My Favorite Dog Parks

My Favorite Dog Parks

Photography by Lon Levin

I’m a native Angeleno. I grew up in Beverly Hills. I know the Westside area. I’ve lived in Beverly Hills, Silver Lake, Westwood, Santa Monica, Venice, Bel Air, Pacific Palisades and now Carthay. In every place I’ve lived there was always a dog park, even before they had that special designation. However now we have several parks that are specifically designed for our dogs enjoyment. Here are my favorites.

BARRINGTON DOG PARK

The park is fairly large although it’s been cut down a little over the last year. Small and large dogs mingle together and there doesn’t seem to be any problem with that. I’ve gone at various times of day and it was pretty calm. No more than about 10 dogs at any given time unless dog walkers show up.

There are a few trees which offer some shade and there’s a watering point. Plenty of trash cans and scoopers. The park is mostly dirt, wood chips, and a paved surface. Everyone is friendly there and the dogs gets along.

There’s a large free parking lot adjacent to the area so access is very easy.

SILVER LAKE DOG PARK

I first discovered the Silver Lake Dog Park in 2012 when I moved to the Mt. Washington area. I got to spend hours and hours there with my two dogs Atticus and April, who were both very young. In fact April was no more than 4 months old when she first went there. She loved running around the park annoying other dogs and having them chase her. Amazingly all the dogs she and Atticus encountered were friendly and ready to play! Aside from the dog park itself there’s plenty of dog walking space around the reservoir. The trail itself is 2 miles. After a good walk you may want to stop at one of the local cafes that are close by.

Street parking is a must, however you can always find a spot. There are shaded areas for owners to sit while dogs play. All in all a great park!

“This dog park is excellent! The fences are high, double gated. Tons of parking, haven’t had trouble parking here yet.”

“Dogs here are typically pretty playful! There’s a watering area with big jugs to refill and bring to the other areas across the park or a big bowl right by the source for your pup to slurp!”

- Sabrini C./Silver Lake Dog Park

JOSLYN DOG PARK

This park is a favorite of mine because of the terrain and the comfortable settings for owners. It’s a nice clean dog park that is part of a larger park that has an area with a field and basketball court. There’s a small parking lot and street parking is fairly easy to find. The park is well-maintained and there is an area for small dogs and for large dogs. Each area makes you enter through double gated entry points, making it safe so that none of the dogs run out. The park has water fountains, benches to sit at, and areas with and without grass for the dogs to run in. It was large enough that the dogs could run freely. I like that there was no poop on the ground, because the patrons are diligent about cleaning up after their dogs. There were a good amount of trees so there is ample shade that you can sit in if you get hot. I Highly recommend this park if you’re looking for a good place for your dog to run around.

RANCHO PARK

Rancho isn’t an official dog park but every day in the heart of the fields and courts that surround it, people bring their pets to a “dog designated” area. The dogs freely run the hills and valleys of this wonderfully equipped park. Rancho Park was named by area boosters after World War II. There was a pioneer real estate broker who had established his office on Pico near Manning back in 1927. His name was Bill Heyler. Bill did as much as any other one person to develop the area. The honor of naming this community “Rancho Park” went to Bill.