What is a dog park?
Simply stated, a dog park is a place where people and their dogs can play together. As the name implies, these places offer dogs off-leash play areas while their people enjoy the park-like setting. Amenities, such as fencing, water, parking, and even grass, vary greatly among these places, but ‘off-leash’ and ‘park’ are the key elements that dog owners desire. The ability to share activities with canine family members at a dogpark is important and increasingly recognized by cities nationwide. For some dog owners, a dog park may provide the only opportunity for owners to socialize with other people and their dogs. Persons with limited mobility, such as elderly and disabled dog owners, deserve to have their taxpayer dollars used towards a safe, accessible place where they can meet other people and exercise their dogs. For many people, visiting a dog park is a primary source of recreation.
What are the benefits of a community dog park?
- Socializes and exercises dogs in a safe environment
- Promotes responsible pet ownership
- Enables dogs to legally run off-leash
- Promotes public health and safety
- Provides a valuable tool for realistic enforcement of dog
- control laws
- Provides elderly and disabled owners with an accessible place to exercise their companions
What does the ideal dog park consist of?
- Up to one acre or more surrounded by a 4′ to 6′ fence
- Shade and water
- Adequate drainage
- Parking close to the site
- Covered garbage cans with the regular trash removal
- Pooper scooper stations
- Benches
- Wheelchair access
- Safe location, not isolated
- Regular maintenance
Cleveland’s Tremont / Clark Field Dog Park
Amenities: The dog park is located in South Tremont at Clark Field. Its gravel-covered lot features a state of the art drainage system. Trees have been donated by way of grants and planted to allow for shade as they mature. An exciting feature is the water fountain, which not only has a human-sized spout but also has a fountain at the right height for pups! The park also has 8 benches set on cement pads as well as waste stations to help keep Cleveland’s first dog park immaculate. Shade and information kiosk coming soon.
Driving Directions:
(From 71-North and 176 Northbound) 71-North and SR176 Northbound to West 14th Street (traffic circle), go around the circle following West 14th Southbound. About 1/8 mile ahead will turn right onto Clark Avenue, turn left onto West 11th and go to the stop sign. At the stop sign turn right and weave down the hill to the large parking lot. The dog park is located in the center of the lot.
(From I-77 North to 490 West) Follow 490 west to the West 7th Street Exit. Turn left off the exit ramp and continue down the hill. At the foot of the hill turn right. Follow the signs for CLARK FIELD. The parking lot will be about 200 yards ahead on the right and the dog park is located left of center.
(From 90 East) Follow 90 East to the Scranton Road exit. Turn right on Scranton Road and head to the light at Clark Avenue. Turn left on Clark Avenue and head through the light at West 14th. Turn left onto West 11th Street (residential so please go slow as children are playing). Continue down West 11th to the second stop sign and turn right. Head down the hill and the parking lot will be on the left.
(From Downtown via Tremont) Follow the 90/71 Innerbelt Bridge to the Abbey Road / West 14th Street exit. Follow West 14th to the third light and turn left on Starkweather Avenue. Follow Starkweather until its ends at West 7th Street. Turn right onto West 7th and go through the stop sign at the 490 exit ramp continuing down the hill. At the foot of the hill turn right. Follow the signs for CLARK FIELD. The parking lot will be about 200 yards ahead on the right and the dog park is located left of center.
(Walking Access from Tremont) Go to West 11th heading south. Cross over the West 11th walk bridge onto the other side of West 11th. Go about 100 yards and turn left heading into Clark Field. The dog park is located right of center in the park.
Lakewood Dog Park
MetroParks Valley Parkway- South off Detroit Road on the west end of Lakewood
Amenities: The dog park is located at the northwest entrance to Lakewood’s water treatment plant in the Metroparks. Its gravel and grass-covered lot feature the shade of majestic trees. An exciting feature is the water fountain, which not only has a human-sized spout but also has a fountain at the right height for pups!
Driving Directions:
(From the East) Take I-90 Westbound to the McKinley Road exit. Follow forward to Hilliard Road and turn left onto Hilliard. At the next light turn left onto Rocky River Drive and then make a right into the MetroParks onto Hogsback Road. At the bottom of the hill turn right onto Valley Parkway and follow for about 2 miles. You will pass the Rocky River boat launch area to the park. Walk across the footbridge and the park will be across the street adjacent to the Lakewood Water Treatment Plant. Public restrooms are located at the Marina across the street where parking is available.
(From the West) Take I-90 Eastbound to the McKinley Road exit. Turn left on to McKinley Road and head north to Detroit Road. Turn left onto Detroit Road and follow. As the road curves to the right begin to look for a left turn into the MetroParks entrance on Valley Parkway. Head about 1/4 mile and turn right into the Rocky River boat launch area to park. Walk across the footbridge and the park will be across the street adjacent to the Lakewood Water Treatment Plant.
Eastlake Doggy Park
Lakeshore Blvd, just east of Route 91
Amenities: Features 30,000 square foot parcel of land with a double-gated entry, some plastic toys and a “mutt mitt” dispenser of waste cleanup. It also features benches, tables, parking and trash cans.
Driving Directions: Take Route 2 to the Route 91 exit. At the end of the ramp go north on Route 91, which will dead end. At the dead end, turn east and go about 1/2 mile to a large soccer ball sign on the right. This is the entrance to the dog park!
Medina Dog Park
Memorial Park
Amenities: The 13,000 s.f. dog park has a double-gated entryway, benches throughout the park, fully grass with trees for shade, bags and garbage cans for dog waste. The official hours of the dog park are from “Dawn to Dusk”. The surrounding Memorial Park includes a City Pool, Large wooden playground “JUMP”, and a pavilion area for picnicking.
Brunswick Dog Park
Cross Creek Road
Amenities: Fenced area with picnic tables and benches. Double-gated entry and small dog area separated form a larger any dog area. Ground coverage is mulch. Maintained by the City of Brunswick Parks Department.
Driving Directions: From I-71 get off at Route 303 and head west. About 2 miles ahead look for Cross Creek Drive and make a right. Go about 500 yards and the park will be located on your right.
South Euclid Dog Park
Quarry Park North, at the corner of South Belvoir and Monticello.
The park was funded through private donations, and fundraising is ongoing for enhancements such as new turf material and a water fountain.
Twinsburg Dog Park
Liberty Road
Amenities: It is 3/4 acre with a double-gated 5ft fence.
Driving Directions: It is located off Liberty Road near the new baseball and soccer fields.
Cleveland Heights Dog Park
The northeast corner at the intersection of Belvoir and Montecillo
UN-OFFICIAL “DOG PARKS” IN THE AREA
We do NOT endorse taking your dog to these parks OFF-LEASH. The information provided comes from dog park enthusiasts that have shared experiences at the places listed below. When available, we have provided ordinances or rules for the “parks” from park officials. Please go off-leash at your own risk.
Bay Village Dog Beach
The public park is only about 60 feet wide by 300 feet deep. It is not fenced in and located on a busy street, US Highway 6, AKA Lake Road. There is parking available at the corner of Columbia Road and Lake Avenue. Across the street is access to Lake Erie. Many dog owners use this area after work hours to let their dogs take a swim. Bay Village provides poop bags for easy clean-up.
The City of Bay Village has a leash law, Codified Ordinance 505.01 (minor misdemeanor), and the Columbia Road Park at the corner of Lake and Columbia Roads has no designated area for dogs to roam unleashed. Leashes are required when they take the dogs from the beach to the parking area. For the safety and comfort of all park users, as well as neighbors of the park, please ask your readers to respect others and comply with the regulations.
Watch out because dogs off-leash have caused unsafe conditions for not only the dogs but drivers. Unleashed wet and slimy dogs have “escaped” their screaming owners to find themselves in neighbors’ garages, gardens and worse, in front of speeding cars on Lake Road. The situation has also become a nuisance to neighbors who want to enjoy a meal on the patio but are constantly interrupted by barking dogs covered in seaweed and their irresponsible owners. The beach is not public property. The park has a staircase giving access to a small landing and about 30 feet of sand. The rest is a private property that both dogs and their owners are trespassing.
The city and county have about one mile of publicly owned beach between Dover Center and Huntington. More than half is “unsupervised”.
North Olmstead
MetroParks off Cedar Point Road
Pets are not allowed to run unleashed. This is a violation of Cleveland Metroparks Rules & Regulations Section 505.01 “Control of Pets.” It states that dogs are permitted if controlled at all times on a leash not more than eight feet long.
Every Sunday morning at 8:30 am (promptly) there are approx 20 dogs that walk through the MetroParks in North Olmsted right off of Cedar Point Rd- close to the Nature Center. This dog group has been “reminded” by police to leash dogs maybe 3 times. So… it’s not exactly legal, but to our knowledge nobody’s has ever been fined and more importantly, the dogs have a blast running through the park with a pack of friendly dogs. The walk usually lasts an hour and then in the summer they go down to the river and swim.