A Tour of Twin Cities Dog Parks

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If you’ve spent enough time at a dog park, you really start to wonder about the antisocial disposition of human beings. We all kind of stand next to each other avoiding eye contact, like we’re the toddlers doing parallel play, while the dogs themselves pursue FUN! with wild abandon. Yet if you look more closely at the way those dogs play, you can see a social hierarchy taking shape: That retriever is marking territory, that boxer is showing its belly in a big pantomime of submission. 

After giving your fellow man the side-eye for a while, you begin to pick up on our own social cues. Like, how much did that Porsche Panamera in the gravel lot cost, and does that doodle ever get to ride shotgun? 

Enough dog parks exist in the metro now that many dog owners can stick to their “local.” But an afternoon away game at the dog park can be an investigation into how the other half lives—the equivalent of touring an open house that you know you’re never gonna buy. 

Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park 

Minneapolis • 6.6 acres

Fully enclosed: No 

Hike or a hang: Hike 

Water feature: Yes, Minnehaha Creek and Mississippi River 

Off-leash permit required: Yes, through the city of Minneapolis

Situated at the confluence of Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River, this is a gorgeous park, dedicated to the most active-bodied and Instagram-genic young dog owners in the city. On the weekends, in particular, visitors to this perpetually muddy river bottom look like they made a quick stop at the Patagonia store before coming. Couples with rescue dogs rule Minnehaha—maybe don’t mention your breeder?

Lake Minnewashta

Chanhassen • 18 acres

Fully enclosed:  Yes

How many extended-cab pickup trucks in the parking lot: 4

Water feature: Fenced pond, seasonal water fountain

Off-leash permit required: Yes, but there’s an honor box by the gate

Minnewashta is an aesthetic wonder of the west metro: It occupies the shore of the lake, with a path that winds around a grove of tall oak trees. The people here appear a little woodsier, as well. You’ll see full Carhartt suits, and hunting dogs—athletic spaniels and shorthair hounds—getting a run in the woods before their next chance at flushing pheasant.

Battle Creek

Maplewood • 35 acres

Fully enclosed: Yes

Hike or a hang: Hike

How many Subaru station wagons in the lot: > 5

Water feature: Two small ponds and one large swimming pool

Off-leash permit required:  No

Battle Creek stands out as the largest dog park in the Twin Cities, with more trails and a more varied landscape than Minnehaha. The pine and birch trees in this stretch of the Mississippi River valley trees make you feel like you’re further north than you actually are. And the clientele leans slightly more suburban than Minnehaha, with a greater population of TV-commercial-grade dads wearing jeans and ball caps. Also way more actual kids (as opposed to canine starter children).

Arlington Arkwright

St. Paul • 4 acres

Fully enclosed: Yes

Hike or a hang: Both

Water feature: Dry

Off-leash permit required: No

This is an emerald gem of a park—lush vegetation, rolling ridgeline path—on the blue-collar side of St. Paul. The weekday crowd here, which leans Latin, feels very East Side. But even the motorcycle mechanic wearing a leather vest over his tattoos doesn’t look that tough when he’s frolicking with his new German shepherd puppy. 

Lake of the Isles

Minneapolis • 1.87 acres

Fully enclosed: Yes

Hike or a hang: Hang

Chances of running into a doodle from the same breeder: 70 percent

Water feature: No

Off-leash permit required: Yes, through the city of Minneapolis

This postage stamp of a dog park is the destination for the dogerati, the spot where you’ll see the Twin Cities’ most spoiled pets. On a recent visit, a young med student recounted the special day last holiday season when a benefactor left behind a cardboard box with hundreds of brand-new tennis balls. This is also a target-rich environment for Instagram-famous pets: I ran into Aggie the Husky there last time and it was genuinely shocking, like seeing Rihanna at the dog park.

Join the Pack: Tips for visiting your local dog park

Do you really need a special permit to bring Sir Barkalot to the dog park? Some cities, such as Minneapolis, require one. (That said, if you show up without a license, you probably won’t be the only scofflaw.) Beyond that, the trick for a successful dog-park visit is not much harder than shaking hands. 

  • Typically, once you’re in the dog park’s boundaries, you’re off leash.
  • You don’t need to be a neurotic helicopter parent about it, but do keep a close eye on your animal. You know your dog’s social limits better than anybody else. 
  • Keep your leash and your poop bags ready. 
  • Feel free to play catch, but maybe don’t bring expensive toys that a rogue dog could run off with. 
  • Really nice people bring a water jug for the communal dish. That’s the Minnesota move. 

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