You know you live in a great city when many of the best beaches aren’t just for humans to enjoy – you can bring along your four-legged best friend too.
There are loads of beaches across the City of Glass where you can run, swim and frolic with your pup.
Vancity Buzz has teamed up with the good folks at the BC SPCA to sniff out the best dog beaches. Check it out:
Perhaps the most iconic of the Vancouver beaches that allow canines, dozens of dogs can be found enjoying the shores of Hadden Park (its official name) at any given time. Smack between the perpetually-busy (and heavily patrolled) Kits Beach, and the throngs of tourists at Granville Island, Kits Dog Beach is an extremely chill beach with loads of excellent driftwood logs to sit on to relax and enjoy the ocean views.
Buddy the dog enjoys Kits Dog Beach (danielb.com)
For being smack in the middle of Vancouver’s densest neighbourhood, this West End haunt just west of the Burrard Street Bridge on the seawall is a great spot to bring your pup for a great sunset. You also get fantastic views of the boats shuttling in and out of False Creek.
Crab Park/Portside Park (Gastown)
With stunning vistas of downtown Vancouver, the North Shore and surrounding mountains, Crab Park (formally called Portside Park) is an oasis for Gastown and Railtown residents. The park boasts fantastic amenities without being overcrowded and is a great place to chilli with your dog. There are occasional complaints about antics from some of the more colourful residents of the Downtown Eastside, but for the most part everyone coexists peacefully.
Crab Park (wikimapia.org)
Near the entrance to Pacific Spirit Park on NW Marine Dr. lies this west coast oasis. It has a large expanse of pebbly beach to play fetch and let your pooch have a swim. Here, pets are welcome to join you off-leash as you play in the marine surf – and you can grab a spot of lunch afterwards at the outdoor concession stands.
Spanish Banks Dog Beach.
New Brighton Park (Hastings-Sunrise)
Located in the Hastings-Sunrise area just west of the Second Narrows Bridge, New Brighton Park has beach access to the Burrard Inlet and views of the North Shore Mountains. This park is surrounded by a network of excellent walking and running trails, so it’s the perfect end to a workout with your pooch. There’s a huge grass area for your four-legged friends to run.
This recreation area just north of Port Moody has a beautiful beach, trails and a great off-leash swimming area for dogs. The water is super clean and there’s an enclosed dog beach separated from the swimming area. This park can get quite busy during the weekends, so hit it up during the week if you want to beat the crowds. It’s about a 30 minute drive from downtown Vancouver.
Winter the Border Collie enjoys Buntzen Lake. (bordercollie.org)
One of the few dog-friendly parks in the area, this park is frequented by tons of dogs, barking as they run along the sandy shores. The waterfront is expansive, meaning even the biggest dogs can run full-steam along the picturesque, rugged beach.
Fraser River Park (Yelp)
It wasn’t just Vancouver beaches that made the list. There was also big shout-outs to the following Vancouver Island beaches, for beauty and pet-accessibility.
- Cadboro Bay Beach (Victoria)
- Dallas Road Beach (Victoria)
- Qualicum Beach
Have another park you love to check out with your dog? Leave your comments below, or Tweet me.
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