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Parks & Recreation

Approved Leash Free Locations

Map of Leash Free Locations In San Diego County

Map of Leash Free Locations in San Diego City

  • Allied Gardens
    Open dawn to dusk. Located at 6707 Glenroy St., on the lawn adjacent to Allied Gardens Pool.
  • Balboa Park is open 24 hours at:
    • Nate's Point - Balboa Drive at El Prado, south side of Cabrillo Bridge.
    • Morley Field northwest of tennis courts.
  • Cadman Community Park
    Cadman Park located at 4280 Avati Drive in Clairemont. For hours and boundary information, please visit our Cadman Park Leash Free page.
  • Capehart Park
    Open 24 hours.  Located at the corner of Felspar Street and Soledad Mountain Road in Pacific Beach, this 1-acre park offers the following amenities: two fenced pens, on turfed areas: one for small dogs and one for large or all dogs, areas to provide water for dogs, a drinking fountain, picnic tables and benches, and a parking area.
  • Charles L Lewis III Memorial Park
    Open dawn to dusk.  Located at 4750 Home Ave. in City Heights, this linear park was opened in December 2015 and it includes a playground, half court basketball court, restrooms and .5-acre single pen off-leash dog park located on the northern end of the park.
  • Dog Beach
    Open 24 hours. Located in Ocean Beach at the foot of Voltaire Street, this site offers access to the beach and ocean.
  • Doyle Community Park
    Open 24 hours, however it is not lighted.  Located at 8175 Regents Road in University City, this park is situated behind Doyle Recreation Center and offers two fenced turfed areas, one for small dogs and one for large or all dogs.
  • Dusty Rhodes Neighborhood Park
    Open dawn to dusk. Located on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, between Nimitz and West Point Loma, in Ocean Beach; this 1-acre park offers one area for all dogs. There is discussion about adding water stations for dogs and fountains for people, and expanding this site to five acres.
  • Fiesta Island
    Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday.  Located in Mission Bay Park, Fiesta Island offers a 5.2-mile asphalt path around the island for dogs walkers.
  • Grape Street Park
    Located at Grape and 28th streets in South Park, this site is unfenced and is available for off-leash use during the following designated days and times:
    Posted Leash Free Hours:

     

    • Monday thru Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
    • Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Kearny Mesa Community Park
    Open 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. everyday.  Located at 3170 Armstrong St. in Kearny Mesa, this 1-acre park near the Kearny Mesa Recreation Center offers one area for all dogs. The site is now lighted which allows for evening use. There is a water station for dogs and fountains for people. Parking can be a challenge during the day as the closest parking lot is used by students attending Mesa College.
  • Maddox Neighborhood Park
    Open dawn to dusk.  Located at 7815 Flanders St. in Mira Mesa, this .65-acre park offers one turfed area with a walkway and drinking fountain.
  • Nobel Park
    Open dawn to dusk.  Located at 8820 Judicial Drive in University City, just east of the North University Community Branch Library building, (map) and near the Nobel Athletic Fields and Recreation Center, this area offers adjacent parking and separate sections for large and small dogs.
  • Rancho Bernardo Park
    Open dawn to dusk.  Located at 18448 West Bernardo Drive, this 2.66 acre park offers leash free space adjacent to Rancho Bernardo Community Park, and includes additional parking for dog park users.
  • Rancho Peñasquitos Park
    Open dawn to dusk.  Located on Salmon River Road at Fairgrove Lane across the street from the Rancho Peñasquitos Branch Library, this 1-acre park offers two fenced, double-gated, turfed areas; one for small dogs and one for large or all dogs, benches, and a street parking area.
  • Torrey Highlands Park
    Open dawn to dusk.  Located on Lansdale Drive off Del Mar Heights Road, this 1-acre park offers a turfed and mulched area.
  • Ward Canyon Neighborhood Park 
    Open dawn to dusk.  Located at 3905 Adams Ave. in Normal Heights, this off-leash dog area is positioned off 40th Street right next to the Interstate 15 freeway. The park includes the following amenities: two fenced pens on tumbled wood chipped areas: one for small dogs and one for large or all dogs, pergolas, park benches and a parking area.

General Information

All people bringing their dogs to leash free areas enter at their own risk and accept full responsibility and liability for their dog's actions.

All other park areas with the exception of the Beaches and Mission Bay allow dogs at any time, but they must be on a leash.

Owners are always required to clean up after their dogs.

 

Fines for violations associated with ordinances concerning dogs is publicly accessible in the Bail Schedule posted on the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego’s 2024 Misdemeanor and Infraction Bail Schedule.  A downloadable PDF from their website is linked here: https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/sdcourt/criminal2/criminalresources.

Please be advised that, ultimately, it is in the court’s discretion whether to impose any fines for the violation of these ordinances and how much to charge for such fines.