One of the best if possibly the only east bay dog beach? Great area, perfect size, they do have bathrooms although one major drawback is not water and/or foot washing area. If they put in a water/washing area for our feet and our dogs, this would be perfect. Hopefully someone from the city will read this! read more

Just to be clear it is not legal to have your dog running loose. Yes plentiful people do and I have at times thinking it was ok. Very nice beach with plenty of loose dogs but recently there was an incident that brought back enforcement and tickets to people with loose dogs. Enforcement is rare but just want people to know it is a risk letting your dog run free. read more

I love just walking along Albany beach. The sound of the waves crashing, the smell of the sea air is so relaxing. I had a beautiful dinner by the beach. I walked the trail, watched the sunset & just enjoyed my evening. read more

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My dog Hunter loves it here! And I love this place! Love that we can go go hang out at the beach then go for a walk/hike. So many cool art fixtures and cool things to see along the walk. Lots of dogs. Not a lot of of parking though. read more

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We've brought our pups here a handful of times now in different months of the year and have had a great time every time! Parking is definitely not the easiest as there are always people either bringing their dogs to the beach or walking on the nearby trail, but it's manageable! Expect to have to take a short walk (10 mins or so) from your car to the beach when you come, though! Sometimes you might get lucky and find a closer spot but we've found it's been best to take the first spot we see open up. We love that this beach is so dog friendly and it's not too large, but a good size for dogs to run and play. We do wish there was a little shower station to wash sand off our feet before returning to the car but unfortunately there isn't so you'll need to come prepared for that. Overall we really enjoy this beach as it's one of the closest to where we live and dog friendly of course. read more

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First time at this beach with my dog. Pros- parking is close to the beach. Cons: there's no aggressive dog policy. So large aggressive dogs are off lease and out of control. I won't go back as I have a dog who is small with super good manners and was totally freaked out by the dogs who were running out of control on this beach. It may work for some folks, but definitely will not go back. read more

Walt's Adventures reporting in from Albany, California. This is Walt and the gem that was uncovered today was found on the other side of an old race track on the shore of the Pacific Ocean overlooking San Francisco. Albany Beach is a small to Medium sized beach area. It is ideal for families to have a picnic on one of the three picnic tables, putting a blanket down and enjoying the Sun, or just walking with your dogs. There were several dogs off leash, well mannered, and having a great time. The beach has bathroom facilities and two small parking areas. It is recommended to arrive earlier than later but we did manage to park and enjoy the hidden spender. read more

Albany Beach - Albany Beach trail- paved, rocky, no shade. - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

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A pretty typical beach, one of few in the east bay. Not crowded on a sunny day in late October, seemingly more dogs than people. No shade, very simple, nothing fancy about it. What makes it more unique than other beaches is the Albany Bulb, a former landfill turned art exhibition, located right next to the beach, with plenty of creative artworks and sculptures worth checking out. We'd been here before, but it was the first time making our way to Mad Marc's Castle, and it was pretty cool, artwork on the stones, hammock on the 2nd level, a nice setup for enjoying the views along the water. You'll find limited free parking right in front of the beach, and a bit more parking about a 5-minute walk. Also, a small restroom building right next to the parking lot for convenience. read more

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Took my husky here when my area was getting unbearably warm. This was the closest beach and was recommended for dog lovers/parents. It's small but beautiful, and my dog loved it! Very relaxing and cool, with lots of dogs running around. The sand is nice and soft as you get closer to the water, which was also another reason I enjoyed this beach. Feet in the sand is a must! read more

Great dog beach. Easy access and friendly people. My boys had a great time Going back real soon. Can't wait! read more

When you finally get there, you realize they don't allow dogs on the trails and you gotta walk another 2 miles to get to the beach

Our dogs love it here. One senior dog who can't run that much anymore, but she loves the soft sand and the other one runs like crazy until she can't run anymore. There is a trashcan for dog waste. Is usually windier and colder so make sure you have a layer. They made a back parking lot so it's nicer to park right next to the beach rather than the front area which is dilapidated. There is a human restroom in the front area. We go on weekend mornings, and there are always a group of swimmers going to the bay. Double the sand size when it's low tide. Otherwise you can find a lot of debris and short strip of sand during high tide. read more

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Lovely offleash dog beach with views of the City. Parking available, short walk to the shore, and lovely views of SF. read more

Albany Beach - My swimmer. - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

If you are looking for a dog beach then this is an amazing spot. It is basically a dog park on a beach. If you are looking for a regular beach then this is just alright. The beach is small and filled with dogs. If you don't have a dog of your own it basically feels like sitting inside a dog park. However, the beach is close to the bathrooms and the parking lot and it seems that most of the dogs are really friendly and cute. There is nearby parking but it is limited and only 2 hours so not a super good spot if you want to lounge all day. read more

Albany Beach - beach - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

I've visited Buchanan Dog Beach one time (on a September Saturday) and I definitely plan to come back. Positives: -There were tons of dogs with whom my dog could play . -There is plenty of shoreline for many different dogs to play fetch. -There's an amazing view of the GG Bridge and the City. -There's a bathroom near the entrance. -There's a good walking trail up the Albany Bulb. -Most people were very friendly. Negatives: -Parking is a little hectic, luckily someone was leaving just as we were getting there. One note to folks: this is a DOG BEACH. Don't come if you're going to be impatient with normal doggy behavior. read more

Albany Beach - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

Great spot if you have a dog and if you like fishing it's good just have to go on the jetty not on the beach itself

Love this little beach. My dog loves it too! It's usually pretty busy which is not a bad thing. I haven't had any issues with parking either. People seem to pick up after their dogs too! Great place to come take a walk and enjoy the sea breeze and helpfully the sun too! read more

This is a great, off-leash dog beach. This was my second time here. Everyone has been really cool and there are a good amount of medium to large size dogs which is what I have. Folks pick up after their dogs too and I haven't seen anything left on the beach. I saw some brave folks swimming in the water today. I've been going in the late afternoon so it's windy and cool. When the jet stream of fog rolls over, it can get pretty cold, bring layers. The one thing that could be an improvement is the removal of seaweed and more trash cans closer to the beach. When I can't get to Stinson Beach, this is a great alternative closer to home. read more

Albany Beach - South facing shot from the north side of the beach. - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

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I love this place but not as much as my puppy loves this place! The place is clean, no dog poop everywhere!

Oh, *that* is the name of this beach. At least unofficially. This dog beach is a medium-sized swath of sand near Golden Gate Fields, at the start of the trail going on to the Albany Bulb. Good-sized parking lot, and it fills up on weekends. The big orange bridge is straight ahead. It's the kind of beach I'd want to take the girl to. And, not long ago, I did. It was then that I found out that this is a beach for dogs and dog lovers. Several of them ran up to her. I was sitting in my chair reading Justice Clarence Thomas' autobio, and I suddenly saw a big white hairy face smiling at me from two feet away! Good owners raising friendly doggies. As for the beach, it's mostly clean of litter, some driftwood, sand is a little coarse. Not much room to throw a football. Lots of wind on the afternoon we were there, and the water was rough. The Buchanan Dog Beach is a hidden beach that people discovered long ago. You won't be alone, but it won't be crowded either. Whether you enjoy it or not depends on parking, the weather, and if you like making friends with every Spot, Rover, and Fido that comes around. read more

For me, this beach was a gem hidden in plain sight! I have been to Golden Gate fields dozens of times and never knew this little place existed just behind it. For my pup, it was absloute heaven. We came here Sunday and even on a weekend it was easy enough to find parking. We walked up to the convenient unisex bathrooms for a quick stop on the way to the beach. There are lots of areas near that path that have been reseeded, which is great, and they are clearly marked so as to avoid being trampled. When we arrived at the beach area, I was surprised how small it was, but even more surprised by how many dogs there were! It was wonderful! Dogs of all breeds, shapes, sizes and colors playing together in the sun. Many of the larger dogs were chasing balls into the waves and even swimming. My pup is water shy but will go up to the edge and loves digging in the sand. She made friends right away (see photos) which is great because she is an only dog and we love opportunities for her to socialize. There were many families with children, as well as young and old people alike. There are trails to walk as well if your dog gets tired of the beach or needs a little more exercise. We stayed at the beach for a few hours and then hiked Albany Bulb. It was a great experience. TIP: Be careful which logs you sit on :) Apparantly the one I chose wa sa favorite marking spot and I almost got sprayed by a little male cutie Pug! read more

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It was absolutely beautiful. The view is amazing. Nice trails to walk. And lots of four-legged friends, enjoying the day. Parking was very convenient. It was actually Earth Day when we were there. It was very nice to see the community they're keeping their beach clean. read more

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Amazing g loved taking the kids there. We had an amazing time the only thing that made the experience sad was the 2 hr parking

Pawsome! Lots of furry friends. Enjoyed the nice weather and beautiful sunset today will definitely comeback soon read more

If you have dogs this is the place to go. Our 2 mini Australian Shepherd's had the best time. We have visited more then once. It is like doggie heaven. Don't forget to walk the trail to see some neat recycled things and beautiful views. read more

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What a fun dog friendly beach! It's not too big of a beach which is nice in case you need to chase after your furry child. Nice views of SF from the beach and trails. Restrooms on site which is nice. read more

Albany Beach - Sunset watching - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

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We went on Albany Bulb trails and there were lots of dogs on the Albany beach. I don't know if the Buchanan Dog Beach is the same as the Albany Beach. Anyway, my dog really enjoy the time along the beach. Love the waves. Love that there were many dogs around. Definitely will come back. read more

Albany Beach - Lovely sunset - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

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Peppa and I traveled to Buchanan Dog Beach for a little adventure. Imagine our disappointment when we discovered it is under construction for the rest of the year. We are leaving full stars because it looks like we would have had fun. We'll be back in 2019. read more

Albany Beach - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

If you happen to luck upon a parking spot, don't mind low tide funk show, and gang banger graffiti, this is a great alternative to Pt Isabel for poochie. More chill and less four legged friends by contrast. Also sports a great beach for the pooches to jump in after sticks, balls.. kids whatever. Yes I've seen peeps in that nasty ass Water. At mid tide you can skirt around the south side for hella water level views on the concrete couch (you will see... just follow the eh yellow painted rock road). Or alternately just walk around the well walked trails, up above with plenty of grassy knolls and vistas of the bay to take your breath away. Almost like the many vagrants horny pot smoking teens who are known to pop out of bushes and makeshift shelters unannounced. Don't worry they are likely just as surprised as you are... I've heard people practicing their Miles Davis or John Coltrane imitations even though I couldn't see them. It's a bit surreal when the fog starts rolling in through the GG above your head. The tall grass rustles audibly, trees shimmy in the breeze, while waves approach and crash spent upon graffiti clad rocks. Then a slightly out of tune "play misty for me" folds through the wind, location of the horn not known. A shy musician somewhere nearby practicing their craft, the sound mingling just so as "natures air conditioning"* whispers in. *natures air conditioning-attributed to commentator and Bay Area fixture, John Madden, while describing the weather patterns of San Francisco on a nationally televised pro football game. Fog he described was natures way of keeping the Bay Area cool. read more

My dogs Loki and Mustard had their first off leach beach adventure today at Buchanan Dog Beach. They loved running through the wet sand, sniffing all the seaweed and meeting other doggy friends. People and pups were friendly. Lots of balls to go around **attached and for throwing, lol** Free parking, plus easy access to the Albany Nob and art installation. Made for a fabulous doggy day trip from Sacramento. We'll be back! read more

I love going to the beach, but honestly I come here less and less. One of the reason was because there was a lot of pet's waste on the sand. Owners did not really want to pick them up and it's really dirty. Owners, please do your part, pickup after your dogs so others can enjoy this beach, please please read more

It was our first time here (or any doggy beach) so we didn't know what to expect lol. For a sunny Sunday afternoon, we didn't think it was too busy at all. Parking is $1, but it's worth it because it's right next to the beach. The beach itself is tiny! But it didn't feel overcrowded. Our dogs had a great time and they were so exhausted after lol. All the dogs are extremely friendly and of course, you are allowed to un-leash them haha. There are trails next to the beach when you get tired of playing in the water haha. The only things I didn't like so much about this place was that there were like no trash cans. So, there were poopy bags lying around. There's soft bark debris everywhere. It's a little annoying, but overall the beach is pretty clean. We will be back for another round of doggy fun!! read more

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It's a small area where the doggie's can enjoy the water , swim and run around. There is also a trail where you and the doggies can walk which leads to the artsy Albany Bulb . THERE IS NO WATER FOUNTAINS OR DOGGY WATER FOUNTAINS. I personally didn't feel super safe , there were a group of people smoking pot and drinking. A few crazy drunk men walking around. Kind of sketchy. There were a ton of nails on wood beams and nails every where . Don't want my doggy or other doggies stepping on nails. Ton of empty beer bottles and cans everywhere, including broken glass. However when you pass all the debris and get close to the water part it's clean. Didn't let the doggy off the leash until I got to the water part. The dog loved it except when I had him on the leash . It's extremely small , we went during the day on a week day , there was only a couple other doggy owners so it wasn't super crowded however I can see it getting crowded during the weekend. read more

Albany Beach - His enjoying the view - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

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I love going to the beach here, but the thing is I'm not sure what the hours are. I literally just called the number on yelp asking for the hours and it's apparently the wrong number because the woman on the phone said "this is Berkeley? We don't have a beach here." I'm not sure what the number on here is but whatever. I still like this beach, I go here when I can. read more

Wonderful beach for dogs to romp around off-leash (or on-leash). It isn't the largest area but is big enough for the pups to fetch and chase each other and basically have a blast. There's a small parking lot, and there are also some trails that lead through the brush/grass. On warm days, this is quite a popular spot, so you may have to park far, up to a 5 or 10 min walk from the beach. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that there are a lot of foxtails lining the edge of the beach, and it's hard to get to the beach without encountering foxtails. If you have a dog but aren't sure what foxtails are, read about them -- it's bad news if they lodge in your dog's paws, skin, face, eyes, nose, or pretty much any body part. The view is great on a clear day - you can see the city (SF), the Golden Gate Bridge, and some of Oakland as well. There was a port-a-potty on the edge of the parking lot. There are no shower/rinse-off facilities that I know of, so bring towels for yourself and/or your pups. read more

Beautiful beach for everyone. New sand, new parking, new toilets, new wheelchair access. Very popular with dog owners, nature lovers, and kids. Beachgoers should understand that this beach has a long (and litigated) history as an off-leash dog area, so there are always many dogs, mostly well-behaved. Dog owners should understand that with $19 million of improvements from EBRPD to this beach (and with no special designation as a dog area other than dogs being allowed), sunbathers and kids will continue to come in droves. It's a convenient beach for everyone, and plenty of space for all. read more

Went today with our friends new dog it was great lots of pups running around with out there leashes only wished the owners we're closer we trying to get the pup used to the other dogs and they would just run up and crowd her But over all great place awesome views had a nice walking path down into the water some interesting art work all around read more

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I come here to watch dogs play and run on the beach. They jump into the crashing waves and swim out much to far to fetch a ball or other beloved toy. They run back and shake the ocean back on to you since you didn't get a chance to go after the ball yourself. This beach makes me wish I had dogs that ran into the ocean. But then I see the wet beach dogs jumping into the cars and also the size of their poop and I'm happy and content with my 2 13lb'ers. They stick close to me while we stroll through the messy beach - one begs to be picked up b/c he doesn't like sand on his paws. This beach is no Bali, but not bad for Albany. read more

Great little no-frills dog-friendly off-leash beach. Waves are usually pretty gentle and you can see all the way to SF on a clear day. Mid-last year when I visited, we had to climb over garbage and driftwood to get to the beach, but this time (January), the beach was very clean. This is a great little spot to take your dog after walking The Bulb (but The Bulb has a great swim spot too!). I've heard that the city is in talks to demolish the area, so if that's the case, enjoy it while you still can! read more

Albany Beach - January 2016 playing ball on the beach - Beaches Near Me - Albany, California

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Yuck just yuck! There were more people sun bathing and swimming then dogs. My dog couldn't even chase a ball cause it was packed. Small sand area and a few hundred people. Water was disgusting!!! Full of seaweed bark and who knows what else. Do not waste your time coming here! So so gross. Go to Fort Funston instead. read more