Los Angeles is a massive city of many things, but it may surprise some to know that it’s one of passionate dog lovers. With so many people trying to make it Hollywood and LA just generally being a fit, attractive and health conscious town, the interest in having a dog and taking a dog to a dog park is prevalent throughout the city. And considering a having a dog these days is basically like having a child for many people, the place you purchase in Los Angeles has to fit into a pooches needs almost as much as your own. Below are the 5 best dog parks in all of Los Angeles which may help to narrow the LA home search for those parents of fur babies.
1. GRIFFITH PARK DOG PARK
Located in the biggest park in all of Los Angeles and the second biggest urban park in the entire state of California, Griffith Park Dog Park is large and ideal for dogs to be off-leash and really get their energy out on a daily basis. A 1.6 acre space has separate areas for canines that are big and little and there are concrete benches and water fountains for the owner’s needs while their dogs play. As Griffith Park is incredibly large and straddles the Eastern section of the Hollywood Hills, it is convenient for a number of neighborhoods to visit this park usually via car, since it has such an ample parking lot. Los Feliz and Atwater Village are perhaps the closest, but those who live in the cities of Glendale or Burbank are also just a short drive away. Or if the owner needs the exercise as well, you can always put your pooch on a leash and walk through Griffith Park to the dog park itself.
2. LAKE HOLLYWOOD PARK
A small dog park yes that isn’t technically off leash, Lake Hollywood Park is a uniquely hidden dog park that draws as many tourists as it does people with dogs. That’s because it is located directly beneath the infamous Hollywood sign in the Hollywood Hills, a sign that is surprisingly difficult for most tourists driving the maze-like hill roads in LA to get close to. This makes the dog park equally difficult to access except to those in the know in the Lake Hollywood neighborhood and surrounding areas. While there isn’t a ton of room for your dog to run, it’s worth a visit if just for the unique view of the Hollywood sign alone. Of course, let your dog run off leash at our own risk. It’s a $100 fine if you’re caught.
3. RUNYON CANYON PARK
Located just above Hollywood and stretching into the steep hills is Runyon Canyon Park, which is as much a human outdoor gym as it is a dog park. It may be one of the best places to see the most unique breeds of dogs and unique individual humans that make up the fabric of Los Angeles. Sometimes there will be aspiring but recognizable actors running or long-stepping up the wide trail with their almost famous pooches on leash. There’s not a lot of room or areas on the trail where dogs will be able to run in circles and chase a ball or a Frisbee, but if they do the entire circuit of Runyon Canyon from top to bottom or vice versa, they’ll get their exercise and then some in for the day. Beyond what you see in canine and human form on the trail, the views from the top of Runyon Canyon are breathtaking and almost vertigo inducing, making it as enjoyable for the owner as it is for their mutt.
4. ROSIES DOG BEACH
The only beach in the Los Angeles area that is technically dog friendly is Rosie’s, making it an ideal spot for those who love to give their dogs the best possible time. Running in the wet sand, splashing in the waves, smelling everything amazing that has washed up on shore make Rosie a veritable Disneyland for dogs—and also allow their owners some often much needed beach time. The only downside to Rosie’s Dog Beach is the fact that it is located in Long Beach, which is a 30 to 45 minute drive from many neighborhoods in Central Los Angeles, not accounting for traffic. So while the dog beach may not dictate where you live in Los Angeles necessarily, it’s great to know it is there, so that you and your dog can have a memorable afternoon together living the California Dream.
5. SILVERLAKE DOG PARK
Musicians, successful entertainment industry types and a whole slew of hipsters are the most common parents at this dog park built right against the Silverlake Reservoir and off Silverlake Boulevard, making it the ideal place for those creative telecommuters to bring their pooches on a work break. The park often becomes muddy but has had some reconstruction done to it recently, with shady areas added for dogs and owners alike, as well as a separated area for big and small dogs. For those owners who also need some exercise themselves on their dog time break, consider walking around the entire Silverlake reservoir before or after visiting the nearby dog park.
2 Point Highlight
“A small dog park yes that isn’t technically off leash, Lake Hollywood Park is a uniquely hidden dog park that draws as many tourists as it does people with dogs.”
