Pittsburgh Dog Parks: Are They Pooch Paradises?

PITTSBURGH, PA - If you think Pittsburgh isn’t a canine-friendly city, The Trust for Public Land believes you’re barking up the wrong tree.

The organization has released its 2018 dog park rankings for the nation’s 100 largest cities. Pittsburgh tied for 13th best, along with Anchorage and Albuquerque.

Pittsburgh has seven dog parks in the city, which translates into 2.3 per 100,000 city residents. The trust did not take into account suburban dog parks.

Nationally, there currently are 774 dedicated dog parks or off-leash dog areas in the 100 largest cities, an increase of 38 over last year. They are among the fastest-growing park amenities in city park systems, according to the trust.

Where are the best dog parks in and around Pittsburgh? The top-ranked ones according to BringFido.com:

• Murrysville Community Dog Park, Murrysville (Rating: 5 bones out of 5).

“It's large, well maintained ( the entire park is ) and there is water available,” wrote one park patron. “There is plenty of parking and a covered area for humans to kick back.”

• Carnegie Dog Park, Carnegie (Rating: 5 bones).

“The park has 2 sections which is great and there are water bowls,” one reviewer stated. “It gets muddy after rain but otherwise it's perfect.”

• Hartwood Acres County Dog Park, Hampton Township (Rating: 4.3 bones) 5).

Offered one reviewer: “It can get muddy during the rainy months, but available creeks nearby to wash dogs off.”

• Penn Hills Dog Park, Penn Hills (Rating: 4 bones)

Said one reviewer: “There are approximately five benches for you to sit on while your dogs run free; Bring water and toys! This place is never crowded.”

• North Park Dog Park, McCandless (Rating: 4 bones)

This fenced dog park has drinking water, pickup bags and benches.

• Heritage Dog Park, Monroeville (Rating: 4 bones).

This fenced dog park has shade, water, and pickup bags. The park is open from sunrise to sunset.

• Frick Park, Squirrel Hill (Rating: 3.1 bones)

Offered this reviewer: “Great off leash park for your dogs. There is a double gateway entry and it is very large. There are two fenced in areas for the dogs.”

Photo via Shutterstock.