If you live in the Aloha State, sniff out one of these dog friendly parks in Honolulu, Hawaii, where you and your pooch can frolic all day long.
Before you go to these parks, be sure your dog is up-to-date on his heartworm meds and his flea-and-tick prevention medication is effective against the ones prevalent in Hawaii, such as the brown dog tick. And if it’s your first trip to a dog park, check out these tips for having a fun and safe time.
1. Bark Park — Diamond Head Road at 18th Avenue (map)
The pawpular hot spot is located on approximately 1.5 grassy, fenced-enclosed acres and features a doggie water fountain. Yelp reviewer Justine I. wrote, “This Park is great! There is available parking across the street. Kept very clean! Haven’t seen an owner not pick up doggy poop. There is lots of shade and lots of seats available to sit down. Lots of running space for doggie and most importantly there are owners that watch their dogs! This is my favorite spot to bring my pup!” Check out these happy pooches enjoying their visit.
2. Hawaii Kai Dog Park — 234 Keahole St. (map)
This well-kept park is open from dawn to dusk except on Tuesdays, when it is closed from 7 a.m. to noon for mowing and other maintenance. Poop bag dispensers are provided, thanks to public donations. Yelp Reviewer Mixmaster B. wrote, “This is definitely the biggest and cleanest dog park on Oahu. It is worth the drive from town. The dogs that frequent this place are also well mannered. You can usually find a volunteer or two maintaining the grounds, i.e., making sure drinking bowls are clean and filled, or clearing patches of grass, etc. Poopie bag dispensers are available and you can also donate some of your extra plastic bags to keep them filled. I recommend that all dog lovers check this park out at least once!”
3. Moanalua Dog Park — 2900 Moanalua Rd. (map)
This park was opened in 2004 as the first city and county off-leash park. Its nickname, Ilio Hau’oli Paka, means “happy dog park” in Hawaiian. It was the winning entry by Jeanine Shimomura, a Moanalua Elementary School student, in a park-naming contest. Keep in mind that because this is a city and county park, poop bags are not supplied as they are a privately ran park, so be sure to bring your own. Yelp reviewer April T. wrote, “Went to this park for the first time on Saturday. Had a very hard time finding it as its UNDER the freeway. Don’t let that discourage you, though, it’s a great park. Good size, lots of parking, and even a wooded area on the hill for the pups to play in. Two thumbs way up!”
PHOTO: donjd