Sandy beach
Yes
Hike-in Required
Yes
Surfing
No
Snorkeling / SCUBA
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Limantour Beach is one of the few dog-friendly places in Point Reyes, and well worth a visit. It begins in the north where Limantour Spit reaches out towards Drakes Estero and offers miles of sandy shore before cliffs inevitably cut it off in the south.

Park your car at Limantour Beach Parking Lot. Then walk down the paved road to find bathrooms, trash cans, and information signs. The pavement turns into Limantour Spit Trail which will lead you across a bridge.

After you cross the bridge, keep walking straight. The Limantour Spit Trail will go off to the right; feel free to follow it. It’s about half a mile and features coastal grasses and flowers and a few trees that offer a bit of shade. It ends abruptly and you’ll need to walk all the way back out unless you find a connector to the beach. There are a few but vegetation takes over them here and there. Please don’t trample the plants if you decide to cross to the beach.

If you choose not to go on this mini-exploration and continue straight, you’ll climb a mini-hill of loose sand, and voila; you’re on Limantour Beach.

If you brought your four-legged friend, please remember that even though dogs are allowed on Limantour Beach, they need to be on a leash. This regulation is put in place to protect nesting birds and prevent your pet from eating marine life the ocean might have brought up on the beach, like a whale carcass that’s been there for quite some time.

One of the many birds this rule is protecting is the threatened snowy plower. They bring up their young in the sand, and the hatchlings can’t defend themselves or fly away when in danger. They blend in with their environment very well, so your pup might do away with them without your knowledge.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Easy access. Good for birdwatching. A lot of space.

Cons

Can get busy.

Pets allowed

Allowed with Restrictions

Features

Vault toilet
Wildlife
Family friendly
Bird watching

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore

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