!! Limited parking due to it being in a residential neighborhood, but super easy to walk down. The sand is super compacted so fido won't ingest much while playing fetch. Bring a blanket, some sandwiches and water for you and your four legged friend... Makes for a very fun Sunday afternoon. read more

Be warned parking is scarce and limited to 1hour. But while you're there, have fun with your dog, watch your children play, fish, hunt for shells or just mingle with some of the regulars. Oh, and there is a post office down the road in case you need some stamps or something..the Postmaster is really nice. read more

It's a cute beach but really small. It's more of a dog beach which is nice for dog owners. I thought there would be more space to walk around, but you get a really nice view of the prison. read more