Best dog parks in Paso Robles and North County
Paso Robles dog parks provide leash-free and social opportunities to pets
—Since 1984, dogs have been banned from entering all city parks, either on or off-leash, in Paso Robles. This can make things a little tricky when you just want to take the dog out for some exercise or some play time. Luckily there are some very nice dog parks to take your pets and beautiful dog-friendly outdoor spaces, which are maintained and available for use year-round. There are multiple spots to see and experience where dogs are welcome in Northern San Luis Obispo County. Discover a new place to take the puppy for a walk, to play with other dogs, and run free! Here is our roundup of Paso Robles dog parks and other dog-friendly places in the North County:
Sherwood Dog Park in Paso Robles, photo courtesy of Facebook.
Sherwood Dog Park in Paso Robles is a 1.25-acre cross fenced dog park that was built in 2012 by volunteers and has separate big and little dog play areas. Visitors and their dogs are welcome to enjoy the park benches, picnic tables, cool shade, and special swim area for dogs to chill and a toy bin with assorted retrieval toys. Fun off-leash park for dogs in Paso Robles! The park is open from sunrise to sunset. It is located at 290 Scott St. in Paso Robles, CA.
Vineyard Dog Park of Templton, Ca. Photo courtesy of Facebook.
Vineyard Dog Park
Vineyard Dog Park in Templeton opened in 2009 and is around 1 acre of open space. The park is very clean with wood chips and has numerous tennis balls. Templeton is known for its small town charm and friendliness. Visitors will be happy to find fresh clean water for dogs, shade, seating, and separate parks for big or small pups. Vineyard Dog Park is financed entirely by donations, so they ask park visitors to pay a $1 day use fee or an annual membership of $25 per year. Great place to run off leash! The park is located at 1010 Semillon Lane in Templeton, CA.
Heilmann Dog Park
Heilmann Dog Park, in Atascadero. Photo courtesy of yelp.
Atascadero is home to this 3/4 of an acre dog park, located in Heilmann Park. Heilmann Dog Park features a shade structure, clean water, picnic tables, shady oaks, patio, doggie spa and an information kiosk. Most of the ground is mulch covered and perfect for playing fetch off leash! For more information about annual events please visit www.heilmanndogpark.com. Located at 9445 El Bordo Ave, Atascadero, CA.
Other great spots to take the pooch, while on leash
Centennial Park Dog Walk Trail
Centennial Park in Paso Robles has a lot to offer humans, like sports and playgrounds, and for dogs the only place they can go is on the “Dog Walk” trail. Along the trail, you can find dog waste bags and shade. Remember to keep doggies on leash! Located at 600 Nickerson Drive, Paso Robles, CA.
Salinas Riverwalk Trail
With multiple entrances and exits along the Salinas Riverwalk Trail, dogs and humans are sure to find a fun place to walk on leash along this river basin in Paso Robles. Responsible pet owners make it possible for all pets to enjoy these trails! Located in downtown Paso Robles, off of South River Road.
Lake Nacimiento
Lake Nacimiento is a beautiful place to take furry friends for a hike or long walk. The tree-lined shore is stocked with large and smallmouth bass and has 400 campsites and RV sites as well. Dogs can be on leash anywhere as long as attended to for $5 a day. The lake is located west of Hwy 101, seventeen miles north of Paso Robles. Take the 24th Street (G-14 West) exit in Paso Robles and proceed west on G-14 to the lake.
Volunteer
Parks 4 Pups is always in need of regular volunteers for both their parks – Vineyard and Sherwood Dog Parks. Anyone can be a regular volunteer by helping one day per month to visit the park for chores that take about 20 minutes – such as refilling dog bag dispensers, taking out the trash, picking up stray litter, and watering the wine barrel planters.
If you visit the dog park on a regular basis, why not sign up to be a “bark angel” and help maintain our beloved dog parks? Your dog and your community will thank you. Note: This could be a great community or service project for a student or scout group. For more information about becoming a volunteer, fill out the form here.
Editor’s note: The Best of Paso Robles is a special section of the Paso Robles Daily News. This series recommends local businesses and places that the writers and editors recommend. If you would like to suggest a dog park for consideration in this series, or have a correction, click here to contact the Paso Robles Daily News, email scott@accesspublishing.com, or call Access Publishing at (805) 226-9890.
