WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – As I took off his leash, my dog Lance excitedly bounded out into the dog park, chasing an elderly yellow lab three times his size. Running across clean wood chips and past old-growth oak trees, they ran and played with each other for almost an hour.
That was the scene at Heather Farm Dog Park, one of the best free dog parks here in the 925. It’s no secret that we at the Bay Area Telegraph are fans of Heather Farm Park.
From the massive playground to the beautiful fishing lake and the little-known entrance onto the surprisingly beautiful Contra Costa Canal Trail, we call Heather Farm the jewel of the East Bay park system for a reason.
It turns out that splendor extends not just to people but to dogs too.
The Heather Farm Dog Park
Heather Farm’s dog park is located at the very back of the park. Unless you know it’s there, you probably wouldn’t see it if you were driving to one of the sports fields, playgrounds, gardens at Heather Farm, or the swim center.
The dog park here is large and well-established. There are two sides—one for large dogs over 30 pounds and another for small and elderly dogs.
My dog Lance is a Bichon Frise, which means he only weighs about 12 pounds. With my kids, we took him to the small dog section. His big dog friend was elderly but very gentle with the little ones.
Some dog parks feel rundown and dreary. The park at Heather Farm doesn’t feel like this at all. The small dog section encompasses a large area covered in wood chips, fully fenced, and overlooking the giant eucalyptus trees at the back of the park.
Within this section, there are lovely old oak trees that your dogs can run around and pee on. You’ll also find picnic tables, benches, and an agility structure in the middle of the park.
People leave toys and poop bags on a little ledge when you first come in, so if you forget these for your dog, they’re there for you. There’s easy access to trash cans, and people seem to take pride in the dog park. It’s also professionally cleaned and maintained every Thursday morning.
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The result is that it’s extremely clean and orderly. People are friendly, and the “no barking” policy to avoid bothering neighbors means that people with unruly dogs remove them fairly quickly.
At the entrance to the dog park, you’ll find both a human and a dog water fountain. Lance enjoyed drinking from the dog part.
The large dog area at Heather Farm looks fantastic too. It’s much larger than the small dog area—there’s some serious acreage for your larger dog to run around and play. The large dog section also has shade structures for humans, perfect for the hot days that Walnut Creek has in abundance.
Before you enter, you’ll want to take a look at the etiquette and rules signs. People seem to follow these very closely, which is part of why the environment is so pleasant.
Walking Options
When you’re done playing in the park, you can take your dog on an easy walk around the lake or pond at Heather Farm, which is what we did with Lance.
They can gaze out at ducks and get plenty of walking time in.
Another great option is to take your dog on a longer walk on the canal trail. You can connect to the Iron Horse Trail and go as far as downtown Walnut Creek in a few miles or even as far south as Livermore if you wanted to get really ambitious!
Because the dog park is totally free, it makes for a great outing with your dog. Parking is easy too, with a dedicated lot just for the dog park.
For hotter or rainy days, you can also check out the new dog gym down in San Ramon. That’s not free, though.
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