One of my all time favourite places to visit in the Lower Mainland is Crescent Beach. As a child my grandparents had a small cabin there and we would go and stay during the summer – swimming at the Crescent Beach Swimming Club, making new friends and incredible memories. This summer I was back staying at Crescent Beach with Avy in tow, and I was pleasantly surprised at how dog friendly it is.
If you aren’t familiar with Crescent Beach it is a small community located near Whiterock Beach in South Surrey. It’s a bit quieter with a less rowdy main strip than Whiterock Beach and what was once a collection of summer cabins has been replaced primarily with permanent, year round homes. But it is still quaint with a beautiful beach, swimming club and boat rentals, kayaks and paddle boards available at Blackie Spit – all within walking distance. And like any good beach community you will find plenty of fish and chip restaurants, ice cream shops and even some fine dining to enjoy.
Before arriving at the beach I knew that the community had strict rules about dogs on the beach or the beach path – dogs are 100% not allowed at all from May 15 – September 15 and in the off-season they must be kept on a leash.
Aside from that rule I wasn’t sure what dog friendly amenities I would find. To my surprise there were a lot! Just up the street from where I was staying is Blackie Spit, the Crescent Beach Swimming Club and the Crescent Beach Dyke trail. The Dyke Trail leads to the Blackie Spit Off-Leash Dog Park which has a very large off-leash fenced enclosure complete with double gate entries, play area, trails to wander and even a large fenced swim area on the beach. It is also home to my favourite dog park sign of all time:
Another favourite of mine is the Dyke trail that goes around the dog park and through the beautiful community gardens. It’s approximately 3 kms if you do it as a full circle and well worth the walk. Note: the dyke trail is on leash and there are many protected areas through it so please mind the rules and keep your dog on leash while you enjoy the trail. Avy and I also made a tour of the trail for you to enjoy:
Now if you’re like me and you like to occasionally go out to eat while you are on vacation knowing the dog friendly places to go is very important!! To my surprise I found two dog friendly restaurants while I was staying at the beach. The first was the Sunflower Café – a super cute and quaint little café with a “secret garden” eating area in the back. Dogs are welcome in the garden and they even have dog bowls so you dog can have a drink while you enjoy your food. This is a favourite for breakfast for me.
We also checked out the Harbour House restaurant on the main street in Crescent Beach. They had an extensive menu, friendly staff and Avy was welcome to join us on the patio. Two paws up!
The best thing about being at Crescent is that the scenery can’t be beat. It still has the feel of a small, friendly community and the sunsets are absolutely breathtaking. Even if you can’t take your dog right on the beach there is are enough dog friendly areas to walk and play off leash or on, enjoy a meal or just go for a stroll that it hardly matters if the beach is open to dogs or not!
Avy and I highly recommend visiting this area if you have the opportunity.