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Fiesta Island
Categories: Active Life Parks Active Life Beaches Parks, Beaches [Edit]
Fiesta Island RdSan Diego, CA 92101
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
123 reviews for Fiesta Island
123 reviews in English
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Review from Sarah V.
The Chucky Cheese of dog parks. I always leave knowing that if my dogs could they'd pat me on the back.
This enclosed portion of Fiesta Island is ginormous. With so much to do, swim, fetch, run, meet new dogs, chase through the fields, walk, don't walk, meet nice people, you'll leave exhausted. There's also plenty for the dogs to do, too. There are even a couple picnic tables here.
It's cleaner than most. The people it draws are responsible and conscientious of their dogs dumpings, a pet peev of mine (figuratively and literally).
It's got a great view of downtown, Animal Extortion World (I mean Sea World), boaters, and plenty of clean air and warm faces. -
Review from DJ S.
San Diego, CA
Review for the dog park.
It is great! Huge area for your dog to run around. Good place for training as well.
I will warn you because some moral lepers are selfish enough to need to ride their bike in the dog park. As if the rest of the island (or city) is not enough.
If you are one of these people you are the worst kind of person and I hate everything about you. -
Review from Anthony V.
San Diego, CA
Whenever friends come in from out of town and ask if my dog ever makes it out to the beach, I take them to Fiesta Island. This is the largest off-leash dog area I've ever seen and absolutely heavenly for those guys who love to run. The terrain is well varied so if you want to splish-splash and get dirty you're able to get down near the water but if you just want to stay dry and throw the frisbee around there's plenty of space for that.
My only knock on the area is that in the late fall the grass gets really dry and dead. Take special care to get all the foxtails off your dog. The good news is that's it's very lush and green right now and great fun to romp around in. -
Review from Jaycee S.
La Mesa, CA
I really give this spot 3.5 stars but had to give it 4 due to the dog friendly environment. Beautiful views of my beautiful hometown. I enjoyed running around the shorter circumference, about 2.5 miles. I look forward to coming back for a bon fire. Didn't notice if alcohol is allowed here. Plenty of dogs running around in and alongside the water. There's also a fenced dog park which is pretty cool. The only this is dislike is the island is about 80-85% dirt. This would be perfect if there was an inverse ratio of grass to dirt. Either way being here make you appreciate the beauty of San Diego.
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Review from J S.
San Diego, CA
This place is the BEST place for dogs in San Diego!! Of course it's always frustrating to run into the people who think any kind of dog park is an OK place to take their aggressive, disobedient nightmare of a pet, but generally you can trust the people and their dogs here. We've never had a real problem and my lab can't get enough of playing with the hundreds of dogs (and because it's so huge, hundreds of dogs is not a problem) and swimming until she can barely walk. We even call it Siesta Island because it knocks her out for the rest of the day! The only reason I don't take her here every day is because she needs a bath after every time we go. I love to see her having the time of her little dog life, she just looks so happy to be there. We even try to help out with the cleanup every few months, it's fun and everyone gets some exercise.
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Review from Joanna C.
San Diego, CA
This is a great dog park for my dog. I used to go to Balboa Park but the space was so small and too many unsupervised dogs. There is a lot of open space (mainly dirt), and dogs have a choice of of staying dry or frolicking in the water. I would like it better if there was a paved walkway so that I could run with my dog. I tried once and almost twisted my ankle on the loose rocks. But its for the dogs and it's great!
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Review from Brittany V.
La Jolla, CA
FOR SMALL DOG OWNERS:
I have a small 7mth puppy (~17lbs) and I read through dozens of reviews trying to determine if this is a good/safe place to bring a smaller dog. There was no clear answer so I decided to go try it out.
Pros:
--Really beautiful and spacious. The pictures here don't do it justice
--Mix of dirt, grass and beach
--Good alternative if the dog park is getting boring
Cons:
--Difficult to find the first time.
--Lots of big, aggressive dogs. I don't mean aggressive as in mean, but definitely curious big guys that will want to play with your dog. This time all of the bigger dogs were friendly, but I worry that due to the large space and lack of control that if there was an aggressive dog things could get ugly quickly.
--Lack of control. Because this place is so huge, it's difficult for dog owners to keep their dog super close to them...so you will see dogs with their owners pretty far away. This just makes me nervous in case a dog were to misbehave.
--Prepare for your dog to get dirty....REAL DIRTY. The combo of dirt, mud, sand and water makes for an extremely dirty dog. I had to take my dog for a $30 wash afterwards bc he was such a mess he needed a professional.
--lack of trash cans. My dog went #2 and I picked it up but then had to carry around his poop bag for over an hour because I could not find any trash cans. I don't know about you, but walking around with a sack of s**t is not my idea of fun :)
Bottom line: it's a good place to experience at least once, but only with a small dog that is confident and ok playing with big dogs. I recommend staying close to your dog just in case and checking with the other dog owners that their dog is ok playing with smaller dogs. -
Review from Jennifer A.
Pomona, CA
Fiesta Island is like Disneyland for dogs!
I love it too and I would give it 5 stars in the spring when the grass is green and flowers are blooming, but 4 stars in the summer when all the grass dies and turns brown and kind of yucky. I'm paranoid that there are snakes lurking in there!
You can walk along the beach or take the patch on the mesa and make a big loop. It's nice because it's mostly enclosed so you don't need to worry about your pups running off (they might swim off though!). The waters are also very calm so it's not very intimidating. Another plus is the plentiful parking.
Definitely a fun place for people and dogs! -
Review from Elyse B.
Poway, CA
FIESTA ISLAND is so great. There's no grass, no trees, no water for the dogs or for yourself!, no benches, no tables... honestly, there's hardly anything there at all... BUT it really is the perfect place to bring a dog. There's so much space to run... and there's multiple trails you can take.
TRAIL 1: Take off your shoes and walk along the water in the sand
TRAIL 2: Put your walking shoes on and take the high road! My favorite... You can see everything on both side from up here!
TRAIL 3: Run around in desert land, flat trails all throughout the center.
Bring a ball, water, snacks and a TOWEL!!! (Don't forget the towel! Your pet may get wet!!!) -
Review from Gus L.
If you are familiar with SanDiego, or have ever been to Sea World, then you have been to or near Mission Bay. This is the "Bay next to the Bay"...Mission bay is often overlooked as it is literally right next to San Diego Bay..one of the big jewels of Mission bay is Fiesta Island. This natural sandy island on the east side of the bay hosts many social and sporting events throughout the year such as the Over The Line tournament, Bay Fair and many other great events. Fiesta Island offers a lot of great water front camping as well as several miles of paved bike riding, natural hiking and several great spots to pull a boat up.
Check It out! -
Review from Fredd S.
Fiesta island is the cyclist's wet dream. You can park on the sand, mount your bike and then ride along. This place is perfect for time trials and the parking lot located at the north east corner is great for practicing turns and bicycle basics.
The island provides two lops which are about 8 miles and 12 miles respectively.
Make sure there are no events before you drive there. I've driven there many a time only to find out that it's closed for a special event.
Oh yeah this is a super dog friendly beach too. So bring your bike or your furry friends. Not both. -
Review from Cynthia C.
La Mesa, CA
What an amazing place! This was the last dog park to visit for me in San Diego. I had heard mixed reviews about it but I'm so glad I came to check for myself.
It was my first time on the actual island since moving here nine years ago!
Upon arriving because of a bluff of sand you can't see the bay just an open field. For the first couple of minutes the dogs just explored. I did notice that in the brush there was a lot of poop. Sucks that there are so many irresponsible pet owners out there.
There's one huge tree towards the middle with several picnic benches underneath. Nice if you want to have a picnic with your pooch.
Just over the sand bluff is the water. Pretty cool when you first see it. You can wall with your dogs along the waters edge. Theres no fence but the sand bluff serves like a fence around the perimeter.
We walked all the way around the corner and you end up facing sea world. On the way back we took the walkway back that runs along the sand bluff. We had a great time. Overall people and their pets were friendly. From start to finish it took about an hour to go around.
Cool place! -
Review from Kaitlin J.
San Diego, CA
My dogs favorite place and mine just for him! Great for your dog if he/she likes to run and get into the water. People can have horses here also which is nice to see!
People are so nice here and very friendly. I lost my keys one day and everyone was helping look for them!
Some of the small dogs can be nippy especially when they first get out of the cars so be careful and I recommend having your dog on a leash until your in the enclosed fence area.
Not the best area to lay out in ur bikini and catch some rays lol but you can.
I LOVE how big this place is and its still inclosed or you can camp and bbq with family/friends and still have ur pets. A lot of people come here to exercise around the Island by walking, running and biking. -
Review from Josh L.
San Diego, CA
We love this place!!! I take my boxer stella here several times a week, it's an amazing place to go for a jog or walk around the bay with your dog off leash. Stella loves to play in the water, swim after her ball, and run up and down the hills playing with other dogs. It's by far the best off leash dog area in San Diego. Only downside, bring water bottles for your pooch on hot days as they don't have any water facility, and of course, a towel to clean your dog off before jumping in your car. Other than that, it doesn't get any better for an off leash area.
(beware during late spring and early summer tons of fox tails, so not the best time of year to go) all other times are great, especially this time of year when it's green through early spring when all the bushes are a few feet high, it's hilarious to see them run through all the brush. -
Review from Sherry N.
San Diego, CA
Dog owners of San Diego, if you have not been here yet, GO!
Without a doubt The Best off leash dog park in San Diego. Been going here weekly, if not daily, for 4+ years and haven't had a bad experience. I think it's because of so much space and the dogs can run and run and run. Although my current 4 lb-er stays pretty close to my heals.
Once on the island, drive around until you see the start of the fence and make-shift dirt parking lot, although the whole island is off-leash and fair game. You can walk alongside the water or stay up on the ridge or walk the trails criss-crossing within the fenced area. It's not secure fencing, there are open gates at certain points. Best if you have some recall ability. It's a big place to catch a dog with no recall. Some porta potties here and there. No drinking water on the island, bring some if it's a hot day. Don't forget to pick up after your pooch. Don't wear clothes you don't want to get dirty.
Nothing like it. GO! Your 4-legged friends will thank you.
Join FIDOSD (http://www.fidosd.com) and do everything you can to protect our doggies Disneyland, the city wants to spend money it doesn't have to alter it. I say it's perfect as is. -
Review from Carey W.
San Diego, CA
Came to fiesta island for the first time for OTL (over the line), and wow that was an experience. I kind of felt like I was in a desert in mexico where a bunch of drunks had gathered to play beach baseball and relish in their wasted-ness.
Definitely a good place to party since you can just walk around with whatever kind of alcohol you like and chug it (in public whaaat), and that's just normal. I was completely smashed when I was here, so that's probably why my review is gleaming.
Negatives: long walk to the event site if you don't catch the shuttle. However, really awesome ride if you get on da party bus! Also, parking is a bitch if there's a huge event going on, and we missed getting onto the island to park by ONE CAR. Ugh.
Not much more to say since there's not much more I can remember... Although I am very scared of that water that's probably filled with gasoline among other chemicals from all the jetskiers. -
Review from Nam N.
We just LOVE Fiesta Island!!
A beautiful and vast playground for 2 legged and 4 legged nature lovers! We always seem to catch the most beautiful sunsets here http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Bella loves running all over the fields and up/down the hills. She doesn't seem to enjoy getting into the water as much like she does at Ocean Beach but it's still nice for her to run along the shoreline.
For the most part, pups seem to be very well behaved and dog owners appear to keep a good eye on their pups. Folks seems genuinely friendly here and we always run into other Puggles.
It does get dusty here and mud puddles have a habit of accumulating easily with the rain. So if you're OCD about your car, you really should bring towels to wipe down the pups. I also suggest bring plenty of potty bags and water.
As for parking, there is a large lot but it gets really dusty with a ton of gravel. I usually just park along the side of the road near one of the many fence entrances. It's a lot easier to get in and out with minimal rocks/pebbles.
Absolutely FANTASTIC park for Bella and I to get some much needed sun and exercise in! :)Listed in: My New 'Hood!, Bella Approved!!
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Review from Lisa M.
Moreno Valley, CA
Our family absolutely loves Fiesta Island! We would volunteer to do clean-ups there. We loved to see the dogs running or even enjoy the peaceful environment it provides. On days when my hubby and I just needed somewhere to park and relax...Fiesta Island was always the first place on our minds!!
The only thing that disturbed us was in the late evening there seems to be people actually racing around from trash can to trash can to see who can get the recyclable items without any regard to other traffic or pedestrians. -
Review from Dorothy R.
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles pales in comparison to San Diego when it comes to dog parks... I mean, c'mon! It's Fiesta ISLAND! In L.A., it would be called Fiesta Quarter-Acre.
The gated area for dogs is HUGE. You can spend so much quality time with your pup, and have the dog be social with others of his or her species. It's also really nice to talk to other dog lovers utilizing the space.
This is a great place for you and your dog to get some exercise... It's so beautiful! This island alone makes me want to move to San Diego!Listed in: SD - I want to live here!
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Review from Nick T.
San Diego, CA
The last time that I was here Over The Line was in full swing and I loved it. I didnt participate in any of the sporting activities because it just doesnt interest me but the place was packed with beautiful babies everywhere.
If you go on a normal weekend obviously it wont be nearly as crowded and parking will be fairly easy to find. Its a chill beach area and I enjoy it. -
Review from julie g.
San Diego, CA
Behold! The granddaddy of all dog parks!! I absolutely LOVE Fiesta Island! Not only do my dogs get a crap load of exercise, but I DO TOO! Amazing! I live in an apartment far away from Mission Bay, but on a lazy sunny day, this is the PERFECT place to be! Regardless of the 15 mile drive.
You can really see the happiness leak out of the dogs eyes when you're here. It's disgustingly sad and cute at the same time. Sad in that you almost feel bad that us human beings enslave dogs in our tiny little houses away from their natural habitat in the wild.
What's even sadder is the gate where we usually enter. The side gate is seriously for stick people. It's an extremely narrow opening that's barely the width of one person. I'm not kidding. Next time i'm there, I'll take a picture of it. If you're a bigger person, you'll need to walk down the length of the gate where it meets the beach. You'll be able to go around the corner there.
During the Fall/Winter, grass grows. It's beautiful! It's awesome seeing dogs prance around through the grass. Just keep an eye out for those grass eaters (like my little one). Little dude threw up all that funky grass in the middle of the night on my carpet. Bleghhh.
Fiesta is HUGE. Don't be scared to keep your dogs unleashed. I'm sure they'll stick by your side... for the most part. My dogs come here often and one of them LOVES the water. He literally cannot get enough. It's so huge, that equine owners bring their pals along for a nice mellow ride along the peripheries of the island. Awesome sight to see this huge horsey with a herd of dogs curiously following the giant.
[ TIPS BEFORE COMING: ]
-Bring towels to wipe down you pups and something to line your car
-There are some local dog washes in OB; perfect location after a trip to Fiesta Island
-Bring sneakers and I wear comfortable clothing; a jacket if it's cloudy (it could get windy and cold)
-Bring potty bags; sometimes there are plastic bags along the gate, many times there aren't any at all
-Bring bottled water to hydrate you and the pups so your pups don't start licking at the nasty salty ocean water
-Bring a tennis ball (only applies to dogs that like fetching.... otherwise, your ball will drift away into the ocean)
-Get your camera ready for your dogs happy eyes (: (: (: -
Review from Kelly M.
El Cajon, CA
I love Fiesta Island!!!!! I have two huge Ridgebacks and try to get out at least 3 times a week and let them run. It is fantastic, my dogs can run and get rid of all their energy. By far the best dog park ever, my dogs never feel threated by any of the dogs out there and talk to everyone.
The best part is once we are all done, I give my friends over at Doggies Divine a call for their Wash and Walk service, and my dog is washed and towel dried so I have a clean dog when I go home. -
Review from Carli L.
San Diego, CA
PLEASE READ: We have been taking our dog here almost every day for the last 10 months and she LOVES it (so do we!). Just recently our dog contracted "Streptococcus zooepidemicus, aka: S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus", a deadly pathogen carried by horses. We believe she was eating horse poop while at Fiesta Island (which she loves to do), got a speck of it in her lungs and quickly became severely ill. Thankfully we caught it in time as this disease is known to cause sudden death and is highly contagious. First symptom we noticed was coughing.
Read more about this severe infection: http://zoologix.com/do...
*Although we are very sure this is where she picked up the infection, we cannot be 100% sure but wanted to raise awareness*
Other than this, we have had great experiences here, love the environment and will probably return at some point, but definitely not in the near future. -
Review from Mark M.
The world's (yes, world's) best dog park. Scenic views of PB and downtown. HUGE open area with access to dirt, field, beach, and water play time! You could go for a couple of hours and not get to the entire park.
Late winter/early spring is the best time to go...a bunch of clovers, grass, and weeds grow and my dogs LOVE running in this open grass area.
I don't just go here for my dogs, though. It is so quiet and peaceful, I just walk and run around with the pups and escape from the stress of life for about an hour or so at a time. If you go during the day in the middle of the week, you basically have the place to yourself.
I know there is some talk about converting this area into a smaller dog park in the near future...so get over here while you can...or simply vote down the conversion. Changing this dog park would be a huge loss for dog owners.Listed in: Clairemont/Bay Park (Not…, Dog Parks
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Review from Maricela H.
Chula Vista, CA
Love our little Island. We recently went jet skiing for my friends birthday. It was a Tuesday and there was hardly anyone there. Very nice to have the island all to ourselves. There may have been about two other people on our side of the island. Water was warm enough to enjoy. Pretty clean where we were parked. Bathroom facilities are port o pottys yay!
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Review from Alex L.
The dog park to end all dog parks! HUGE area for your pooch to swim in the water, chase seagulls, sniff out gophers, or just run wild while you walk and enjoy the views. There's plenty of beach and a large field area for your dog to run through. There's a big dirt parking lot and many other places to just stop along side the road and explore. What else is there to say?! Oh...and it's close to Phil's BBQ! :)
Can't beat it! Probably the best dog park in SoCal!!! -
Review from Andrew G.
San Diego, CA
Not the leash free park I have been to, but a fun one nonetheless. The park is huge, with a large amount of coastline for your dog to play in. There is also a large mesa area, don't know if that is the correct term, that dogs can go play some fetch on too.
The only downside is the size. With this much space it can be hard for your pup to find lots of other dogs to socialize with. Also, the bushes on the mesa can leave your dog with foxtails in their fur. Which can be a real problem if they go unnoticed and get infected. Overall it is a great time, and timid dogs have plenty of space to enjoy not seeing other dogs. -
Review from Minda M.
San Diego, CA
Where else in the world can you take your crazed wound-up mutts and leave an hour later with docile snuggly puppies?
Seriously though, for owners and pets alike, this is a place of tranquility and peace, with the exception of a few nutty dog-owners. As often as I can I throw the doggies in the car and head to the island, which during the slow trek around to the dog section both of them are whining and shimmying with excitement. They run and play and explore and dig holes and poop and find tennis balls while I slowly mosey and allow my problems to lift and the sun to shine on my face.
If you've never been, GO! If you're a fan like I am, join FIDOSD (http://www.fidosd.com) and do everything you can to protect our doggies super happy playland! -
Review from Deborah E.
San Diego, CA
I can't imagine a more magnificent place to walk with my dogs! I had lived in San Diego for a long time and didn't even know about this until a friend (who hadn't been there) mentioned it. Previously I had gone to the dog park at Balboa Park. After finding this gem, I don't want to ever to back to a "typical" off leash park ever again.
It's really convenient to get to - just off the I-5 and Sea World Drive. It's really an amazing place. A huge amount of space with beach and open space. My dogs run and love it. The added bonus is that I can walk with them, which also allows me to enjoy it. My dogs aren't into water, but they love the rest of the space which allows them to explore, run and just enjoy the outdoors.
For me, not only do I get to enjoy the walk and seeing my dogs so happy, but I also get to view the San Diego area all around me.
There's so much space that you walk alone for a time then cross paths with other dog owners and their dogs momentarily. Sometimes the dogs play with other dogs but then they continue to walk and run along. Great interactions.
It's absolutely the best and we make sure to fit it into our schedule - it gives us all a wonderful outdoor activity. -
Review from Jen T.
Brought my littlle pup here today with my friend and her bigger guy. I didn't know what to expect, but it was great!
For the most part, and more than any other dog friendly beach I've been to in the area, people are really good about cleaning up after their doggies. THe doggies here are also nice, and their people are considerate and friendly.
There are people walking, running, on bikes... apparently you can have horses here, too (planning on doing that once I get my hands on a trailer!!!!!!!).
We took a walk on a cloudy Sunday when there were not too many people there, and it was great!
I think this is a relaxing place to take a stroll and get your dog some excercise, too. Mine is passed out next to me right now, and if he could, I think he'd have a smile on his face! -
Review from Jennifer A.
San Diego, CA
I'm rating Fiesta from a runner's perspective. It's a nice loop to take - about 5 miles or so around and a paved, flat road.
That being said, at least in the evenings, there seems to be a lot of cars driving on and off the road (It is THEIR road afterall) so it can be annoying as a jogger to have to consistently glance behind you to move out of the way. Also, those cars can kick up a lot of dust!
Bonfires seem like fun! Maybe I'll come back to chill when I'm not running my butt off. -
Review from JC D.
Fiesta Island is neither an Island nor a fiesta. It's deuce island. Bring the pooch, let him squeeze a log and off you are.
If you're lucky enough to be under 18 you can swap booze, high school girls and STDs near a glowing bonfire. And it gets even more romantic when the Seaworld Fireworks light the evening sky. -
Review from marlon e.
Chino, CA
I love nasty water!!!
Nice place to paddle but it sucks in the afternoon since the wind picks up!
yeah did my time trials for the national team and i sucked!
there's always next time.. =P -
Review from jamie P.
OTL 2010:
4th of July weekend, great weather, same old crowd, and the booth with all the pictures of the boobies--- I love counting the number of ugly east county tattoos I see and listening to the vastly inappropriate team names. My friends were playing a tournament and their team name was " I want to spread my cockamole on your nachos?" Or something vile and debased that I did not find amusing.
Anyways, I put on my sunscreen and my bikini and got ready to drink a beer on the beach and hang out the guys. However, we got thrown out by the cops for having Riley on the sand, and apparently dogs are only allowed to be outside the gates on the dog beach portion. And i did see a couple dogs walking around although I am not sure if they got caught. While that would normally force me to deduct 2 stars, i am going to give OTL a solid 4 stars because they were FAIR. No children, babies, or people under 21! Fine by me, as long as animals are not the only non-protected class.Listed in: the fit life., Riley pup's list
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Review from Jenna D.
San Diego, CA
This is a great place to bring your dog! They will love it. The dog park is HUGE. My husky can run and run and run. It's mostly fenced in and there is a sandy beach too that you pooch can play in. We've had a great time everytime we've been. Have a bon fire and watch the fireworks from Sea World in the summer too!
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Review from Tim T.
San Diego, CA
Been coming here for a couple years now. Our dog loves the Fiesta Island dog beach. Great place for your dog to play in the water, run along the sandy beach or just walk through the paths. Bring fresh water for your dog to drink.
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Review from Bonnie G.
Year round off leash area for dogs? Check
People who love seeing off leash dogs play? Check
A happy and tired dog when we left the area? Check
Four paws up from Sophie!Listed in: Places we take our pup!
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Review from Nickie A.
Poway, CA
Yay! I'm a native SoCal gal but I've never been to fiesta island! We followed the other reviewers directions and ended up on the west side, just north of SeaWorld. Parking right on the beach was cool. A bunch of people were parking way away from the beach, but as I saw a few people parked by the firepits, I opted for the latter.
I saw the fence, and didn't know if I was on the inside or the outside of it, but dogs were everywhere anyway. I let my three out of the truck and we had a great time!
I kept my sandals on for most the time, as other reviewers warmed about the shells and "land mines" from other dogs, but I didn't see any problems.
Next time I'll bring wood for the pit and stay longer!
Thanks yelp! for turning me on to this great place! -
Review from Jessica P.
Fallbrook, CA
A great place to take your dog. They can run and roam to their heart's content. This place is huge! It takes us awhile to walk around the whole thing.
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Review from Karen W.
San Diego, CA
Awesome place to take your dog. Our's has recall issues so he stayed on leash. All the dogs and owners we met were friendly. An added bonus, we got to watch a bunch of surfers kiteboarding. Free entertainment.
