San Francisco vs. Seattle for Dogs – Which City is Better?

I live in San Francisco with my dog Pepper and recently spent a month in Seattle on a home exchange with my dog.  After trying to find the most dog-friendly things to do in both Seattle and San Francisco, I am ranking them against each other.  For the judging criteria, I evaluated each city in categories like off-leash parks and beaches, hiking and walking trails, dog-friendly dining, and public transportation.  Read on to see which city wins in each category for San Francisco vs. Seattle for dogs. 

For a more thorough guide on the dog-friendly things to do in each city, read my guides on Dog-Friendly Things to Do in Seattle and Dog-Friendly Things to do in San Francisco. 

Quick Comparison – San Francisco vs. Seattle for Dogs

Get My Free Dog-Friendly Maps of San Francisco and Seattle

I’ve made maps of the best dog-friendly things to do in Seattle and San Francisco. Check out the maps for both cities.

Dog-Friendly Living in Seattle and San Francisco

Before getting really into the judging categories, I want to acknowledge some differences between the two cities. 

From a weather perspective, San Francisco remains more temperate year-round.  Seattle has more seasonal weather with warmer summers, colder winters, and more rain.  Both cities are relatively cool, which is why they both frequently end up on lists for best cities for dogs.

San Francisco is a much smaller, denser city than Seattle.  This means San Francisco tends to have smaller homes and fewer backyards.  Seattle is much more spread out and suburban with more detached single-family homes and backyards. 

The differences in personal space and overall sprawl contribute to some of the public amenities for dogs that are available, and how far apart they are.  Read on to see how these cities compare in categories for dog amenities. 

Related Post: Solo Female Travel with a Dog

Off-Leash Parks & Dog Beaches

Pepper is a rescue mix of mostly German Shorthaired Pointer and German Shepherd.  With those active breeds, she needs some room to run.  I tested out many dog parks, off-leash areas and beaches in San Francisco and Seattle to find the best places for Pepper to run.  Here are the best places I found for some good off-leash time in each city, and which one I think is the winner. 

San Francisco – Fort Funston and Crissy Beach

For a compact area, San Francisco has a surprising amount of dog parks, parks that allow off-leash dogs, and off-leash dog beaches.  My favorites are Fort Funston and Crissy Field. 

Fort Funston is one of the best dog beaches I have been to anywhere, so this one is tough to compete with.  Once you are down at the beach, there are large stretches of sand along the Pacific Ocean with cliffs above.

As a runner-up, Crissy Field and Crissy Beach allow off leash dogs with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin Headlands, and Alcatraz.  It’s hard to find a more picturesque San Francisco dog beach and waterfront views than that. 

Seattle – Magnuson Park and Dog Beach

With much more space and so much waterfront, I was expecting Seattle to have an abundance of dog beaches, but I found Seattle has more restrictions on waterfront access than I expected.  While there are some parks with water access points for dogs, or beaches outside of Seattle, many of them are small, rocky, and sometimes covered in barnacles.   

There are quite a few off-leash dog parks in Seattle, but they are farther apart than in San Francisco.  On top of that, the few sandy beaches in Seattle, Golden Gardens and Alki Beach, don’t allow dogs to be on the sand at all.  Seattle Parks says dogs aren’t allowed on beaches except within designated off-leash areas, and Magnuson is currently the only Seattle off-leash area with water access.

The best off-leash park and beach access I found in Seattle was Magnuson Park.  It was large so there was plenty of space for running.  Magnuson Park also has one of the few off-leash dog water access points within Seattle.  However, the “beach” is rocky and small, but it was a nice little area for dogs that love to fetch in the water. 

The Winner: San Francisco

According to Rover, San Francisco has 57 dog parks and 5 beaches compared to Seattle’s 17 parks.  San Francisco wins in terms of the number of parks, but also the quality of the dog beaches.  Fort Funston and Crissy Field are hard to compete with.  If your dog loves a good run, San Francisco is the winner in terms of off-leash dog space. 

Urban Walkability, Hiking Trails, & Parks

Both San Francisco and Seattle have incredibly scenic parks, and plenty of walking trails that allow on-leash dogs.

San Francisco – The Presidio and Overall Walkability

San Francisco is a much denser city than Seattle, and has trails throughout the City.  There are even trails all around the waterfront of San Francisco, and dogs are allowed on leash.  There are a few trails within the Presidio where dogs are restricted, but for the most part, dogs are allowed on leash on most trails, and there are a lot!

To feel like you are hiking among trees within the City, the Presidio has miles of trails that allow dogs on leash. One of my favorite walks is hiking up to the top of Twin Peaks.

If you want a real challenge, there are even trails that cross or circle the entire city like the Cross Town Trail, Double Cross Trail, and the Roundabout Trail. 

Seattle – Gas Works Park, Olympic Sculpture Park, Discovery Park

Seattle has plenty of scenic parks with trails that allow dogs.  Some of my favorites were Gas Works Park, Olympic Sculpture Park, and Discovery Park. 

Gas Works Park connects to the Burke-Gilman Trail and has incredible views across Lake Union to downtown Seattle. 

Olympic Sculpture Park is a unique experience downtown where dogs are allowed.  From there, you can even walk along the waterfront all the way to the new Seattle Waterfront and by the famous Pike Place Market.

Discovery Park is a nature park in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood.  There are tons of trails here that allow on-leash dogs.  Pepper and I hiked the Loop Trail and found it to be a great little escape within the city. 

The Winner: San Francisco

Where Seattle loses for me is the lack of connecting trails.  In Seattle there are many bridges, and a train runs along the waterfront in many areas, blocking access. 

With San Francisco being so compact, there are trails everywhere, and I especially love being able to walk along the entire waterfront of this beautiful city. 

Dog-Friendly Dining in San Francisco and Seattle

Both Seattle and San Francisco have an abundance of restaurants with outdoor patios that allow dogs.  I didn’t have an issue finding somewhere that I could dine with Pepper in either city, but there are some differences to be aware of. 

San Francisco – Parklets

Since San Francisco is a more compact city than Seattle, many restaurants have limited space, and large patios are harder to find than in Seattle.  With that said, there are still plenty of outdoor dining options.  If you want to bring your dog out to eat in San Francisco, it is easy to find somewhere that allows dogs.  Many of the options are just a small parklet on the street or some tables on the sidewalk.  You might not have a lot of space, but your dog will be allowed to join you. 

Seattle – Breweries and Patios

I found Seattle to have plenty of options for dog-friendly dining.  There are tons of outdoor patios throughout the city, and most welcome dogs.  Where Seattle really has the advantage over San Francisco is the space.  Because Seattle is a more spread out city, I was able to find larger outdoor patios that gave us just a little extra space for Pepper. 

My favorite neighborhood for outdoor dining with Pepper was the Ballard Brewery District.  Almost every brewery has an outdoor patio, and many have on-site kitchens or a food truck.  Even in historic Ballard, there are many restaurants with parklets that allow dogs outside. 

The Winner: Seattle

Both Seattle and San Francisco are incredibly dog-friendly for dining with your dog.  Seattle just has more large patios, which is why I found it just slightly better for dog-friendly dining.   

Public Transportation with Dogs

For transportation with a dog, I researched what kinds of public transportation allow dogs in each city, and tested out many of the available options. 

San Francisco – MUNI, Bart, and Ferries

San Francisco allows dogs on MUNI, which is the busses, trains, and cable cars that run within San Francisco, but not at peak hours.  Honestly, I wouldn’t want to bring Pepper on a crowded MUNI train anyway.  Technically, dogs are required to wear a muzzle on MUNI, although most dogs I see are not muzzled.  For more information, check out the official rules for dogs on MUNI. 

If you want to take public transportation outside of San Francisco, there are a lot more restrictions.  BART trains and ferries require dogs to be in carriers.  Due to Pepper’s size, she has never been on a ferry or BART train in San Francisco. 

Seattle – Sound Transit and Ferries

Public transportation within Seattle isn’t as good as San Francisco.  It’s just a more spread out suburban city in general, and I found it easier to travel in Seattle with Pepper by car. 

If you do choose to take public transportation in Seattle, service animals are allowed on Sound Transit buses and trains, pets require a carrier.  Because of the carrier requirement, Pepper can’t go on trains and buses within Seattle.  For more information, check out the official rules of Sound Transit. 

For traveling outside of Seattle, ferries do allow dogs.  Pepper got to ride on ferries on day trips to Whidbey Island and Bainbridge Island.  On each trip, I took my car since you can drive your car onto ferries.  You can choose to drive on or walk on, and your dog is allowed to walk around on the ferry on a leash. 

The Winner: Tie – SF wins for public transit within the city, Seattle wins for the ferries

For traveling within San Francisco, I find the MUNI trains to be a good option for Pepper.  Once we chose to leave the City, a car is needed for Pepper to join.  In Seattle, it was the opposite.  Public transportation within Seattle is more restrictive for dogs, but I was happy to be able to take Pepper on ferries for day trips from Seattle. 

So What City is Best Overall for Dogs – San Francisco or Seattle?

Both San Francisco and Seattle are incredibly dog-friendly.  I looked at many lists and both of these temperate west coast cities frequently land on lists of the most dog-friendly cities in America.  But which city is the best between SF and Seattle for dogs?

Overall, for my high-energy dog, I find San Francisco to be better for dogs.  Seattle is slightly better for outdoor dining because of the brewery patios in Ballard and allowing dogs on ferries.  However, San Francisco has far better off-leash dog beaches and a system of connected trails and walkability that is hard to compete with. 

If you are considering traveling with your dog, you will find plenty of dog-friendly things to do in both Seattle and San Francisco. 

Related Post: How to Pack for a Road Trip with a Dog

Planning a Dog-Friendly Trip to Seattle or San Francisco?

Overall, both San Francisco and Seattle are incredibly dog-friendly cities.  Depending on what your priorities are, and what matters most to your dog, you might find one easier than the other.  Either way, if you are considering bringing your dog with you to San Francisco or Seattle, you will find plenty of options for dog-friendly things to do. 

Thinking of driving between San Francisco and Seattle? Spend the night in Ashland with your dog.