A guide to Milwaukee County’s dog parks

MILWAUKEE — Life in the city can be woof, I mean rough, for dogs. With small backyards and busy sidewalks, dogs need to release their built-up energy somewhere. Thankfully, across the county, nearly 30 acres of land have been set aside, just so our best friends can run wild without the constraints of a leash.

Running wild

When it comes to picking out a dog park to visit, there are a lot of options within the city and county. There are parks that are as big as ten acres, where your dog can run freely through the grass, or ones located closer to home that are perfect for getting your pet out of the house.

All county dog parks are open year-round from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Even with the closure of Runway Dog Park last November, there are still six local dog parks for your pups to play at across the city. The current dog parks in the county are:

Estabrook Park

Roverwest

Bay View Dog Park

Currie Park

Granville Park

Warnimont Park

Each of the parks offers a different scene for your furry friend. If your dog is really looking to run for the hills, Granville Dog Exercise Area offers 10 acres of hilly grasslands and fields for ultimate exploring purposes. The area isn't fenced in, so owners should be able to keep track of their dogs. But if you’d like to socialize more with other dog owners, Roverwest and Bay View Dog Park are often popular and chatty spots.

Estabrook, Currie, and Warnimont Parks all offer small dog areas, so even the tiniest of friends can safely and freely explore their wild side.

To get into the parks, make sure your dog is registered with the county, but also you pay the fee. Each of the dog parks has a $ 5-a-day fee or a $30 annual pass to all of the parks. If you’re bringing more than one dog, there may be additional fees added if you’re interested in the annual pass. Owners can purchase passes before leaving the house through the County Parks website.

Rules are in place, of course, to make sure your dog and others stay safe and healthy while in the parks. Typical rules such as picking up after your pup and keeping an eye on your pet are in place, but visit the Milwaukee County Parkswebsite to see the full list of rules before heading out.

Let's go for a walk

Besides the local dog parks, there are hundreds of miles of trails that welcome you and your furry friend for your daily walks. Milwaukee has a number of expansive parks with trails weaving in and out of them, almost all of them are welcoming of your well-behaved pet! The only Milwaukee County Park where dogs aren't allowed is at Wehr Nature Center, just so the sensitive nature trails remain protected.

Unlike the dog park, all pets must stay leashed on the trails, but there isn't a fee to take your pets on walks around the parks.

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