Crissy Field

• Fort Funston, San Francisco. This stretch of rugged headlands just south of Ocean Beach in the southwest part of the city is not fenced, but it’s nirvana for off-leash dogs and woofing with canine activity even on drizzly, foggy days. more »

There are thousands of places to hike with kids and dogs in California, but if you’re new to an area, it can be hard to know just where to go, especially if you have tots in a stroller. You can always go to DogTrekker.com’s new Family-Friendly section to read the latest stories. Plus, here are a few paw- and kid-tested suggestions. more »

In San Francisco, GGNRA lands wrap the shoreline almost all the way from Fort Mason in the north to Fort Funston in the south, with a few breaks along the way. Dogs and their people can enjoy miles-long leashed walks with ocean views and, at a few places, unclip their canine companions to chase the surf and run free. more »

Is there a more dog-friendly big city anywhere else in the world? If so, we don’t know about it. An abundance of open space available to canines makes the City by the Bay especially enticing to four-legged visitors with humans on the other end of the leash. Well-behaved pooches can socialize off-leash in many places around the city, while long on-leash hikes are a way of life. more »

For water-loving canines, nothing beats fetching a bright yellow tennis ball from the surf and romping full speed ahead on a sandy beach. But while there’s plenty of sand to share with your leashed pup along California’s 840 miles of coastline, you should know before you go where dogs are and aren’t allowed to get their ya-yas out. Here are a few of our favorite off-leash strands: more »

If the National Park Service’s proposed dog rule goes through, it will constitute the largest single reduction in recreational access for people in the history of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. more »

Join dog and recreation lovers from throughout the Bay Area on April 23 for a march and rally to save dog walking in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. At this 11th hour, we need to show up in force to protect our access to the places we love: Crissy Field, Fort Funston, Marin Headlands, Rancho Corral de Tierra, Ocean Beach, Muir Beach and others. more »

by Sally Stephens

San Francisco Examiner post 3/27/16

Congress created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area “to concentrate on serving the outdoor recreation needs of the people of this metropolitan area.” That’s from the official report of the creation by the U.S. House of Representatives. And that’s also why Congress made it a National Recreation Area — not a National Park.

Yet some people, in a radical reinterpretation of history, are now trying to claim the GGNRA, which includes Ocean Beach, Fort Funston, Muir Beach and Crissy Field, was always intended to be a traditional national park. more »

If there’s a more dog-friendly big city than San Francisco, we at DogTrekker.com certainly don’t know about it. An abundance of open space available to the canine set is one of the City by the Bay’s main attractions for dog lovers. Well behaved pooches are allowed to exercise and socialize off-leash in two dozen places within city limits, including several—Bernal Heights, Crissy Field, Fort Funston—with views to drool over. more »

For dog lovers, few sights bring more joy than watching man’s best friend run free and unfettered on a beach. In the Bay Area, one of the top places to enjoy the privilege has always been Muir Beach, a gorgeous strand in Marin County bounded by high bluffs, habitat-sensitive wetlands and a lagoon.

Dogs have always been allowed on leash or under voice control in designated areas here, but they may not be for much longer. The same goes for Baker Beach, parts of Crissy Field, the beach at Fort Funston and the trails at Sweeney Ridge.

Already strict leash laws have been imposed on Rancho Corral de Tierra, a newly acquired, 3,800-acre parcel of undeveloped land near Montara where generations of residents have allowed their dogs to run leash-free. more »

For 75 years, the Golden Gate Bridge has been the symbol of San Francisco — and one that never grows less beautiful with the passing of time. It's no longer legal to walk over the bridge with a dog, but there are many trails-with-a-view from which to admire it in the city and in adjacent Marin County.  more »

The City by the Bay has numerous options for waterfront fun with your dog, chief among them Crissy Field and Fort Funston, both part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service. Crissy Field, a former military air installation, affords romping canines  and their humans splendid views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands and the city skyline.  more »

San Francisco is blessed with dozens of places where dogs under voice control can enjoy responsible leash-free recreation, and many groups of committed dog owners, including the San Francisco Dog Owners Group, are working hard to keep it that way. more »