Leisure Services locations offer a wide range of opportunity for man’s best friend with almost 20 acres of off-leash areas across our system. Popular with both canines and their human owners, our dog parks feature a wooded landscape at Memorial Park, a meadow environment designed to engage a dog's senses at Southeast Clarke Park, plus a public dog park and a number of private dog parks available for rent at Sandy Creek Park.

Memorial Park Closed for Repairs

In 2000, Memorial Park opened its very popular dog park. The 1.5-acre park is located on the hillside near the park's lake. To access this area, park in the lower parking lot and then walk across the bridge. Follow the sidewalk up the hill to the dog park, which is directly behind the restrooms.

There is no fee to use the dog park.

Sandy Creek Park

Sandy Creek Park has 1 large Public, and 5 Private Dog Parks that come in several sizes.

Public Dog Park: This park is free for use at any time with no extra fees to pay with your park admission. Please remember that food of any type is not allowed in the public dog park. 

Private Dog Parks: Whether you want to include your pet in the family picnic or have a dog that needs a private space to play away from other dogs, these reservable outdoor spaces are perfect for you. 

• The cost for Private Parks is $1.00 Per Dog, Per Hour. (You can rent the park up to 2 hours per day, only)
• Private Parks can be reserved up to 48 hours in advance and 2 hours Max. To make a reservation for a private use dog park , Please Call (706) 613-3631 and park staff can assists with the reservation.

More information and photos of each dog park are available on the Sandy Creek Park Dog Park Rental page.

Southeast Clarke Park

The Southeast Clarke Park is divided into three zones allowing temporary closure of any one zone for maintenance and landscape rehabilitation without affecting usability of the facilities for our patrons. At present two of the three zones (one for all animals and one for small dogs) are open for use. More details on the current maintenance status of these zones can be found on the Park Closings page. For more information, call 706-613-3991.

The Dog Parks can be accessed from the Whit Davis Parking Area at Southeast Clarke Park (535 Whit Davis Road) or through an entry from the sidewalk adjacent to Whit Davis.

A Different Kind of Landscaping

On first look, dog park patrons and passers-by might think the Dog Park at Southeast Clarke Park is unkempt. That look is not a lack of maintenance but actually an effort by Leisure Services staff to provide a different, more engaging, and more sustainable environment for dog park patrons and their companions. Patrons entering the dog park will find three levels of landscape maintenance.

The outer perimeter of each zone is maintained as a meadow and only mowed once a year. This "Tall Grass Meadow" (seen on the map below) discourages digging along the fence line, provides erosion control, and increases biodiversity. This in-turn stimulates the dogs’ natural hunting instinct. Providing an approximate 10 foot buffer on all of our fence lines, this meadow area is what most passers-by will notice and can make it seem as though the dog park is never maintained.

Patrons entering the dog park will note that long rambling "Pathways" in each of the two large dog areas and the entire "Small Dog Lawn" are maintained weekly. These pathways provide convenient circulation paths for dog owners while the small dog lawn allows our tinier canine friends a more height appropriate environment.

The third landscape area covers the majority of the grass in the large dog areas. This "Large Dog Lawn" is mowed once every eight weeks providing opportunity for dogs to engage in the meadow environment and use these areas for sensory play.