There are many families in Marin who have an additional furry member that require a place to play and release some of their seemingly infinite energy. Dog parks are a necessity for almost every dog owner. But which one is the best? Here are the nitty-gritty details of three dog parks located in Corte Madera, San Rafael, and San Anselmo.
Piper Park: 3.5/5
Piper Park is located in Larkspur and gets a few points for its convenience and proximity to Redwood. It is extremely clean and has grass that is a vibrant green and a nice length. However, it is the smallest park out of all three, and there is minimal seating. I went around 4 in the afternoon and it was relatively crowded, especially considering its size. However, all the dogs were playing together and appeared to be friendly, along with their owners who were all smiles and relatively social. It had a nice view of Redwood and Mt. Tam which added to the atmosphere and made it more enjoyable.
Field of Dogs: 4/5
This dog park is located in San Rafael right next to the Civic Center and is the largest out of the three. The park has a combination of grass and pebble flooring with many tables and benches for seating. There are also many trees including one with beautiful white flowers which makes for shade in the summer and ambiance all year round. However, it seems slightly less clean than the other dog parks, with a few balls strewn around. I went in the evening and there wasn’t anyone else there, which might be a pro for some and a con for others, depending on what your dog prefers.
Red Hill Community Park: 4.5/5
This park is located in San Anselmo and provides many fun amenities. There are a few mounds of wood chips and a yellow dog tunnel which could be used for tricks, or just a more interesting landscape for your dogs to run around. There are benches with overhangs that provide shade, and even a “little free library.” There were around 10 dogs playing when I went at 6 p.m. that were energetic and happy to be there. Ashley Child, a regular at the dog park who owns a goldendoodle, has had a positive experience at this dog park, “[I chose this dog park because] I live very close and it’s large and clean,” she said.
There are some things that all of these dog parks have in common, like double gates, preventing the escape of any dogs when\ entering or exiting. Complimentary poop bags, which helps with the efforts of keeping the parks clean and it seemed to work because all of these parks were spick and span. Lastly, they all had a separate section for smaller dogs.
