Dog Friendly Day Trips From San Diego – Looking for dog friendly day trips in Southern California? That’s why I have a post for you with 10 amazing Southern California vacations for dogs that you can cover as day trips from Los Angeles or San Diego. Read on to find the most convenient places in Southern California to explore as quick day trips within a 2.5 hour drive (one way)!
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Dog Friendly Day Trips From San Diego
I’m based in San Francisco and have devoted numerous blog posts to dog-friendly Northern California vacations covering small towns. However, there are tons of dog-friendly Southern California vacations waiting for you with sunny weather, beach towns with warm water (Northern California beaches are notoriously cold and windy), lots of hiking, wine tasting, and of course, good food—all dog-friendly. are welcome.
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Although our travels in Southern California with our young children (Babu: 2010-2021 and now Gunda) were limited compared to our extensive travels in Northern California, we were able to explore much of the state from Santa Barbara in the south during our trip. Many winter vacations where the drive to Los Angeles was a holiday tradition for us.
With that in mind, here are 10 great Southern California vacations that can easily be turned into dog-friendly day trips from any of SoCal’s major cities, namely Los Angeles or San Diego, and are about a 2.5-hour drive away each . road (enables the movement of traffic).
These include beach towns, small towns, wine tasting havens, desert lodges, and even a famous national park that you must visit with your dog if you’re heading to Southern California. I hope this guide to dog-friendly places in Southern California that are easily accessible from Los Angeles or San Diego will help you see more of Southern California’s diversity outside of the big cities.
A) Southern California has warm, sunny California weather almost year-round with warm ocean waters for swimming. However, summer is very hot, which can be painful for you and dangerous for your puppy (especially his tender feet). So if you’re planning dog trips in Southern California from June to September, be sure to stick to coastal towns rather than inland destinations.
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November and March are the best times to visit mainland destinations such as Palm Springs, Ojai or Joshua Tree, which are popular winter vacation spots in California. However, winter is the rainy season in California, so prepare for showers and be flexible with your plans.
B) If you are planning dog friendly day trips from Los Angeles or San Diego, it is best to drive your own car. You can rent a car from Los Angeles, San Diego, or any of the major airports that serve Southern California.
Los Angeles is incredibly dog-friendly, but thanks to its location, it’s also close to some great dog-friendly spots in Southern California that are definitely worth checking out if you have a little extra time. Another thing is that none of the Los Angeles beaches allow dogs, so that’s even more incentive to go outside of Los Angeles for dog-friendly day trips. Here are my picks based on our frequent trips with Babu and Gunda over the winter break:
Long Beach is just a 30-minute drive from Los Angeles and is home to the county’s most popular dog beach, Rosie’s Dog Beach. In addition, the stores, shops and restaurants in Belmont Shores are very dog-friendly.
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Long Beach has 11 dog parks that locals love, including Recreation Park, El Dorado Park, Uptown Dog Park, K-9 Corner Dog Park and Bixby Dog Park. Plus, there are tons of dog-friendly restaurants on 4th Street, Uptown, Belmont Heights, and downtown, all of which you can check out at our dog-friendly Long Beach location!
Check out this Instagram post, a post shared by fan page Rosie’s Dog Beach (@rosiesdogbeach)
Malibu may be synonymous with Hollywood resorts and celebrity weddings, but it’s also popular with furry friends! Leo Carrillo State Beach is dog-friendly, and there are plenty of dog-friendly hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains to keep your pup busy. Furthermore, there is the little known Malibu wine country where you can go wine tasting with your dog.
I recommend stopping at Escondido Canyon Park for the dog-friendly trail at Escondido Falls, explore the Solstice Canyon Trail, hit the Zuma Canyon Loop, or conquer the Mish Mocha Trail to Mount Allen for a Malibu hike. There are plenty of dog-friendly restaurants on Route 1 in Malibu to stop at after a day of hiking – here’s a helpful post by Bring Fido that lists them all.
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Ojai is one of the most dog-friendly places in Southern California that completely surprised us when we visited in 2019 during our trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. While this mainland city doesn’t have dog-friendly beaches, there are plenty of other fun dog-friendly activities to explore in this artsy Southern California city.
Explore the dog-friendly shops of Arcade Plaza, stop by Barts Books, go for a kombucha tasting at Revel Kombucha Bar, and take your dog for a walk in Libby Park. Ojai has many dog-friendly restaurants and cafes such as Farmer and The Cook, Beacon Coffee Company, The Nest (large patio) and Ojai Lebanese Roti. Which is suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Ojai has several dog-friendly wineries, such as Topa Mountain Winery and Old Creek Ranch Winery that you should check out if you’re a wine lover. We loved our short stay in Ojai this winter and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Santa Barbara is often referred to as “America’s Riviera” for its idyllic beaches, swaying palm trees, and summer vibes that are hard to beat year-round. Santa Barbara is also very dog-friendly as it has many dog-friendly beaches, restaurants and other attractions. If your dog loves the sea and the sand, Santa Barbara is really a dog-friendly day trip from Los Angeles that you should consider.
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We have visited Santa Barbara several times over the past 12 years, and rain or shine, the city has always been fun to explore with our dogs. There are many beaches and dog parks to visit even if you’re only spending a day in Santa Barbara.
My recommendations are to start the day at Hendrys Beach (aka Arroyo Burro Beach County Park) near the Douglas Family Preserve, explore One Thousand Step Beach or quiet Mesa Lane Beach, walk Shoreline Park, and stroll through the Alice Keck Memorial Gardens. .
Don’t miss the Santa Barbara Pier and the Santa Barbara Mission Rose Garden, both dog-friendly, as well as the County Courthouse Gardens. If that’s not all, the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden is also dog-friendly, and it’s free too!
Downtown Santa Barbara, La Arcada Plaza, and the Punk District are great places to explore and eat with your dog on a leash. Additionally, there are several dog-friendly wine tasting rooms in Santa Barbara where you can enjoy tasting some of the best wines from the Santa Ynez Valley. Read our Santa Barbara Dog Guide for all the details on how to plan a dog-friendly Santa Barbara day trip!
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Solvang (meaning Sunny Fields in Danish) looks like it was inspired by a Danish fairy tale. This quaint town with a strong Scandinavian feel is often touted as one of the prettiest towns in California, and it’s also very dog-friendly.
We have been to Solvang twice now and loved everything about it. The main attractions, ie. The town square is centered around Mission Drive, so you can easily cover most of it on your day trip from Los Angeles.
In addition to the fun windmill and Little Mermaid fountain, another dog-friendly spot in Solvang is the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, which displays many of the Danish authors’ memorable literary works. Bakeries are dog-friendly with outdoor seating, and a visit to the Stray Dog Wine Bar is a must if you’re a wine lover!
You can visit one of the many dog-friendly wineries just outside of Solvang for wine tasting in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, as well as stop by Ostrichland USA (an ostrich and mother farm) with a well-behaved little dog to feed these funny birds read Solvang’s Dog Guide For details on where to take your dog on a day trip to this beautiful city!
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The green Santa Ynez Valley is part of Santa Barbara County and is home to beauty
