Seattle’s fur babies are getting some new playgrounds to run around and sniff in.
Resident dogs can expect five new off-leash parks to open in the Emerald City in the coming years.
Three of the parks had already been planned by Seattle Parks and Recreation, at the South Park Community Center, Georgetown Flume and Smith Cove Park. Then, last month, the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners approved construction for two more dog parks at West Seattle Stadium and Othello Playground, and the design for another in Ravenna Park, which will not be built until additional funding is approved.
These most recently approved parks are funded by $3.46 million set aside by the parks commissioners and are the result of a yearlong study and review of over 30 existing park spaces, analyzing which neighborhoods do not have good access and other environmental factors. The best sites for dog parks must include flat land, good visibility, good drainage to prevent disease-carrying puddles and, in some cases, parking and community support.
After reviewing over 30 sites, Seattle Parks announced the recommended locations for three additional dog parks.
“Our furry friends hold a special place in the hearts of Seattle residents, and providing more places appropriate for them to exercise off-leash is key to a vibrant community,” Seattle Parks Superintendent AP Diaz said in a news release.
The other dog parks in Georgetown, South Park and Smith Cove Park, which had already been planned, are a part of larger projects in the area which include upgraded lighting and new playgrounds and walkways, among other improvements.
Seattle Parks plans to start construction on the Georgetown dog park this summer, open the dog park near the South Park Community Center next summer and open the Smith Cove dog park by summer 2026. Timelines for opening the parks at West Seattle Stadium and Othello Playground have not been announced.
The study identified nine “preferred sites” for dog parks and recommended building dog parks in the Brighton and the East Queen Anne playfields if funding becomes available in the future.
The study did not recommend View Ridge Playfield and Powell Barnett, Discovery and Lincoln parks as future locations, despite meeting criteria, largely due to feedback from neighbors who wanted to keep the space as a gathering spot or for “passive activation,” said Seattle Parks community engagement advisor Danyal Lotfi in a presentation on March 29 to the Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.
For the Discovery Park site, there were also environmental impact concerns, and the space hosts the Seafair Indian Days Powwow each year, Lotfi said. Construction at View Ridge Playfield would also disrupt activities on the playfield, and the site is already close to the largest dog park in the city at Magnuson Park, he said.
The new parks add to the 14 “off-leash areas” already available, though demand for dog parks has long exceeded the number available in Seattle and illegal off-leash dogs have long been a common sight in the city. The last dog park to open was Denny Park in 2018.
A 2017 report by Seattle Parks and Recreation found around a fourth of dog owners admit to exercising their dogs in nondesignated areas like trails and play areas. According to 2021 census data cited by Seattle Parks, dogs outnumber children here, with an estimated 153,000 dogs and 107,000 children in the city.
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