The South Bay is full of dogs and short on places to let them off the leash. Four public off-leash parks serve the whole area, the beaches are closed to dogs in all three beach cities, and the nearest legal off-leash sand is in Long Beach. Here is where to go, what the rules actually say, and how to plan around them.
Where can dogs go off leash in the South Bay?
Four fenced public off-leash dog parks serve the South Bay: Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo and Rancho Palos Verdes. Each one separates large dogs from small dogs. Hermosa Beach and Torrance have no dedicated off-leash park of their own, so their residents use the Redondo and El Segundo parks.
| Park | City | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redondo Beach Dog Park | Redondo Beach | North end of Dominguez Park, 190 Flagler Lane | About three acres of fenced turf, the largest in the South Bay. Separate large and small runs |
| Marine Avenue Park Dog Run | Manhattan Beach | 1625 Marine Avenue, east of the racquetball courts | Small fenced run inside a larger sports park. Separate small dog area |
| El Segundo Dog Park | El Segundo | East Imperial Avenue between Sheldon Street and McCarthy Court | Long narrow site along the airport buffer strip, mature shade trees, separate large and small areas |
| Rancho Caninos Dog Park | Rancho Palos Verdes | 30940 Hawthorne Boulevard, Point Vicente Park and Civic Center | About half an acre on cedar chip, shade, water bowls, restroom and hand wash station |
What is the Redondo Beach Dog Park like?
The Redondo Beach Dog Park is the largest public off-leash park in the South Bay, roughly three acres of fenced turf at the north end of the 24 acre Dominguez Park between 190th Street and Beryl Street. It has separate runs for large and small dogs, benches, and water for both dogs and people.
The detail that catches people out: it is open dawn to dusk every day except Wednesday, when it stays closed until noon for maintenance. Wednesday morning is the one time a drive over is wasted, so make it a Dominguez Park walk instead and come back after lunch.
Where do Manhattan Beach dogs go off leash?
Manhattan Beach has one off-leash dog run, inside Marine Avenue Park at 1625 Marine Avenue, just east of the racquetball courts. It is considerably smaller than Redondo’s and sits within a busy sports park that also holds a baseball field, a turf soccer field, basketball courts, picnic tables, play areas and a skate spot.
Because the run is compact, plenty of Manhattan Beach owners drive the ten minutes to Redondo or El Segundo when they want a long session, and use Marine Avenue for a quick one.
Where do El Segundo dogs go?
The El Segundo Dog Park runs along East Imperial Avenue between Sheldon Street and McCarthy Court, a long narrow fenced strip with separate large and small dog areas. It sits in the buffer land on the city’s north edge, which is why the lot is shaped the way it is, and it carries more mature shade than any other dog park in the beach cities. Hours and closures are posted by El Segundo Recreation and Parks.
Is there a dog park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula?
Yes. Rancho Caninos Dog Park sits at 30940 Hawthorne Boulevard inside Point Vicente Park and Civic Center in Rancho Palos Verdes, next to the tennis court. It is about half an acre on a cedar chip surface with separate large and small dog sides, shaded seating, water faucets and bowls, a restroom, a hand wash station and adjacent parking.
It opened as a temporary facility while the City worked through a permanent location, so check the City of Rancho Palos Verdes facilities directory before a first visit. For Peninsula residents it is the only fenced off-leash option without dropping down the hill.
Can dogs go on South Bay beaches?
No. Dogs are prohibited on the sand in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, on leash or off, with exceptions only for service animals. This is the single rule visitors get wrong most often, and it is enforced.
- Hermosa Beach. Pets of any kind are prohibited on the beach at all times. They are allowed on the Strand, leashed at all times, with owners responsible for cleaning up. Dogs are prohibited on the Pier whether leashed or not.
- Manhattan Beach. The municipal code bars animals from the beach and the public pier, leashed or not.
- Redondo Beach. Dogs are not permitted on the beaches. The code does allow a leashed dog to travel directly along paved or hardscaped surfaces to reach the bike path or the Hermosa Strand, on a leash no longer than six feet.
So the workable version of a beach walk with a dog here is the Strand itself, leashed, with the sand off limits on both sides. It is a good walk. It is just not a beach day.
Where can I take my dog to the beach?
Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach, roughly 25 miles east, is the only legally sanctioned off-leash beach in Los Angeles County. It runs along Ocean Boulevard between Granada and Roycroft Avenues, opened in 2003, and is open daily from 6 am to 8 pm. Dogs must be leashed on the way in and can come off once inside the marked zone. Current rules are posted by the City of Long Beach.
It is about four acres of open sand, and it is the one place within reasonable driving distance where a South Bay dog can be off leash with water in front of it. Dogs come off leash only inside the marked zone. Collar and current tags are required, no food of any kind is allowed on the sand, and owners are expected to bring drinking water.
Getting there from the South Bay. The simplest route is PCH east through Torrance and Lomita, then south on the 710 or east on 7th Street into Belmont Shore, ending at Ocean Boulevard. Allow 35 to 50 minutes depending on where you start and what the 405 is doing. Parking is metered along Ocean Boulevard and on the Belmont Shore side streets, and it fills early on a warm weekend, so a morning arrival is the difference between parking and circling. Open Rosie’s Dog Beach in Google Maps.
Huntington Dog Beach in Orange County is the other regional option, further out but with a longer stretch of sand.
Where can you walk a dog on a leash?
Leashed walking is where the South Bay is genuinely strong, and it makes up for the shortage of off-leash acreage.
- The Hermosa Valley Greenbelt. A soft decomposed granite path running the length of Hermosa Beach along the old Santa Fe right of way, continuing north into Manhattan Beach as the Veterans Parkway. Easier on older joints than pavement.
- The Strand. Leashed dogs are permitted on the walkway in Hermosa Beach. Keep to the walking side and give wheels room.
- Charles H. Wilson Park, Torrance. 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard, open 6 am to 10 pm, with wide looping paths and a lake. Leashed only, no off-leash run.
- Palos Verdes Peninsula trails. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy manages about 42 miles of trail across roughly 1,700 acres of preserve. Leash rules and dog access vary by preserve, so check the individual preserve page before you go.
Park hours, closures and pet rules change. Everything above was verified against city sources in September 2026. Confirm hours with the managing city before driving across town, particularly on a Wednesday morning in Redondo.