Memphis is a great city, with friendly neighbors, delicious barbeque, and the best blues music around. Memphis is the city with the largest population in Tennessee, but it also has plenty of green space for all those people to enjoy. The vibrant town has plenty to offer humans, but what about your four-legged friends?
You’re in luck, dog lovers. Memphis has some great spots for Rover that you’re sure to love, too. You can go off the beaten path to beautiful Meeman Shelby Forest State Park or take your poodle with you to Pink Diva Cupcakery, where the cupcakes are vegan and dogs are welcome. If you need a great place to watch your pup while you work, Dogs Rule Day Care & School is a city favorite. And if you’re looking for a great toy or want to wash your dog with professional supplies, head to Hollywood Feed, a pet supply regional chain that got its start in Midtown Memphis.
But where can your four-legged friends let loose and run free? Where can they get all that energy out so you can arrive home happy and exhausted and ready to curl up on the couch? This city has you covered. Here are the top five Memphis dog parks.
1. The Outback at Shelby Farms Park
Source: choose901.com
Also known as Shelby Farms Dog Park, this off-leash paradise has more than 120 acres of space for your pup to frolic in. There are trails running along the grassy field, and lakes and ponds, if your pooch likes to get wet. Those water areas are great in the summer, when the cool water is exactly what Fido needs to get his second wind. There is also a doggie water fountain and a dog wash station, so your best friend doesn’t muddy-up the upholstery in your car.
If you’re looking to make a day of it, bring Trixie’s leash and walk her along the 6.5 mile urban trail known as the Shelby Farms Greenline. The park also boasts 4500 acres of green space, the innovative Woodland Discovery Playground, more than 20 fishing lakes, horse trails, a 50 acre pasture full of American Bison, the Wolf River Pedestrian Bridge, and the Lucious Birch Natural Area, a hardwood forest next to the Wolf River. The Heart of the Park initiative is bringing even more amenities to the park and doubling the size of Patriot Lake.
2. Overton Bark Park
Source: memphisdailynews.com
Overton Bark is a 1.3-acre spot in Midtown Memphis, with clean-up stations, water fountains, and separate areas for large and small dogs. There are rustic log benches for the humans, and the Rainbow Lake playground is just outside the gate for the little humans. This adventure playground features a sand pit, two climbing structures, chess tables, a do-it-yourself building center, and two noise-making sculptures, plus a slide and swing sets. The Old Forest arboretum, one of the last remaining old growth forests in Tennessee, is located on the other side of the dog park.
Overton Park itself spans 342 acres and contains the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, a 9-hole golf course, Rainbow Lake, the Memphis Zoo, Veterans Plaza, Greensward, and other hot spots.
3. Memphis Dog Park
Source: shelbyfarmspark.org
This was the first city-run dog park, opened in June 2010. It’s also called the Midtown Dog Park. This park is located behind the Memphis City Schools Board of Education near the Memphis Fairgrounds, between the Midtown and Cooper-Young neighborhoods. This is another great spot if you have a small dog, because there’s a special half-acre area for pups under 25 pounds. For dogs over 25 pounds, there is a full acre, plenty of space to work some of that energy off.
This park also contains obstacles for pooches who like to leap and bound. And if you have a human who likes those things, the city’s first neighborhood skatepark is right next door in Tobey Park.
4. The Barking Lot Dog Park
Source: celloscorner.com
What do you do when a grocery store burns to the ground Downtown? You make it a pop-up dog park, of course! The Barking Lot is located at the corner of Jefferson and Main, and it’s got just enough space for your pooch to stretch her legs. Many people would call it more of a dog run, but having a spot like this Downtown is perfect for city-loving folks with four-legged family members.
Just across a bridge is Mud Town on Harbor Island, which is very dog-friendly, too. It’s a great place for a beautiful sunset walk with your best friend, where you can look out over the Mississippi and bark at all the boats passing through.
5. Bartlett Dog Park
Source: slatons.blogspot.com
Just northeast of Memphis proper sits Bartlett Dog Park in the city of Bartlett, Tennessee, part of the Memphis metro area. This is a flat, shady park, with picnic tables and benches. It is run by the Bartlett Animal Shelter, and it is the only public off-leash spot in Bartlett. Owners are expected to keep dogs walking to make sure things remain neutral, and always clean up after your dog (that goes for all the parks on this list). Most people come to this park in the late afternoon and evenings on weekdays and after 9:30 on weekends, so if your pup likes to be social, that’s when to go.
Your Pooch Will Love Memphis Dog Parks
Memphis has a dog park for every kind of four-legged companion. Explorer dogs will love to roam The Outback, loner dogs can have their space at the Midtown park, social butterflies can meet up with their friends at Bartlett, Olympian dogs can practice their flips at Overton Bark Park, and The Barking Lot is perfect for those city dogs who need to get away from the hustle and bustle. After just a few hours at one of these parks, your dog will be just as happy with her new town as you are.
2 Point Highlight
Memphis has some great spots for Rover that you’re sure to love, too.
This off-leash paradise has more than 120 acres of space for your pup to frolic in.
