Do you know which dog parks rank as the best dog parks in the United States?
Here are the Top 10 dog parks in America…
Best Dog Parks
Depending on who you ask (or who does the polling), you’re likely to get a different answer to the best dog parks in America every time.
The reason for the differences is that each person (or poll) solicits responses from different subsets of people.
In my opinion, if a dog park shows up on anyone’s list of the top dog parks, you can bet it’s a great place to take your dog!
Top 10 Dog Parks In America
Case in point: when I originally wrote this article, these were the top 10 dog parks in America: :
1. Fort Woof Dog Park – Fort Worth, Texas
2. Paw Park of Historic Sanford – Sanford, Florida
3. Fort De Soto Paw Playground – Fort De Soto, Florida
4. City of Rome Bark Park – Rome, New York
5. Carl’s Dog Run – New York, New York
6. Ohlone Dog Park – Berkeley, California
7. Kenton Paw Park – Covington, Kentucky
8. Fleet Peeples Park – Winter Park, Florida
9. Bear Creek Dog Park – Colorado Springs, Colorado
10. Stanley’s Spot Dog Park – Morgantown, West Virginia
Source: Dog Fancy
Today, these are the top 10 dog parks in America according to the same group:
1. Freedom Bark Park – Lowell, Indiana
2. Dog Wood Dog Park – Jacksonville, Florida
3. Howard and Erna Soldan Dog Park – Lansing, Michigan
4. Millie Bush Bark Park – Houston, Texas
5. Dogwood Park at Victor Ashe Park – Knoxville, Tennessee
6. Shaggy Pines Dog Park – Ada, Michigan
7. Jackson’s Howlabaloo Dog Park – Edinboro, Pennsylvania
8. Happy Tails Dog Park – Dunedin, Florida
9. Cheyenne Park Off-Leash Area – Ely, Iowa
10. Ossining Dog Park – Ossining, New York
Source: Dog Fancy
When it comes right down to it, I’m not too concerned about which year that a dog park happens to show up in the top 10, as there are a lot of factors that could impact a park’s rating year after year (including brand new parks being added to the list and construction projects going on).
I would visit them all — even if one doesn’t happen to be on this year’s top 10 list! And that’s exactly what I try to do. Whenever I’m traveling with my dog, I make a point to visit dog parks in the area that have appeared on lists of the best dog parks.
It’s kind of fun!
UPDATES:
Here are some more dog parks across the USA that have made various lists of the Top 10 Dog Parks:
1. Point Isabel Dog Park – Richmond, California
2. Dog Wood Dog Park – Jacksonville, Florida
3. Jackson’s Howlabaloo Dog Park – Edinboro, Pennsylvania
4. Fort Woof – Fort Worth, Texas
5. Shaggy Pines Dog Park – Ada, Michigan
6. Bea Arthur Dog Park – Norfolk, Virginia
7. Tompkins Square Dog Run – New York, New York
8. Ossining Dog Park – Westchester, New York
9. Rocky Top Dog Park – Kingston, New Jersey
10. Happy Tails Dog Park – Plantation, Florida
Source: Petside
1. Jackass Acres K-9 Korral – New River, Arizona
2. Pilgrim Bark Park – Provincetown, Massachusetts
3. Kenton Paw Park – Covington, Kentucky
4. Cosmo Dog Park – Gilbert, Arizona
5. Puptown Dog Park – Chicago, Illinois
6. WOOFPAC Park – Santa Maria, California
7. Hermon Dog Park – Los Angeles, California
8. Prairie Pastures Dog Park – Clinton, Iowa
9. Wantage Dog Park – Wantage, New Jersey
10. Bow Wow Beach – Stow, Ohio
Source: Doggies
1. Point Isabel Dog Park – Richmond, California
2. Cosmo Dog Park – Gilbert, Arizona
3. Friends Forever Dog Park – Freeport, Illinois
4. Millie Bush Bark Park – Houston, Texas
5. Alum Creek Dog Park – Lewis Center, Ohio
6. Warren G. Magnuson Dog Park – Seattle, Washington
7. Indianapolis Humane Society Pet & People Park – Indianapolis, Indiana
8. Shaggy Pines Dog Park – Grand Rapids, Michigan
9. Rocky Top Dog Park – Princeton, New Jersey
10. Bea Arthur Dog Park – Norfolk, Virginia
Source: PetVR
1. Bow Wow Beach – Stow, Ohio
2. Tompkins Square Dog Run – New York, New York
3. Dog Wood Park – Jacksonville, Florida
4. Shaggy Pines Dog Park – Ada, Michigan
5. Congressman Bill Archer Park – Houston, Texas
6. Freedom Bark Park – Lowell, Indiana
7. Newtown Dream Dog Park – Johns Creek, Georgia
8. Rocky Top Dog Park – Kingston, New Jersey
9. Pilgrim Bark Park – Provincetown, Massachusetts
10. Laurel Canyon Dog Park – Studio City, California
Source: PawNation
Before You Take Your Dog To The Dog Park…
Thinking of taking your dog to a new dog park for the first time?
Here are some tips you don’t want to miss:
- Off-Leash Dog Parks: What You Need To Know – from a frequent dog park visitor in Pennsylvania
- Dog Park Tips For Newbies: Do’s & Don’ts – because you don’t know ’til you know!
- Dog Park Pro’s & Con’s – according to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT)
- Find An Off-Leash Dog Park Near You – from Bring Fido, the largest listing of dog-friendly locations
- Etiquette For The Dog Park – from the APDT
- Is Your Dog Ready For A Dog Park? — according to the American Kennel Club (AKC)
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn’t think of.
I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I’ve always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I’ve been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube).
My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what’s ‘normal’ and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year!
When I’m not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 600 articles for dog owners on this site! Many of them have upwards of 200K shares.
