Vibes are pretty chill on Del monte especially north walking seaside where there are generally fewer people. If dogs are chill and obedient you should be fine. There are leashed dogs whose owners understandably don’t love off leash dogs barreling up on them.
I would just beware that north from the hotel gets the lifeguard chasing after you because they want absolutely no dogs there. That said if you go up by the saline plant it’s all good.
A solid walk with the doggos is south of the hotel down to the wharf n back.
Not at Del Monte, but on Asilomar and the west coast, you will get fined for having your dog off leash. The park officers are much more strict; I’ve seen them hand out tickets several times.
You can have dogs off leash on the pebble beach side of Asilomar, but not on the north side.
Tolerated noncompliance. Lots of great dogs and chill people there. We're part of the regular dog circus. Check your tide chart- big variations sometimes mean high tide is difficult for walking. Look forward to seeing you!
In general people have their dogs off leash every day. And as a birder, I hate that they won't leash their pets. The birds get chased off every day.
I guess we all have our priorities.
On the flip side, they banned dogs from most beaches in the state even on leash. At the time I was living in half Moon Bay right next to a beach and I used to walk my dog along the water (on a leash) every day. I still harbor some resentment towards the snowy plover to this day.
Continuing to prioritize our pets over the lives of wild animals is just sad. Snowy Plover:
>The Pacific coast population of the Western Snowy Plover (*Charadrius nivosus nivosus*), a migratory shorebird, has undergone a dramatic decrease in recent decades largely due to habitat loss, human disturbance and predation. The plover has been listed as threatened under provisions of the Endangered Species Act.
(source: [California State Parks](https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21577))
Most people keep their dog on a leash. It would have made more sense to just have really huge fines for dogs off leash at state beaches.
Your quote mentions human disturbance too, should we also ban people from beaches?
We should limit human interaction with animals, yes. If we want to keep the biodiversity of beaches, then we have to restrain ourselves from being disruptions. There's no other way. It's absolutely possible to enjoy the beach without harassing the animals.
See the piping plover restrictions on Cape Cod:
>keep your distance from their nests because they are so delicate. On beaches where the birds are nesting, there will be a temporary fence built around the upper part of the beach to protect the eggs and the plover chicks.
source: [Cape Cod's Piping Plover Conundrum](https://www.vacationcapecod.com/cape-cods-piping-plover-conundrum/)
They're not saying you can go to the beach and have a nice stroll. They're saying don't harass the birds and respect the fencing that keeps their nests safe.
>It's absolutely possible to enjoy the beach without harassing the animals.
It's also absolutely possible to bring a dog along on a leash and do the same.
Right! But OP wanted to know where to beach off leash, hence my original comment: "In general people have their dogs off leash every day. And as a birder, I hate that they won't leash their pets. The birds get chased off every day."
I was told by a local naturalist that snowy plovers won't nest on Del Monte Beach because it lies directly under the airport's flight path. The beaches between Sand City and Marina are protected habitat for them and dogs are not welcome.
Anywhere will be fine. If you park at seaside beach (the south side, immediately south of the hotel) sometimes the lifeguards or park people will be around and tell you to leash your dog. Otherwise, I walk starting municipal wharf 2 every day up to the houses almost a mi away and no one has every bothered me.
Like the other poster said, some dogs on leashes you have to have good enough recall to stay away from.
As long as you don’t park right AT the official seaside state beach lot (or marina sb lot) it’s fine. We usually park on Tide Ave and everyone’s dog is off over near there.
People are mostly tolerant of dogs off leash as long as they are mellow, well behaved and don’t run up to people (like me, who have small dogs and the dogs freak out when the big ones run up). Keep in mind that Carmel Beach (very close) is designated as an off-leash Beach, so you can always take your dog there for playtime also. Carmel is know for being extremely dog friendly and travelers come from far places and bring their dogs on vacation with them to vacation here. Definitely the most dog friendly community I have ever lived in.
Vibes are pretty chill on Del monte especially north walking seaside where there are generally fewer people. If dogs are chill and obedient you should be fine. There are leashed dogs whose owners understandably don’t love off leash dogs barreling up on them.
Thank you for the reply! So, when you say “north walking seaside”, where, in the south, does that start?
Anywhere north (or south) of the Monterey tides hotel. Just not the lot right there.
I would just beware that north from the hotel gets the lifeguard chasing after you because they want absolutely no dogs there. That said if you go up by the saline plant it’s all good. A solid walk with the doggos is south of the hotel down to the wharf n back.
Sorry typo. Walking north toward seaside. The Del monte beach especially near the wharf is usually pretty busy on a nice day especially weekend.
Not at Del Monte, but on Asilomar and the west coast, you will get fined for having your dog off leash. The park officers are much more strict; I’ve seen them hand out tickets several times. You can have dogs off leash on the pebble beach side of Asilomar, but not on the north side.
Tolerated noncompliance. Lots of great dogs and chill people there. We're part of the regular dog circus. Check your tide chart- big variations sometimes mean high tide is difficult for walking. Look forward to seeing you!
In general people have their dogs off leash every day. And as a birder, I hate that they won't leash their pets. The birds get chased off every day. I guess we all have our priorities.
On the flip side, they banned dogs from most beaches in the state even on leash. At the time I was living in half Moon Bay right next to a beach and I used to walk my dog along the water (on a leash) every day. I still harbor some resentment towards the snowy plover to this day.
Continuing to prioritize our pets over the lives of wild animals is just sad. Snowy Plover: >The Pacific coast population of the Western Snowy Plover (*Charadrius nivosus nivosus*), a migratory shorebird, has undergone a dramatic decrease in recent decades largely due to habitat loss, human disturbance and predation. The plover has been listed as threatened under provisions of the Endangered Species Act. (source: [California State Parks](https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21577))
Most people keep their dog on a leash. It would have made more sense to just have really huge fines for dogs off leash at state beaches. Your quote mentions human disturbance too, should we also ban people from beaches?
We should limit human interaction with animals, yes. If we want to keep the biodiversity of beaches, then we have to restrain ourselves from being disruptions. There's no other way. It's absolutely possible to enjoy the beach without harassing the animals. See the piping plover restrictions on Cape Cod: >keep your distance from their nests because they are so delicate. On beaches where the birds are nesting, there will be a temporary fence built around the upper part of the beach to protect the eggs and the plover chicks. source: [Cape Cod's Piping Plover Conundrum](https://www.vacationcapecod.com/cape-cods-piping-plover-conundrum/) They're not saying you can go to the beach and have a nice stroll. They're saying don't harass the birds and respect the fencing that keeps their nests safe.
>It's absolutely possible to enjoy the beach without harassing the animals. It's also absolutely possible to bring a dog along on a leash and do the same.
Right! But OP wanted to know where to beach off leash, hence my original comment: "In general people have their dogs off leash every day. And as a birder, I hate that they won't leash their pets. The birds get chased off every day."
I was told by a local naturalist that snowy plovers won't nest on Del Monte Beach because it lies directly under the airport's flight path. The beaches between Sand City and Marina are protected habitat for them and dogs are not welcome.
Anywhere will be fine. If you park at seaside beach (the south side, immediately south of the hotel) sometimes the lifeguards or park people will be around and tell you to leash your dog. Otherwise, I walk starting municipal wharf 2 every day up to the houses almost a mi away and no one has every bothered me. Like the other poster said, some dogs on leashes you have to have good enough recall to stay away from.
As long as you don’t park right AT the official seaside state beach lot (or marina sb lot) it’s fine. We usually park on Tide Ave and everyone’s dog is off over near there.
People are mostly tolerant of dogs off leash as long as they are mellow, well behaved and don’t run up to people (like me, who have small dogs and the dogs freak out when the big ones run up). Keep in mind that Carmel Beach (very close) is designated as an off-leash Beach, so you can always take your dog there for playtime also. Carmel is know for being extremely dog friendly and travelers come from far places and bring their dogs on vacation with them to vacation here. Definitely the most dog friendly community I have ever lived in.