Home to some of the largest tech companies in the world, Bellevue is a large city just across Lake Washington from Seattle. In fact, it was voted number one in the list of best places to launch a business by CNNMoney. Over 145 companies have been started here, including Amazon and T-Mobile. The city is also known for its safe neighborhoods and schools, which makes it the perfect place to raise a family.
Bellevue is also known for its many parks, gaining it the nickname “city in a park.” And it has some great weather, especially in the spring, summer, and fall. The temperatures never really get too hot or too cold except for during the winter. And then, it is the perfect time for winter sports like skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, and sledding. But with your pooch, you will need a pup-friendly park. Here are our top 15 choices of dog parks in Bellevue.
Ales and Tails Park
Starting off this list with a fun place to have a beer and pizza while your pup plays with other fur babies, Ales and Tails is an indoor dog park and bar just 20 minutes north of Bellevue in Woodinville. There is an indoor play space for pooches in the open warehouse that is about 5,500 square feet. Or, take them out back where you can relax with a brew while your fur puppy runs around outside on the play equipment.
This is a really fun place with agility equipment like ramps and tunnels as well as climbing obstacles, weave poles, a couple of jumps, and puzzles. For the pup parents, they have over a dozen beers on tap and a cooler full of other beverages as well. Also, they offer doggie daycare and grooming if you need a place for your pup while you go out or if he is in need of a new hairdo! There is a membership fee, or you can pay for just the day, but you will have to fill out registration with proof of shots.
Beaver Lake Dog Park
Your fur baby will love Beaver Lake Dog Park in Sammamish, just 15 miles east of downtown Bellevue. The park itself is incredible and used to be a private resort named the Four Seasons or Bartel’s Resort. Then, it was changed to Andy’s Beaver Lake Resort in the 1950s before being bought by the county and renamed Beaver Lake Park. There are 83 acres of recreational space that includes ball fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, a creek, and, of course, Beaver Lake.
The large dog park is just east of the ball fields and backs up to the woods where your pooch can run around in the forest. There is a separate section for small dogs so everyone can feel comfortable letting their cuddle buddies play here. Both sides are huge and offer the same amenities, including water fountains, benches, wooded trails, and waste stations with poop bags. The ground cover is wood chips, but it can get muddy when it rains.
Cedar River Dog Park
Located along the Cedar River Trail just 10 miles south of downtown, Cedar River Dog Park gives you and your canine companion access to the Cedar River as well as a huge fenced area for off-leash play. The small dog section here is really small compared to the big pup area, so be prepared for that if you have a small dog. But it is still big enough for most little ones, and you can always take them to the other section if you like.
Both sides have shade shelters, benches, and picnic tables for seating, ramps, and other agility equipment, and water fountains from April until November. The pup cleanup stations have doggie bags and trash receptacles for easier pickup, and there is tons of room to run around. Bring a ball for a game of fetch or a doggie disc to toss around. Or you can just watch your pupster play with the other pooches.
Dog Yard Park
Over in Seattle, only 11 miles west of Bellevue across Lake Washington, you can find the Dog Yard Bar, where you can enjoy an adult beverage while your pooch plays off the leash. According to the local pup parents, this is the finest dog park bar in Seattle, with a huge backyard that includes separate spaces for small and large dogs. And both sections have agility stations, toys, and a bone-shaped doggie pool! Because dogs love water!
If it is cold outside, they turn on the radiant heat in the floor and start up the heaters, or you can take your pup inside, where they can play or relax on the heated floors. You will have to fill out a registration form and provide vaccination records and proof of being spayed or neutered (your dog, not you). Then, pay for a day or a whole year if you are a local. They have all sorts of beverages, from wine and beer to coffee and cokes.
Dogwood Play Park
Also in Seattle, Dogwood Play Park is another off-leash dog park bar about 13 miles northwest of downtown Bellevue. This one also has indoor and outdoor play areas. One is for high-energy, active pups, and the other is for gentle and small pooches. You need to show proof of shots, flea protection, and being spayed or neutered if your pup is over a year old. The fee per day is $15, or you can get a discount for monthly or annually if you plan to visit often.
Inside, your cuddly canine has over 8,000 square feet of space separated for active/gentle sections, and outside has the same amount of space. But outside has more agility equipment and astroturf. During the summer, they have doggie pools too! Have a beer, a cocktail, or a nonalcoholic drink and some snacks while you let your little buddy socialize for a while.
Edmonds Marina Beach Off-Leash Dog Park
Just 20 minutes from Bellevue, the Edmonds Marina Beach Dog Park is one of the only off-leash dog beaches in the area with access to the Puget Sound. Your fur puppy can swim and splash all day in the water while you relax on the beach, or you can get in there with him and play. However, the park is only partially fenced on three sides, so if your canine companion is not voice-controlled, you need to be careful.
It is more than just a beach, though. Up on the sand, there is a fenced pooch play area with concrete tunnels to run through, weave poles to maneuver, jumps to hurdle, and ramps to run up and down. They even have some fire hydrants for your dog to pee on if he wants to. But bring extra doggie bags to pick up anything else he drops and some water for yourself.
French Lake Dog Park
French Lake Dog Park is a fun pooch playground about 25 miles south of Bellevue in Federal Way, close to Tacoma. This is a unique dog park because It has a special area for special needs dogs. That includes small dogs as well as those that have limited mobility, are not very social, or are timid and shy. The main play area is huge, with about eight acres, while the other section has about two. Both sides are fully fenced and have lots of grass, shade, and picnic tables all throughout the park.
Your pup can also play on the ramps and A-frames, wiggle through the weave poles, and zip through the tire tunnels. They even have a dog house in case your fur baby needs a nap. One thing to note: they have an automatic sprinkler system that can turn on without warning from 7 AM until 4 PM. The pups will love it, but you may not like them getting wet, especially during cooler weather.
Grandview Dog Park
A few miles north of French Lake, you will find Grandview Off Leash Dog Park in SeaTac, which is about 19 miles south of downtown Bellevue. This humongous puptropolis has almost 35 acres of trails and recreational space with stunning views of Mount Rainer. The pup park itself is separated into several areas that include wooded walking trails, open fields, picnic areas, and an agility area with lots of different play equipment. There are tire tunnels, a set of 10 weave poles, doggie jumpovers, ramps of all sizes, and A-frames.
Because much of the park is so expansive, it is important that your dog has good recall if you are going to let him off the leash. With 34 acres, you could spend all day looking for a pup that does not want to be found! The trails are fun, too, with lots of natural agility obstacles like fallen trees, logs, and boulders. Some of the paths are paved for easy access. The park offers free doggie bags, but it is better to bring your own since it is such a large space.
Luther Burbank Dog Park
Fully fenced and sandy with water access, Luther Burbank Dog Park is a pup popular pooch play area on Mercer Island. Less than five miles from Bellevue, this fun dog park is located at the northeastern tip of Mercer Island by Calkins Point Beach. Not only does your pupster have lots of sandy beach space to run and play, but he can also dive into the water if it is warm enough. The section with beach access is for all sizes and breeds.
The other section is for small dogs 30 pounds and under. This is for those small pups that do not feel comfortable playing around larger animals. There is plenty of room for all sorts of little doggies to chase each other around. The rest of the park is also dog-friendly for leashed pooches. There are over 70 acres with almost a mile of waterfront on Lake Washington for fishing, boating, and swimming.
Marymore Dog Park
Marymoor Dog Park is best known as Doggie Disneyland because of its 40 acres of space where dogs can do whatever dogs do, no leashes required. All dogs can just be dogs here. Marymoor Dog Park is just seven miles northeast of downtown Bellevue in the middle of Marymoor Park, with access to both Lake Sammamish and Sammamish River. If you have a water dog, bring some water toys for him to fetch if it is warm enough.
Even if it is cold outside, your fur puppy will love all the fun he can have at this huge park. Running through the trees, digging in the dirt, and chasing other pups, it is always fun here at Marymoor Dog Park. The park provides plastic baggies for easy poop pickup, but these are paid for with donations, so if you have your own, bring them. And if you have extra, share them!
Reber Ranch Park
Just 20 miles south of Bellevue, Reber Ranch has two pup parks in front of the Reber Ranch Store. The small one has just enough room for a few small dogs to play as well as a bench for pup parents as well as a waste station. The longer and larger dog run is right next to the small park and features almost a half acre of turfed space that includes a shade shelter and benches for the humans, and agility equipment for the pups.
While you are there, you and your cuddly canine companion can play a game of fetch or frisbee too. If you forgot to bring a ball or doggie disc, just head across the parking lot to Reber Ranch, and they have a huge selection of toys, food, treats, and anything else you can think of related to animals. Just be sure to put your pup’s leash back on before leaving the gated dog areas.
Robinswood Dog Park
Want to let your fur baby play off the leash for a while? Grab some doggie bags, extra water, and your pooch, and you will find Robinswood Dog Park less than five miles southeast of Bellevue. This popular pooch park is also known as Bellevue Animal Corral, and it has two large areas for off-leash play with complimentary poo baggies and water spigots with an award-winning hydration system. Like many other parks on the list, it has a separate section for small dogs under a certain weight.
Both parks have lots of room to romp around, as well as some natural climbing obstacles like large rocks and stumps. There is bark mulch and gravel in both sections as well but some of the space gets quite muddy when it rains or snows. The large dog area has a sidewalk running around the perimeter for pet parents to use, and both areas have covered seating and benches.
Warren G. Magnuson Dog Park
The Magnuson Dog Park is 12 miles up Highway 520 in Seattle and is known as the biggest fully-fenced backyard for dogs. It has nearly nine acres of play space and is the only one in the city where your pooch can swim in Lake Washington. It is located in the larger Magnuson Park on Sand Point Way and boasts a largely flat recreational space where pooches can play without restraint. It is mostly compacted gravel, so it is easily accessible to all.
Outside the flat area, there is a trail where you and your pooch can take a hike to see some of the awesome scenery in the woods and along the water. It is the perfect spot to get some exercise and let your canine companion get rid of those zoomies. As long as he is voice-controlled, you do not have to worry. But if he does not have good recall, you may want to keep him on a leash.
Westcrest Park Off-Leash Area
In southwestern Seattle, about 15 miles to the southwest, Westcrest Dog Park is up on a large hill where you get a stellar view of the area, including the Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and the Duwamish Waterway. Besides having over eight acres of open space, trails, and wooded areas, it also has what you may as well just call a doggie playground. It has a really neat wooden A-frame, a large wooden ramp with steps and a slide, and about six tunnels your dog can wiggle through.
The only issue is that it does not have a separate section for small or shy dogs. But with so much space, you can almost always find a quiet spot for your little one to enjoy themselves. The park also has several water fountains for dogs and humans, a bunch of seating choices, waste stations with poop bags, and restrooms for your convenience.
Willis D. Tucker Dog Park
Just 22 miles to the north, Willis D. Tucker Community Park has almost eight acres of furry kids’ fun with three different areas. One has a large open meadow of six acres, another is 1.25 miles of forested hiking trails, and a small fenced area of about a third of an acre for small, shy, or older dogs. There is a water fountain for pups to quench their thirst, but it is shut off in the winter to keep the pipes from freezing.
In the large meadow area, there are agility stations with several wooden jump-overs, some ramps, and paws tables made from tree stumps. Everything here for the dogs to play with is made from natural materials. At the entrance to the small dog area and the meadow as well as the trail area, you will find a doggie bag dispenser to make cleanup easier. But it cannot hurt to bring your own, just in case.
The Final Woof
Once you and your pup have hit all the dog parks, that is not all you can do! Take your cuddly canine out on Lake Union. Seattle Kayak and SUP Rentals will get you out there! Or you can take a trip on the monorail anywhere along Fifth Avenue in Seattle on the Seattle Center Monorail. Another fun way to spend the day with your fur puppy is at Kubota Garden. Just keep him on a leash and your pup is welcome to join you. After, take your canine companion with you to have a cold brew at Obec Brewing. They have a variety of beers to choose from, including lagers, pilsners, porters, and IPAs.
