8 Best Dog Parks In Portland 

Located in Oregon, Portland is a large city filled with music and art and is also surrounded by beautiful forests. No wonder it has a population of over 2 million! With so many people living in the city, there are bound to be dog lovers. Having a dog means having to exercise it and socialize it. That’s why dog parks are so important.

There are multiple dog parks in Portland. Each dog park is special in its own way, but some are definitely better than others. Living in a city that sees a lot of rain during the year, it’s important to find a good dog park with the right landscaping, capacity, and location. In this article, you’ll find a list of the best dog parks you can find in Portland.

1. East Holladay Dog Park

East Holladay Park and Dog Park is located in East Portland near the Glendoveer Tennis and Golf course. The dog park is found in the southern area of East Holladay Park. This is a fairly new, fenced-in mid-sized dog park with grass landscaping. There are currently only a few trees for shade but more have been recently planted. 

The park provides doggy bags to clean up your pup’s mess, but the bags are known to run out quickly so it may be best to bring your own. There is also a doggy water fountain for your pooch to stay hydrated; though it can sometimes be turned off or out of order. There are currently no benches or tables inside the dog area, so if you hope to sit while your furry friend runs around, you’ll have to bring your own portable chairs. 

East Holladay Dog Park isn’t very large, so it can get packed pretty fast. The busiest days tend to be Friday through Sunday from afternoon to evening. Monday through Thursday tends to stay pretty slow all day, but there are almost always other dogs for your pooch to play with.  

2. Wallace Dog Park

Wallace Dog Park is located on the western end of Portland. Wallace Park is found behind Chapman Elementary School. The dog park is a fairly large fenced area with dirt and bark chips landscaping. During or after rainy days, it can get pretty muddy. There are no separate areas for large and small dogs, so it may be best to visit during less busy hours if your pooch has problems with smaller or larger breeds.

This park has a few large trees located inside the fenced area that provides ample shade. The park has doggy bags donated by other park patrons for your furry friend to use. There is also a water station, dog bowls, and donated toys available for use so your pup can stay hydrated while they play!

Wallace Dog Park is quite large, so even on busy days, there’s still plenty of room for your dog to run and play. The busiest days are usually Saturday and Sunday from the late afternoon to early evening. Monday through Friday is usually pretty slow until the late afternoons, though Monday stays slow all day.

3. Lynchwood Dog Park

Lynchwood Dog Park is located on the eastern end of Portland next to Powell Butte Elementary. This is a large fenced park with dirt and grass landscaping as well as multiple large trees spread throughout the park. This dog park does not offer separate areas for large dogs and small dogs, so this might not be the best park for dogs that have a hard time with larger or smaller breeds.  

Lynchwood Dog Park provides things like water bowls, old tennis balls, a puppy pool, and trash cans to help keep the park clean and your pup happy. The water fountain the park provides is only on for a few months of the year, so be sure to bring extra water for your pooch. There are also multiple benches for people to use while their dogs play.

Like most dog parks in Portland, Lynchwood Park’s busiest days are typically Saturday and Sunday. The weekends tend to be busy from morning till evening, while the weekdays only get slightly busy from late afternoon to early evening. 

4. Irving Park Dog Park

Irving Park Dog Park is located in central Portland inside Irving Park. The landscape is dirt with patches of grass here and there. Rainy days mean the area will get pretty muddy. The park has plenty of places for owners to sit while their pups run around. There is currently no fence around the off-leash area, so if your pups are prone to running off, this might not be the park for you.

Irving Dog Park has plenty of trees providing ample shade and multiple benches for owners to use. There are no doggy bags provided, so it’s important to bring your own and pick it up after your pooch. The park can sometimes get busy in the evenings but not very often. This neighborhood park is a great place to take your pup to run off some of their energy.   

5. Wilshire Park Dog Park

Wilshire Park Dog Park is located in central Portland. The dog park is located on the east end of Wilshire Park. The landscaping for the off-leash dog area is dirt and bark chips with plenty of large trees providing lots of shade. The off-leash dog area is not currently fenced in and has two roads on either side of the park. So, be cautious and keep a good eye on your pup. 

This dog park is one of the larger ones in Portland and typically has plenty of dogs for your pooch to play with. There are a few benches around the off leash area and some benches and picnic tables outside the area near the children’s playground.

The park outside the off-leash area has a partially paved walkway as well as a restroom and playground. The park does not provide doggy bags. So, it’s important to bring your own and make sure to clean up after your furry friend. 

Wilshire Dog Park tends to stay busy throughout most of the week except Monday and Tuesday. The busiest days are typically Saturday and Sunday, though Wednesday through Friday can be pretty busy in the late afternoons. 

6. Gabriel Dog Park

Gabriel Dog Park is located southwest of Portland inside Gabriel Park. The dog park is separated into two areas called Summer and Winter. The park is typically busiest on Saturdays and Sundays and much less busy on weekdays. Both dog areas have their own landscaping and are of different sizes. 

Gabriel Dog Park – Winter: This off-leash dog area is located in the southern portion of Gabriel park. This park’s landscaping is a mix between sand and dirt. The rainy season can make it slightly muddy. So, be prepared for a dirty pup if you go during that time. This area is slightly larger than the summer area. There are multiple trash cans so you can help keep the park clean and pick up after your pooch. The park doesn’t provide dog bags, so you will have to bring your own. The park does have water bowls so you can keep your furry friend hydrated while they play. 

Gabriel Dog Park – Summer: This dog park is large with a grassy landscape. There are multiple trees that provide shade, but there are no benches or picnic tables. The park does provide water dishes and trash cans so you can clean up after your pup. The fence is small; it’s only about 3 feet tall. So, if your dog tends to jump over fences, this park may not be for you.  

7. Chimney Park Dog Park

Chimney Park Dog Park is located in Northwest Portland near the west side of Smith Lake. This dog park is a very large fenced area with grass and dirt landscaping. There are no separate areas for large and small dogs. So, if your pup doesn’t do well with small or large breeds, this park might not be for you. The off-leash dog area has plenty of trees, and the park has filled in the areas that get extremely muddy with bark chips or gravel so the park can still be enjoyed during the rainy season.

There is a large parking lot available in the park that provides free parking, and there are a few picnic tables for owners to sit inside the dog area while their pooch plays. Currently, no dog bags are provided by the park, so be sure to bring your own. There is also no water fountain nearby, but the park does have water dishes for use in the park; though, you need to bring your own water. Due to its large size, this park is a great place to go, no matter how busy. The busiest days tend to be Saturday and Sunday, but Monday through Friday can be busy as well. 

8. Hollywood Dog Park

Hollywood Dog Park is located in south-central Portland inside Normandale Park. The dog area has three separate areas for small dogs, medium dogs, and large dogs. This off-leash dog park has a ton of trees, so it stays very shady year-round. The landscaping is dirt with some small patches of grass during the warmer months. Because of this, the park can get pretty muddy during the rainy season.

There are a few water spouts available so you can fill up a dog bowl and keep your pup hydrated. The park provides bags, but they run out often; so, frequent patrons of the park regularly leave bags for others to use. If you have any extra dog bags, maybe consider leaving some for the next person so the park can stay clean and fun for dogs and their owners.

This dog park is one of the more popular ones in Portland, so it can get pretty busy. Though, because of its large size, there’s always plenty of room. The busiest day is typically Saturday, though it may get slightly busy throughout the week.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © oneinchpunch/Shutterstock.com