Gallery • 5 Photos

Tessah Green

Rusty chases another dog at the Minnehaha Off leash Recreation Area in Minneapolis.

As the last snow has finally melted and days are continuing to grow warmer it’s nice to get outside and enjoy the fresh spring air. I love taking my dog on walks around my neighborhood but sometimes it gets repetitive seeing the same scenery and going on our usual route. Recently I have been exploring different dog parks in the Twin Cities to see which one is the best.

Get on the trails at Off-Leash

First I went to The Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park in Minneapolis. The park has lots of different trails for walking and biking besides just the dog park. When I arrived at the park I noticed that you had to pay for parking and there also were not that many spots to begin with but I managed to find a spot. I followed the signs to the off leash area and, to my surprise, the gate was wide open but the sign said this was the off leash area and I saw other dogs running around but if they had wanted to they could have ran right out of the park. However once inside the dog park, it was very big, and had lots of space to run around in and lots of trees. Overall the park did not seem very safe because the gate was wide open and it didn’t have very good parking.

5399 Minnehaha Park Drive S
Minneapolis, MN 55417

Rating: 3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

Relax and enjoy Arlington Awkwright

The next dog park I went to was the Arlington off leash Dog Area in Saint Paul. There is a small parking lot right next to the park. This I would say is one of the more underrated dog parks because I had never heard of it before but it had a very nice mixture of trees, open areas to socialize, a hiking trail and there also was a small water hole. The park at first glance looked tiny but it’s actually quite big. When I went there, it also wasn’t crazy busy like some other dog parks. Overall this was a nice park, if you want to go for a relaxed trail hike with tons of trees this would be the spot for you.

400 Arlington Ave. E.
Saint Paul, MN 55130

Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Take in the beautiful High Bridge views

The next dog park I went to was the High Bridge Dog Park in Saint Paul. There is a parking lot right near the park so that was good. Even though the park is not that big it is in a good location. This park is good if you want your dog to socialize because there are so many dogs at this park. It’s also a good spot if you want to keep a better eye on your dog because there aren’t many hidden paths. It’s also fun because if you want to go for a walk across the high bridge the city looks beautiful from on top of the bridge. Overall Rusty had a lot of fun at this park interacting with all the dogs and running around. If you have a very social dog this would be a great park for you.

59 Randolph Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55130

Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Go for a long walk at Battle Creek

The last dog park I went to was the Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood. This dog park was the biggest out of all of them. The first time I went there I got lost but it’s a great place if you have a more athletic dog for them to run around and get all of their energy out. There are lots of different hiking trails and lots of other dogs to socialize with. Overall this was a good dog park and I would recommend it for dogs who want to explore and go for a long hike.

2300 Upper Afton Road
Maplewood, MN 55119

Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dog parks are a great opportunity to get outside and enjoy quality time with your dog and nature. It’s really important to take your dog for walks or to the dog park because they need to get exercise and it improves their mental health as well. I highly recommend taking your dog to one of the dog parks I mentioned above because spending time with your dog and making him or her happy is one of the best feelings.