Denver is a city that loves its dogs. While you’re visiting, living in and exploring our city, you’ll often meet friendly pooches at craft breweries, on coffee shop patios, in city parks and along our trails. But the best places to meet Denver dogs are dog parks—and this city has plenty!
We rounded up some of the best in Metro Denver all the way from a 420-acre area in Westminster to a spacious park with Front Range views in Castle Rock. Other highlights include fenced areas in the heart of the city, wooded spaces with walking trails in Golden, hidden gems in Lakewood and Aurora, and even a couple state parks. Enjoy!
Barnum Dog Park
Just opened in December 2017, Barnum Dog Park is located on the west side of Barnum Park near the playground and tennis courts. Approximately three-quarters of an acre, the area is fenced with two separate areas for dogs with different energy levels.
Berkeley Dog Park
Berkeley Dog Park offers a simple, fenced, gravel off-leash area adjacent to Berkeley Lake and Berkeley Lake Park. Overlooking Lakeside Amusement Park, the dog park amenities include separate areas for large and small dogs, water bowls and a few shaded areas.
Bicentennial Park
The off-leash dog area at Bicentennial Park in Aurora offers approximately 1 acre of fenced, open space for play and exercise. Mostly dirt, the park also has a bag station, trash collection can and an entry and exit gate. You can find it just north of the pond. For more information, click here.
Chatfield State Park
Maintained by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Littleton, Chatfield offers one of Metro Denver’s best open areas for off-leash walking, play and exploration. The Dog Off-Leash Area consists of 69 fenced acres, including two ponds and miles of walking trails—both paved and unpaved. For rules and more information, click here, and please note this park does require the purchase of a daily or annual pass.
Cherry Creek State Park
Another park operated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Cherry Creek covers a whopping 4,000 acres. The designated Dog Off-Leash Area allows dogs to play and explore 107 fenced acres of that land. And Cherry Creek flows through for easy access to water, too! For complete information and rules, click here, and please note this park does require the purchase of a daily or annual pass.
Forsberg Park
Set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, Forsberg Park is located in Lakewood on the south side of Green Mountain. The park itself offers paved walking trails and a large, fenced dog park. The dog park offers two separate sections for different tempered dogs and each one has a double gate entry, shade trees, water and picnic tables.
Fuller Dog Park
Fuller Dog Park is a fenced, mostly dirt park just a few blocks northwest of City Park. The off-leash area is located on the west side of Fuller Park and is a great spot for city dogs to get exercise and play.
Glendale Farm Open Space and Trail
Directly adjacent to 1.6 miles of the on-leash Glendale Trail, Glendale Farm Open Space has a 13-acre, fenced, off-leash park. The Castle Rock park offers views of the Front Range for humans and tons of wide open space for the dogs.
Grandview Dog Park
Maintained by the City of Aurora, Grandview Dog Park offers more than 5 acres to run and play next to Quincy Reservoir. The fenced area has separate areas for large and small dogs, drinking fountains in the warm months, bag stations, trash collection cans, and entry and exit gates. For more information, click here.
Green Valley Ranch East Dog Park
Located in a quiet neighborhood in Northeast Denver, this neighborhood park offers tennis and volleyball courts, basketball courts, an outdoor pool, a playground, picnic spots and a fenced dog park. The fenced, off-leash area has a dirt floor, two separate areas, and a covered sitting area for humans.
Kennedy Dog Park
John F Kennedy Park has a fenced, off-leash play area directly across the road from Cherry Creek State Park. This makes it a great free option in the neighborhood if you don’t want to pay to enter the state park. Covering about 3 acres, Kennedy Dog Park offers separate areas for large and small dogs and a dirt surface, but we recommend bringing your own water.
Lowry Dog Park
Lowry Dog Park is a spacious, fenced, off-leash area nestled amongst tons of green, open space in Denver. Within the fences of the dog park, you’ll find two separate areas for different tempered dogs, gravel surfaces, wide open space to play, and plenty of benches for humans to sit on. Be sure to bring your own water!
Railyard Dog Park
Located in LoDo just southeast of Commons Park, Railyard Dog Park offers an excellent area for off-leash play in the heart of the city. The primary surface is soft, sandy dirt and there are also paved, shaded areas with picnic tables. Other features include separate areas for large and small dogs and a water fountain, but this fountain isn’t always in operation so be sure to have extra water just in case.
Stapleton Dog Park
Stapleton Dog Park is part of a string of parks and open spaces in Stapleton, which include Green Way Park and Westerly Creek Park. The off-leash area is fully fenced with a dirt surface, shade trees, benches and fountains. There is just one open area for all dogs and be sure to bring your own bags and extra water!
Tony Grampsas Dog Park
Inside Golden’s Tony Grampsas Memorial Sports Complex, we love Tony Grampsas Dog Park because it offers a different landscape than the other parks on this list. The 2.5-acre, wooded and fenced off-leash area boasts large trees that offer shade, shrubby areas for dogs to explore and paved trails. Be sure to bring your own water! For complete details, click here.
Westminster Hills Off-Leash Dog Park
This Westminster park is a favorite for Denver Metro dog owners. It offers 420 acres between Colorado Hills Open Space and Standley Lake North Open Space Park with a dog drinking fountain, a dog swimming pond, benches and shade. Be aware that this area is only partially fenced so make sure your dog responds well to voice commands. For more information, click here.
Do you have a favorite Denver dog park?
Tell us about it in the comments below! And be sure to tag #TheDenverEar on Instagram so we can join in your off-leash fun.