Mad River Beach

Mad River Beach is located in Arcata, California. The beach is large and wide, making it the ideal place to let your pup run around, dig in the sand, and play fetch all day long! Mad River is a favorite beach due to its excellent location between the ocean and the river, which is a great place for kayaking, canoeing, and various water sports. The beach is a popular place to visit, but it will not feel overly crowded since the beach is wide and long with lots of open space. 

The beach features soft sands, dunes, calm pools of water great for smaller dogs, a spacious parking lot, and tons of trails for walking and hiking that are dog-friendly as well. Many California beaches are not dog-friendly, so this makes Mad River Beach unique. Dogs are allowed to roam off-leash on the wave slopes and are permitted on all dry sand areas as long as they wear their leash. 

You will not find a ton of shady areas on the beach due to the lack of trees, so bring your own beach umbrella if you plan on spending the day here with your dog. Also, bring a water bowl and fresh cold water for your dog to drink so they can be well hydrated during their beach adventure. You will not find an outdoor shower at this beach, but they do have public restrooms for beachgoers and hikers. You will find poop bag stations at the entrance of the beach and some of the trails, but just in case they run out, bring your own bags so you can quickly clean up after your dog. 

Overall, Mad River Beach is an ideal beach and park to take your dog for both on and off-leash beach exploring. Since many beaches in this area are not dog-friendly, Mad River provides all your dog could ever want in a beach day!