GOOD DOGS · GREAT PLACES
Crowded dog parks close for the same reasons every time: poop left behind, holes from digging, litter, and aggressive dogs. Follow these and you keep the gate open for everyone. San Francisco-area parks are run by different agencies — San Francisco Parks, SF Recreation & Parks, and the suburbs — so posted rules vary park to park. The etiquette below applies almost everywhere.
Most Greater San Francisco dog parks require your dog to have a current dog license from the city or county that owns the park. In San Francisco that's issued through San Francisco Animal Care & Control — check their current fee and get a tag before your first visit, and keep it on your dog's collar. Park staff do check.
Dog parks across the region are typically open daylight hours, but posted hours vary by park and agency — some close at dusk, a few stay open later with lights. Whatever the sign at your park says is the rule.
Every San Francisco park posts a status sign monitored by park staff:
Handlers must dispose of dog waste properly and immediately. Bag dispensers are available at all San Francisco dog parks (wear a spare set in your own bag anyway — dispensers run out). Dogs that dig holes that trip people are how a park flips to red.
You're only off-leash inside the fenced off-leash area. Everywhere else in a San Francisco park (and on trails) your dog is on leash — carrying a leash in and clipping up the moment you're out of the dog park is the full rule.
Parks with separated small/large runs exist because size mix-ups cause most incidents. If a park has separate sections (Dolores Park and Treasure Island do), use the one that fits your dog.
A few of the big parks aren't City of San Francisco parks at all — they're SF Recreation & Parks, township parks, or neighboring towns county parks. They're free to enter, but each sets its own posted rules (leash zones near playgrounds, seasonal closures, whether dogs may swim). Always read the sign at the gate.
Several San Francisco and SF Rec & Parks locations run park volunteer and adoption-friend programs for neighbors who want to help keep a local dog area clean. Ask at your closest park office or SF Rec & Parks volunteer desk.