Top Dog Parks Located on the East Coast

One of the things most dogs love is being outside, playing, running, socializing, and just enjoying the wide open space.  With all of the dog parks across the United States, there is sure to be at least one within a close distance to you.  This article will focus on a few of the dog parks along the East Coast, providing dog owners with the perfect place to not only let your dog get some air and exercise, but where you may make some new friends as well!

Before we get into the list of dog parks, you should first brush up on your dog park etiquette, making sure you are aware of the do’s and don’ts of taking Fido out to socialize.

Maine:

Valley Street Dog Park, located in Portland, is open sunrise to sunset and offers 1 acre off-leash fenced park with benches, tables, handicapped accessiblity, poop bags, trees, parking, and water.

West End Cemetery, located on Vaugh Street, is open dawn to dusk and offers 10 acres fenced, handicap access, poop-bags, trees, parking, and trashcans.  There is a nice walking trail, flat terrain, trees, shade – a wonderful place for pets and pet lovers to bring their dogs.  Please bring your own water and bowls.

Old Orchard Beach Dog Park, located in Old Orchard Park, is open 24 hours a day and is completely fenced in.

New Hampshire:

South Mill Pond Dog Park, located in Portsmouth, is open from sunrise to sunset and offers off-leash, fenced, poop bags, trees, benches, wheelchair access, water, trash, parking, lights.  Dog owners “meet” at the park to socialize on the first Sunday of every month; past events at the park have included Pet Portrait Day, park cleanup days, and participating in Portsmouth’s Christmas and Halloween Parades (proper holiday garb required!)

Derry Dog Park, located in Derry, is open dawn to dusk and offers some agility equipment, toys, a kiddie pool in summer, and is double gated.

Massachusetts:

Callahan State Park, located in Framingham, offers trees, water, parking; over 800 acres of wooded trails and open fields; a pond with a beach-type area where all the dogs play and swim.  The area is off-leash but dogs must be under owner’s control at all times, and please don’t forget to pick up the poop.

Danehy Park, located in Cambridge, offers a 50 acre unfenced leash free area for dogs to play and socialize in.

New York:

Teddy’s Dog Run in Theodore Roosevelt Park, located in New York City, is open until 10pm and is fenced.  Features include benches, trees, and trashcans, and is a huge dog run in the heart of the Upper West Side.

Manhattan Beach Dog Run, located in Brooklyn, is an official off-leash dog area.  All New York City Off-leash Dog Parks are run by the New York City Parks Department.

Pennsylvania:

Schuylkill River Dog Run, located in Philadelphia, is open 24 hours a day and offers off-leash, fenced, benches, trees, trash, and water for dogs and owners.

Frick Park Off-Leash Exercise Area, located in Pittsburg, is off-leash, fenced, and offers poop bags, tables, benches, trees, water, trash, parking, and restrooms.  Also includes the Hot Dog Dam – it’s as cool as it sounds – a swimming hole for your dog!

Buchanon Park Dog Park, located in Lancaster, is a fenced off-leash dog park in the 22 acre Buchanon Park.  This city owned park is run by Franklin & Marshall University.  The park is located at the F& M campus.

Maryland:

White Plains Dog Park, located in White Plains, is off-leash, fenced, and offers benches, picnic pavilion, bulletin board, poop bags, parking, trash, trees, and water for dogs.  Two fenced-in areas – for small and big dogs; the park area is partially wooded with mulch.

Wheaton Dog Park, located in Wheaton, has something for everyone.  In addition to the dog park, there are over seven miles of natural trails for your dogs walking enjoyment.

North Carolina:

Homestead Dog Park, located in Chapel Hill, is off-leash, fenced, and offers water for dogs and owners, benches, tables, trees, lights, trash, parking, restrooms, and phones.

Furry Feet Dog Park, located in Cary, offers two large, fenced, shaded outdoor areas where dogs can run and play off-leash.  Membership dues apply.  Clean-up products are supplied and members clean up after their own dogs.

South Carolina:

Columbia Dog Park, located in Columbia, is off-leash, fenced, and offers benches, trash, trees, lights, and parking.  New is a 15 x 12 feet, 3-foot-deep doggie pond.  A $35/year membership gives you access to a combination lock to enter the park and a park tag for your dogs’ collar.

Best Friends Dog Park, located in Hilton Head Island, allows dogs to be unleashed in the dog park and leashed outside on the beaches.  There is a water and cleanup stations for your pets.

Florida:

Paw Park, located in Sanford, was designed with both dog and human guests in mind.  A meandering paved path courses through the park, allowing people with mobility issues to easily navigate the soft grounds.  Self-filling water bowls and a misting tower that stands tall enough for humans to walk under keep both owner and dog cool during Florida’s hot summers.  Park advocates say the entire community – not just dog owners – benefits from the park.

Walsingham Park Paw Playground, located in North Largo, is a leash free dog park that is fully fenced with amenities like cooling stations complete with showers and dog-level water fountains.  People need to clean up after their pets and all dogs must be on a leash when outside of the Paw Playground area.