In a city where dogs have outnumbered children for years, longtime residents — especially apartment dwellers and those with tiny yards — remember the days when you had to get up before dawn to furtively play fetch in a public park in the dark, praying no neighbors would report you while pleading with your pet not to run into traffic as they tried to snag a squirrel.
Now there are more off-leash options than ever in all shapes and sizes — in fact, in 2019, the City of Denver redid the dog park master plan for the ever-growing pup population, and the city proper now boasts sixteen designated off-leash dog parks. Metro-area locales have upped their efforts as well, which means you won’t have to travel far to find a free-rein, fenced-in oasis for Fido.
Here are the ten best off-leash dog parks in the Denver metro area (in no particular order):
Westminster Hills Open Space Off-Leash Area
10499 Simms Street, Westminster
After a lengthy battle over whether to chop the metro area’s largest dog park into a tiny fraction of its size, the City of Westminster recently voted to keep all 420 acres as a mecca for active dogs with active owners who like to take more of a hike, run or bike ride along the many meandering and wide double-track gravel walkways and social trails that have developed to connect them. A panoramic Front Range view offers a backdrop to rolling hills, large swaths of tall grasses, a few cottonwood stands and a nice creek to cool off in. The sheer size of the property means that even when it’s packed at peak walking times (morning and late afternoon), you can still get far away from the canine chaos. There’s a water fountain at the entrance — but you may end up more than a mile from it, so consider bringing a bottle along — as well as a few shade shelters and benches, a porta-potty, bag stations and trash cans, plus a bike repair setup at the south end. The only downside to this beautiful park is that it’s not fully fenced, but unless your pup is determined to bolt, the vast space has a way of keeping them in. Greenway Dog Park
2002 Spruce Street, Denver
With the exception of a handful of covered benches, a few small trees and a hilarious fire hydrant — very popular with the leg-up take-a-leakers — the fully fenced-in Greenway in the Central Park community is one big, wide-open rectangle of sand. It’s great for pets that just want to wrestle on the soft surface or chase a ball down the long side, and the surrounding recreational space is perfect for an on-leash walk or run if more exercise is needed. Note that this park does not allow children under twelve (it’s under age ten at most Denver dog parks), and that the water fountain is seasonal. There are poop bag stations, as well as lined trash cans with poop scoopers that are perfect for this space that's essentially a giant litter box.
Chatfield Dog Off-Leash Area
Chatfield State Park, Littleton
A 69-acre pooch paradise, Chatfield’s varied and slightly hilly terrain includes plenty of paved and gravel trails in loops and spurs to explore, two large ponds (with small beaches) to cool off in, shade trees, and grassy areas for ball-tossing and independent play. And where most dog parks close by 8 p.m., Chatfield is open until 10 (light-up collars and headlamps come in handy, because there are no lights in the park). The required State Parks Pass and additional Dog Off-Leash Area daily ($3) or annual ($25) pass can be purchased at an entrance station or park office, and there are restrooms for the two-legged. For an extra $15, you can use the dog-wash station, which is handy if your furball is a swimmer: The ponds are relatively clean, but the surrounding dirt will stick.
West Arvada Dog Park
17975 West 64th Parkway, Arvada
If you just need your dog to blow off some steam for an hour or so, West Arvada’s ten-acre park next to Blunn Reservoir is ideal, mostly flat and wide open, which enables owners to see across the whole park and enjoy its pretty mountain views. You can pass through one of the leash-up transition areas to walk wide, gravel-lined loops that encircle spacious grassy sections in the centers of two larger fenced-in areas, while those with reluctant or smaller dogs can access the separate petite play area. There are only a few spindly trees, but the park sports several covered shelters with benches (some with picnic tables). Amenities include poop bag stations and large trash cans, water stations with bowls, and a porta-potty for the peeps. Volunteers help keep the spaces spic-and-span; this is one of the tidiest and best-maintained parks around.
Fuller Dog Park
2801 Williams Street, Denver
A few blocks from City Park and across the street from Manual High School, Fuller is a little larger than average for an urban dog park, with a handful of shade trees, a couple of benches (one perched beneath a shelter) and a wide-open space covered with sand and gravel. There are two fenced-in areas, one for smaller or lower-energy dogs, and one for the big, boisterous pups who want to play. BYO water and bags, though friendly locals seem to keep a steady supply of both on hand, which is the real draw here: Fuller has a nice, neighborly vibe, with pet owners clumped together to chat about the weather and whose furbaby is the best.
Wynetka Ponds Bark Park
5875 South Lowell Boulevard, Littleton
The name is a bit of a misnomer, because there’s just one small pond here, but it’s a popular one, as is the grass — rare at a dog park these days — that covers this space, which is split into two areas designated for small and large dogs. (Note: One section is sometimes closed to allow the grass to recover.) This park is open until 11 p.m., later than any other on this list, and while there are a few benches scattered around, the covered picnic area is the place to be on hot days because there are only a few trees. The water fountain is seasonal, but the porta-potty is there year-round. If your sweetie didn’t get enough exercise, you can put the leash back on and wander the surrounding park’s extensive paths. Pro tip: The Locavore Beer Works sits right across West Bowles Avenue and allows well-behaved dogs inside and out.
Cherry Creek Dog Off-Leash Area
South Entrance Road, Aurora
Paws-down one of the best dog parks around, the 107-acre Cherry Creek has it all. There’s the creek, of course, which is big and wide, and even in drought years has water (bring a towel and wear sandals so you can splash, too, the hot ticket for beating the heat here). There are spacious gravel paths and narrow trails connecting them, as well as wooded areas with plenty of shady trees and meadows where your beast can pretend to be a mountain lion hunting chipmunks in the tall grasses. You’ll get some exercise as well, trying to keep your pet in sight. Count on water fountains, bag stations and nice restrooms. Kids of all ages are allowed here, but it’s worth noting that very large dogs also have the run of the place. A State Parks Pass and additional Dog Off-Leash Area daily ($3) or annual ($25) pass are both required and can be purchased at the entrance station. The only downside is that the place is so popular it fills up fast, which means you might have to wait for someone to leave or head elsewhere.
Lowry Dog Park
East Fourth Place and Yosemite Way
Wide open with a mix of gravel, sand and a smattering of grass, the five-acre Lowry park offers separate “high energy,” “low energy” and small-dog areas with wide-open room to run, as well as a few agility obstacles set up as a course for training. The trees are still small and don’t provide much cover, but there is a little shelter, along with a few uncovered benches and random rocks to sit on. Bring water and bags: There’s none of the former, and the latter can be iffy. The nearby wildlife restoration area makes for a pretty pre- or post-park visit, as does the nearby lake.
Forsberg Off-Leash Dog Park
14800 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood
A rare dog park that sits on a (steep) hill, Forsberg is famous for wearing out the pups that are running up and down, as well as for the stunning mountain and Red Rocks views (sunset is the best) and the fact that so many visitors bring and leave many, many tennis balls. Situated within Forsberg-Iron Spring Park adjacent to Green Mountain, the off-leash space has grass until the summer sun scorches it, and one of the two fenced-in spaces sports ramps, agility poles and tubes, while the other is perfect for just running around. Shade is hard to come by from the one tree, but there is a covered picnic area just outside the fence, bag stations and a seasonal water fountain, as well as restrooms outside of the dog park.
Grandview Dog Park is a large open space with a few structures and a fenced-off area for smaller dogs.
Jack Spiegel
17500 East Quincy Avenue, Aurora
Another rare dog park offering grassy patches in addition to dirt and gravel on its five acres, Grandview sits next to Quincy Reservoir and has two sections. The big-dog side has several covered benches, but the other one — which is roomier than most small-dog areas and usually packed with the pint-sizers, whose people keep it exceptionally clean — has just one exposed bench, a picnic table and a few boulders to sit on. The obstacle course, complete with structures to climb up on and run through, is fun for dog show wannabes. There’s a seasonal water fountain, along with bag stations and a porta-potty.
