Tacoma, WA

It’s not just people that get tired of being cooped up indoors on rainy days, our furry friends are ready to get outdoors too. Luckily, there are two parks in Tacoma that cater specifically to dogs.

I decided to take my shih tzu Mozart out to tour the local dog parks. First we went to Rogers Park on the eastside of Tacoma. While the park is small in general, more than half of it is a fenced off-leash dog area. Within the fence is one acre of grassy canine paradise with a fire hydrant fountain, several benches for the owners and plenty of areas to explore. Mozart appreciated the freedom to run around and I appreciated the free poop bags.

Unfortunately it started to drizzle while we were there, but we waited it out under the gazebo that overlooks the park. The park sits in between a quaint neighborhood that overlooks downtown Tacoma, and a constant stream of residents visit which makes it a great place to meet new people. Just make sure that your dog is able to deal with different sized dogs and different aggression levels because there are no referees around. Luckily Mozart thinks he is the size of great dane instead of the teeny ball of fur he actually is and definitely held his own around the bigger dogs.

Directions:
Take exit 135 toward WA-167 N/Puyallup/Portland Ave
Continue straight onto E 27th St
Turn left at E L St.
Park located on left at 3300 E L Street.
Our next stop was at the dog park area at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood. What makes this dog park special is that there are two separately fenced areas, one for big dogs and one for little dogs. This park offers fire hydrants, benches and a shared watering hole.

Mozart and I go to Fort Steilacoom Park fairly often because there seems to always be people visiting the park. This time we met Nancy, a retired grandmother, and her puggle Prince. Prince and Mozart were able to join the other dogs who were playing fetch while Nancy and I made small chat as we relaxed on a bench in the shade. When Mozart got tired of socializing with other dogs, another great option was a stroll around Waughop Lake which is right next to the dog park. The 10 minute walk around the circumference of the lake finally tired out my little friend, well, for a couple hours at least.

Directions:
Take exit 127 and turn right onto South Tacoma Way.
Turn left onto Steilacoom Boulevard SW.
Follow for about five minutes.
Turn left onto 87th Avenue Southwest.
You will see the entrance to the park on your right.
Follow the road through the park.
You will find a gravel parking lot adjacent to the dog area.