We recently stayed at the Dillion Beach resort and I was extremely disappointing at the management. They had fire pits pictured on the coastal cabins. when we arrived you were not allowed to use them and given a $500 fine if you did. I kindly spoke to the lady at the store about this and said they "oversold" the amenities. I wanted compensation back but was rudely told no, told, we haven't had them in 18 months..etc. I have never dealt with such rude customer service. The beach was beautiful but thats not something the resort can take credit for. I will not be returning nor will I be recommending them. read more

After having bookmarked Dillon Beach a year ago on a recommendation, I finally got around to checking it out over this past weekend. And... It's quite likely that this may be one of the greatest beaches that I've been to. Gorgeous beach with dunes to climb and explore. Dillon Beach is another example of a beautiful Northern California beach. We went Labor Day weekend, and on the day of our visit (Saturday August 30, 2014), the weather was ideal and the view was picturesque. The beach was clean, but along the water we found what appeared to be beached blue jellyfish. A hundred. At least. Up and down the shoreline. I later did a quick google search and discovered that what we had found were the infamous Velella velellas (jellyfish-like invertebrate) that I vaguely recalled seeing in the news a month or so earlier. Thank you Dillon Beach for a fantastic weekend! And.. a great big thank you to the person who recommended it to me. THANK YOU. Wherever you may be. read more

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We LOVE Dillon Beach! Our kids love this beach because the sand is perfect for sand castles and the sand dunes are a lot of fun for exploring. VISITS: We've been here twice (July of 2014 and March of 2015) and we plan to make it an annual trip. It was surprisingly over casted during our trip in July, but it was the perfect weather in March (super sunny with a cool breeze). PARKING: For both times, the parking lot has gotten filled up fairly quickly, but we've always lucked out in finding close parking because we have always gotten there around 10-10:30AM. Because they have limited parking spaces, the beach does not get overly crowded so we always had plenty of personal space. We don't mind paying the parking fee ($8) because we think this beach is definitely worth it. BATHROOMS: The bathrooms are not the cleanest and is a bit of a tight squeeze, but we've seen worse. We brought wipes and hand sanitizers for our picnic area so we don't have to make the trek to the bathrooms too often. PICNIC: There are not that many grills and picnic tables, it's first come first serve, and you are only allowed to grill in the picnic area, which is the furthest away from the water. So if you want to be closer to the water, bring cold food. We have always posted up near the grill because we like to BBQ. For our first trip, we shared a grill with another family because all the grills were taken already. We didn't know them, but they were kind enough to share the grill with us. The second time, we brought our own grill, but we also lucked out and got a grill there, which we needed because we had a big group with us. FOOD: We have not explored any of the businesses right outside of the beach, but we do love stopping by Hog Island Oyster Farm (20-minute drive south on the Hwy 1) for the some fresh oysters to enjoy at Dillon Beach. Hog Island opens at 9AM so we always stop by there early to grab 1-2 bags of fresh oysters and then head over to the beach. Fresh oysters + beautiful beach + great company = awesome beach trip!!! We would visit more often if we lived closer (we're from Elk Grove, CA). read more

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This was a great place to spend a day! Our dogs had a blast running off-leash and playing with the other dogs and people. The beach was windy, but not too cold. We walked all the way from one end to the other (down to the crabbing pier) which took a bit over an hour at a very leisurely pace, including snack breaks :). The beach is wide and uncrowded, especially once you get past the main area by the parking lot. For people worried about the pit bull ban - we didn't see any evidence of it today! The "No Pit Bulls" sign I've seen pictured here on Yelp wasn't in evidence. Instead there was a sign that said "No Aggressive Dogs - Dogs Must Be Under Your Control On- and Off-Leash." We saw plenty of happy pitties running on the sand. The drive through the farm country to the beach was beautiful. There was plenty of parking at the beach and restrooms are available. The town seemed cute though we didn't stop into any stores. read more

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We had a very nice and relaxing weekend at Dillon Beach back in March. The weather was blustery and cold so we only ventured onto the actual beach once for an extended walk. The other walk ended up being through the camping grounds to the general store. It ended up being a longer walk than expected but very nice! We lucked out with the house we were renting. Three bedrooms (one of these in a guest area separated from the rest of the house), hot tub and sauna. Beautiful view right out on the beach. Not much to do other than enjoy the scenery and take walks, but it was perfect for a quick getaway. read more

Great beach, with all the revenue they make you'd think there would be better and cleaner bathrooms.

On a gray, windy, cloudy day, perhaps your first thought is not the beach. But you're on a road trip, the dog is in the back seat ready for a day of messy fun, and hey - did I mention I was on a road trip? For $7, you get to park close to the beach and enjoy a couple of hours of undiluted fun. I brought a picnic lunch, a dog, a beach blanket, a book, and life was good. The beach is clean, wide and sandy - even on a not so sunny day, it's just a lovely way to spend the day. All the dogs we encountered were well behaved and having tons of fun in the surf and sand. read more

Came here for clamming Clean facilities and water for visitors 8 dollars for parking Huge beach with a walkable shore. Nice place to get away. Sit read a book read more

Dillon Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

Dillon Beach is the perfect family beach for a fun day in the sun. It is a private beach that you pay to park. Just pay it because there is NO other parking anywhere close by. What is nice about this beach is that it is very flat and very accessible for all ages. Once you pay the entrance fee, there is a parking lot assistant that helps everyone park, stay lined up just right and keep the parking lot nice and neat. Once you have parked you are just steps away from the sand and a few yards to the water. Many families take easy ups, tables, Weber's and everything necessary for a great day at the beach. Two great highlights of this beach are the nice clean restrooms and that you can take your dog. Dog owners are very responsible and respectful of others and it is overall a great place to spend the day. read more

I love this beach. It's clean and pretty and it's dog friendly! There's a lot of parking though you have to pay $8 for the day. The holidays can bring out the crowds, so try to get there early or later. It can get cold and foggy so make sure you wear layers. The dog friendly cafe is only open Thursday to Sunday, so make sure you pack lunch. There is a bakery/cafe in town also. I love coming here with my dog, running her ragged and then driving over to Tomales for some oysters. Not sure there could be a more perfect day. read more

Dillon Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

Great beach just an easy walk down the street (and footpath) from our rental. Great watching the surfers, kids flying kites, people with their dogs just having a good time. Overcast both days we were there but the sunset views were the absolute best. Wasn't able to go during low tide but Tomales Bay was a great weekend coastal getaway. The beach was a little windy but not too cold, pretty clean to walk along the water. I did get cellular service on the beach (AT&T) so you're not truly "disconnected" from the world. read more

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Upon arriving at Dillon Beach I was immediately struck by the romantic ambiance of the descending sunlight. The blue hues of the sun enhanced the blue of the shore, making it look very rich in color. I was surprisingly delighted at how quiet and peaceful this particular beach was, it is big enough so that everyone can spread out. The long beach is great for my dog and his ball, and it gave us the ability to let him get familiar with all the sites and sounds prior to playing with other dogs and getting overly excited. The beach was VERY clean, gives you the secluded feel, is framed with hills, rocks, and dunes. This is a great beach for clear photos, in fact I am thinking of having a photo session with my husband, dog, and I eventually. It was about an hour before sunset in the winter when we finally found Dillon Beach, our directions were not up to par and we did not own a gps of any sort yet. I recommend printing a few different directions before going there, if you are out of town. Also make sure to bring a lunch if you are planning on going in the cooler months to watch the sunset, the Dillon Beach Cafe was closed when we got there. This beach is wonderful all year round. read more

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Ha! Better late than never for an update! Thanks to dear friend and Property Manager, Carolyn Moore, my husband and I took our honeymoon here. And...........we brought all 5 of our kids and 3 of their friends. Now THIS was a Family Vacation to remember! Great House, will return with just my FOUR daughters and friends this summer for a GIRLS weekend! Over the years, Dillon has attracted some unwelcomed guests and reviews, I say, PEESHAW! I've been coming here for decades and we are considered TOWNSfolk when we arrive. LOVE LOVE LOVE! read more

All year long rain or shine I love this part of Sonoma County Coming for crabbing or camping or a day trip to the sea shore bring a thermos of coffee or wine and some sour dough and a good attitude and you can mingle with locals or sit in solitude and contemplate the meaning of life against a typically gray seashore read more

NO CONTROL OVER AGGRESSIVE DOGS OFF THE LEASH! This beach used to be my favorite for the sole purpose that my dogs could run freely. I have 2 super outgoing maltipoo pups that absolutely love to run and love this beach! It was their happy place! They love every person and animal and are soooo friendly. Sadly we no longer visit because their only policy regarding dogs is a wooden sign painted white with black painted lettering that looks as if an 8yr old child made it reading "no aggressive dogs" and maybe somewhere smaller it say "must be under voice command." HOW THE HECK WOULD THEY KNOW?!?!? It's not like people pull in and say, oh hey I'm just coming to let my aggressive asshole dogs that DO NOT listen to me whatsoever because I barely pay attention to them on a daily basis run amuck and harass friendly dogs having the time of their lives. Then when their owner calls me out I'm gonna act like a bigger asshole!" No employee monitors the beach or calls anyone out when they're being jerks! Too many times now my little dogs have had giant dogs come at them aggressively. I've had to ask many owners to call their dogs the hell away from us and our things when we are sitting nicely trying to enjoy ourselves. Bottom line is people just suck! No one holds each other accountable for shitty behavior. Standing up and speaking out has become rare! It takes a village and people need to either be responsible, act accordingly, be courteous or stay the hell at home! read more

One of our favorite places- super low key and the perfect beach. Not too windy and lots of room. Dogs allowed too. Adorable residential houses and neighborhood to rent and have comfy walks. read more

Nice beach with picturesque sand dunes and bluffs. The sand was clean and not too gritty, and the waves are big for California. Incredibly, it stayed warm even when the marine layer rolled in. I really appreciate that they allow dogs, and everyone keeps it nice by making sure they clean up and keep their pets in check. There is a $5 parking fee, but I guess it's not too bad. That can be quite easily avoided though if you are willing to make the honestly easy walk downhill from the residential neighborhood. Pretty much every path from the vacation homes leads down, so you won't get lost, and it's nice to walk by some cute houses. read more

Fantastic way to enjoy a beach day, Park all day for just $8 bucks, bring everything for your beach day including you dog(s) Best dog friendly, dog watching spot around! read more

Pup and I love this spot. I have been coming here for many years, not much is different.Truly magical. read more

Dillon Beach - Teagan's first beach trip was to Dillon this year. Let the journey begin. - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

Great beach. $7 parking though. Take the dogs off leash south of the seasonal creek. read more

Dillon Beach - Windy today! - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

This is the perfect beach if you have a pup! While it's an off-leash dog beach, it is every bit as nice as Capitola beach. No little shops of amenities near by, so come packed up with lunch, or a grill, lawn chairs, and whatever else you may need for a perfect beach day. Parking on a warm sunny day is an issue, so if you don't get there by noon, you may have to wait in line for parking for up to two hours. So go early and prepared, enjoy a relaxing day at this beautiful little beach. read more

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The owners do nothing to ensure that aggressive dogs are not allowed. Our leashed husky was attacked by a pit bull yesterday. My husband had to punch the dog in the head and pull his tail before he finally lost his grip on our hogs head. Thankfully our dog was scared but not injured because she has such a thick coat. If this had happened to our small dog he would be dead. The owner ran over and grabbed her dog but then just let him go down the beach off leash. We were in shock and normally would have had a lot to say. We spoke to someone at the gate, gave a description, and asked to have someone go talk to them immediately. We followed up this morning and apparently the employee that operates the beach ATV was too busy. Good to know that they couldn't care less. read more

Came here at around 1PM during the Labor Day weekend. It was a 40 minute wait to get in. I'm glad I waited it out (lots of cars started turning around) because once I got in and walked past the sand dunes, it was not too busy on the beach. Of course, due to the weekend traffic, bathroom stalls were packed. Otherwise, a clean beach and super dog friendly. My dog was in heaven playing with all his four-legged friends! Warning: saw some dismembered birds on the shore, which I don't always see on the coast. Watch your dog because they'll definitely gravitate towards the carcass. Cost: $8 for parking. Cash only read more

Dillon Beach - Very dog friendly! Can do off-leash in certain parts of the beach. Labor day weekend 2015 - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

Dillon Beach has a lot of personality. I don't mean that as a compliment though. If you want a short review about the beach, it was really crowded, really windy, overrun with dogs, and parking was expensive. Would not recommend. Here's the long version (it's worth the read): My fiance and I decided to celebrate her birthday by driving up to the North Bay and checking out some beaches. We began our day at Stinson Beach which was beautiful and very peaceful. We drove up to Point Reyes for lunch and then decided to continue up the coast. We saw that Dillon Beach was highly recommended on Yelp, so we drove up there. Upon reaching the town, we took a left turn that put us on a windy, narrow two lane road that was about four miles long and led directly to the beach. About a mile down the road, we come around a curve and have to quickly move into the center of the road as a disheveled looking man was walking on the side of the road (there was no shoulder) holding five gigantic Alaskan Malamutes on leashes. I say walking, but in reality they were basically dragging him along. We remarked at how odd the sight was and then instantly forgot about it as the drive to the beach was gorgeous. Vast, rolling green hills surround the road and the views of the ocean were spectacular. Once we reached the beach, we saw a long line of cars waiting to get into the beach parking lot. Instead of waiting in the line, we decided to try and find parking in the neighboring area in front of one of the beach houses. This was absolutely the right decision to make at 3:30 in the afternoon. Within a minute, we were able to spot a family leaving and pull into their parking spot. This was especially fortunate because it turned out that parking in the beach lot was $10. Also, just sitting in the line would have wasted probably another 20 minutes for us as cars could only enter the lot when other cars left. We brought our blankets out to the beach and staked out a nice spot. This beach was way more crowded than Stinson Beach was in the morning (it could just be due to the time of day though). Also, there was considerably more drinking and noise at this beach. That doesn't really bother me, but families with small kids might not like it. Also, there were hella dogs on this beach. If there weren't too many when we arrived, there would definitely be too many later (stay tuned). The beach also happened to be really windy that afternoon. I'm not sure if this is a normal thing or not, but sand was blowing in our faces the whole time. After finally settling in and protecting our faces from the wind, we were starting to relax a little bit more. About an hour later, we look up and who do we see? The guy with the dogs from earlier. He had walked the entire length of the road with his pack of wolf dogs and brought them all onto the beach. This is where chaos ensues. The man proceeds let unleash all of his dogs. They instantly start running wild and wreaking havoc all over the beach. One dog starts chowing down on an unsuspecting families sandwiches. Another dog starts ripping up a woman's beach bag. Another dog pees on the blanket of the group ten feet in front of us. We heard the woman start yelling about how that was the third(!) dog that had peed on her blanket that afternoon. At this point, the dog guy starts yelling at the top of his lungs for the dogs to return to him. "Bethany come here!!!!! Steve come hereeeee!!!!!" (Aside: Super weird dog names). Anyway, none of the dogs are responding to him at all, and this guy has clearly worn out his welcome among some of the aggrieved beach goers (although about half of the people were completely oblivious to what was happening). A few men started talking about how they were gonna teach this guy a lesson, when the dogs magically started to return back to their owner. The dog guy then proceeds to jog down the beach essentially fleeing the scene. The men went back to drinking Bud Lite and talking about how they would have beaten him up for sure. As the entertainment seemed to be over and the wind showed no signs of dying down, we decided to head out. On our way through the parking lot, one beach-goer was complaining to the guy in the parking booth about the dog guy. I'm not sure if anything was done though. We got in our car and drove home, happy to have had an entertaining and unusual day at the beach. While this makes for a great story, I definitely would not recommend Dillon Beach and would not go back. read more

It's okay. It's really the only beach around that area that the surf is calm enough to go in the water. For a private beach, you would think they would keep it cleaner. It's usually a dump. You can always find some garbage in the sand. The bathrooms are no better than portapotties. The store down the block is very expensive. And can they please make an area for dogs only! I love dogs, but don't want them running everywhere unleashed pissing and crapping everywhere. On top of all this its terrible that they have doubled the parking fee. I can understand if they did it to make improvements but they've done nothing different. Poor kids working there probably make minimum at the most. read more

I love Dillon's beach! We just spent the weekend there camping and it's never a let down. Been going here since I was little and highly recommend it to start bringing your kids. Great experience and great beach! read more

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Love this place and miss it dearly. It was amazing to be there as it was so nice and cool. The beach houses and hills made everything so romantic. The beach itself is private so you can bring adult beverages there. Definitely a nice perk if you want to have a picnic. We took beautiful pictures with the few rocks that were on the beach, and the back drop of the misty sky. I would recommend this place as a nice, quiet get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Rent a beach house and enjoy the weekend with your friends, family, lover, partner. read more

Dillon Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

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I keep wanting to like this beach because it's convenient with kids but this is the last time I think. Firstly, it is a dog-free off the leash beach so you can be sure that dogs will be running up to you and your kids, really fun while eating! Then you have to watch the dogs go to the bathroom all over the beach. The beach itself is really dirty, littered with garbage and dog poop....it's also $10 to park. Sorry Dillon's we tried again, we will head down the road to a dog free beach! read more

I love love love this beach, great views, lovely walk to the mouth of Tomales Bay. Off leash dogs are welcome. There is a reasonable parking fee, and on nice days is can get crowded but generally it's pretty chill. read more

Awesome beach to explore especially when the tide is low. Not too busy but well worth the visit! read more

Dillon Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

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Soft sand, long beach and amazing views of the ocean and the mountains. Zen!!!

This is a great beach. Beautiful sand dunes and clean ocean waves. My kids loved the dunes. One issue was parking was very pricey ($10 weekdays and $20 (!!) weekends). Also, no gas stations at Dillon beach, so make sure you fill up on gas before coming. read more

Wow this place has become very popular. Many many campsites and Trailer spot people walking their bad dogs. Looks like one of the last places where the middle-class can camp at the beach with their family and neighbors. There are good dogs also. read more

I grew up going to this beach and it is very close to my heart. However recently we visited and took our two dogs to visit the ocean. It seemed there were so many people enjoying the ocean with their dogs but 70% of them were off leash and of that 70% 30% were not under voice command. We always keep our dogs leashed and we were approached by dogs off leash multiple times while there and the owners did nothing. I had to step in to keep the dogs away from my dogs. One time someone on an ATV was there talking to one of the owners while we were frantically yelling at the dog to get away from our dogs. Assuming the man on the ATV worked there. It definitely is not the beach I grew up on. It is very beautiful but won't be taking my dogs back there. read more

Plenty of parking near the beach. Perfect spot if you don't want a long hike from the car to the water. My dogs loved it, however there were a few irresponsible dog parents letting their dogs roam the beach freely and not paying attention. A couple dogs ran up to my reactive baby who was on a leash, which was pretty frustrating. read more

Nice, good sized beach. I stopped by on a Friday afternoon on a three day weekend and was happy to enjoy the beach, which didn't seem all that crowded. Very dog friendly, with large off leash area, practically the whole beach. I came here after researching for a dog friendly beach and was happy to find out this one is off leash, which is a big plus for this beach because there are none really North of this beach in Sonoma County that are (technically) off leash. The only thing is parking is $10, gah but I suppose if you make it an outing, it's worth it. Just unfortunate to find out it is a private parking lot (not a county park, or anything) therefore no pass is good here. The beach in nice and beautiful, with nice sand and water good for swimming, surfing, etc. there's a decent bathroom, some picnic tables and fire pits, no water fountain, though. I'd come back here for the reasons noted, being an off leash dog friendly beach but would plan to stay longer, making it more of an event versus just to let dog release some energy because of price paid to park. read more

Dillon Beach - Dog friendly beach, with off leash area. - Beaches Near Me - Dillon Beach, California

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Rugged beauty. Desert red rocks. Somersault dunes. Dogs allowed. Remote elegance. Play She's Looking for Something by Beats Antique and Lynx and Janover. Loudly. On repeat. Trust. read more

The drive out to Dillon Beach is half the experience, with it's verdant hills speckled with happy cows and fluffy sheep, old farmhouses, and quick peeks at the Pacific Ocean as you wind your way closer to the beach. It's truly stunning. I grew up in Petaluma, just 20 mins from Dillon, and am still in awe of the gorgeous pastoral landscape. Once at Dillon, there's not much to do besides enjoy the scenery, take a walk on the beach (if you walk all the way to the left, there's a group of seals that hang out occasionally), maybe grab lunch at the only restaurant in town, The Dillon Beach Cafe (the food is decent but overpriced, to be expected), and enjoy some organic silence. Definitely stop in the town of Tomales on the way out and stock up on some treats at Tomales Bakery - they have very odd hours, so if you catch them when they're open, consider yourself lucky! Most of the houses out at Dillon are rental properties, and make for a great weekend getaway. As long as you're prepared to unplug and unwind, free of big city stimuli, Dillon is your remedy. read more

Windy! Overcast white sky. Beautiful long stretch of soft, white sand beach. Jellyfish, very large dogs, heads of seals and ocean lions popping up in the distant water... $8 entry fee per car into gated parking lot. read more

No place to park unless you pay. I got kicked off two spots just pulling over to fly my drone. One guy was really nasty. "PRIVATE PROPERTY. YOU CANT'T TAKE PICTURES." There were plenty of empty spaces across from cottages. He claimed a statue of a pirate was private property and you couldn't take a picture of it. Crazy. They are really snotty with their mantra of PRIVATE PROPERTY along the coast above hoy-to-toyty Marin. read more