Best Dog-Friendly Parks and Trails in Queen Anne for Dog Walks and Playdates
As dog walkers, Rai and I spend almost every day putting in miles around the Queen Anne neighborhood with our canine clients. Over the years, we have gotten to know the area well and we have found the best parks and trails for dogs and their humans to enjoy together. Here I have compiled a list of our favorite spots to walk our dogs in Queen Anne.
Birdie at MacLean Park
Elliot Bay Park: Best Park for a Group Walk
Pretzel, Parker, and Rick at Elliot Bay Park
Elliot Bay Park is one of our favorite destinations for pack walks. From the starting point near the parking garage, there is a flat, paved trail that passes by the cruise ship docks and opens up into gorgeous views of Mt. Rainier and Elliot Bay. There are trails for both biking and walking. Elliot Bay park has ample sitting areas on the grassy steps and a pebbly beach area with tons of tall grass and logs that dogs love to sniff and explore. Our pups often get the zoomies when we reach the beach! After passing this area, this park joins up with Centennial park where the trail continues along the water for a longer walk.
Best for: Any dog! Reactive dogs will appreciate plenty of space to move away from the trail if needed and dogs with mobility issues will enjoy the flat, well maintained paths.
Amenities: Bike path, walking path, large sitting area
Points of interest: The Beach at Expedia Group
Parking: There is a public parking garage located at 1201 Alaskan Way W that allows up to 4 hours of free, easy parking.
Centennial Park: Best Park for a Peaceful Stroll near the Water
Quincy at Centennial Park
This narrow strip of a park travels between the waterfront and the train tracks. Centennial Park boasts gorgeous views of Puget Sound and nice flat, paved trails for walking and biking that travel through the entire park. We often see wildlife such as seals or sea birds hanging around near the salmon nets. If you continue south along the trail, you will eventually reach Myrtle Edwards Park.
Best for: Any dog! Reactive dogs will appreciate plenty of space to move away from the trail if needed and dogs with mobility issues will enjoy the flat, well maintained paths.
Amenities: dog and human drinking fountain, public restrooms, pull up & parallel bars, picnic tables
Points of Interest: Fishing Pier (currently closed), Rose Garden, Salmon Nets
Parking: Small public parking lot located next to the pier 86 Grain Terminal with free parking
Myrtle Edwards Park: Best Park for an Adventure near the Water
Mowgli and Rick at Myrtle Edwards Park
Myrtle Edwards has the same amazing biking and walking trails and water views as Elliot Bay and Centennial, but also includes some wide open grassy spaces. There are also a couple of beaches here with water access. Please note that dogs are not allowed on Seattle beaches. If you have a reactive dog, be also aware that people often use this park as a place to let their dogs off leash for games of fetch away from the traffic of the streets. Our pack has often been approached by off leash dogs at this park. This is not an official off leash area and dogs technically must be on leash. From the pedestrian bridge, you can follow the trail north to Centennial Park or south towards the Olympic Sculpture Park and the downtown waterfront.
Best for: Social dogs- we often see dogs playing off leash at this park.
Amenities: picnic tables
Points of Interest: pocket beaches with water access
Parking: Paid street parking near 3rd ave W and W Thomas street, then take the pedestrian bridge
Ship Canal Trail (from West Ewing Mini Park): Best Park for Walking a Reactive Dog
Luna, Birdie, and Rick at the Ship Canal Trail
We love the Ship Canal Trail! We usually only see a couple of other dogs here if any at all, making it nice and quiet for the more reactive dogs. The Ship Canal Trail can be easily accessed near SPU. The trail is a very flat, easy walk. Walking east from the park, the trail splits into parallel bike and pedestrian paths, which meet up into one shared path when you get closer to the Fremont Bridge. If you cross the bridge, the trail continues along on the other side of the canal to Fremont or Gasworks, or you can keep going under the bridge and meet up with the Westlake trail. Going west from the mini park towards the Ballard Bridge, it seems to be more of a bike trail and not ideal for dog walking. Just a heads up for anyone who may have a dog who is nervous around children- there may be groups of children on the trail with their daycare groups if you go during the daytime. Downsides to this trail- there is usually a lot of goose poop so not ideal if your dog is prone to snacking or rolling. There are also a fair amount of common burdock plants along this trail which can easily get entangled on a long coated dog.
Best for: Almost any dog! Reactive dogs will appreciate the quiet trail. Less mobile dogs will appreciate the nice flat trail. Watch out for goose poop, burdock plants, and groups of children!
Amenities: picnic tables
Points of Interest: Fremont Bridge
Parking: free street parking on W Ewing Street
Northeast Queen Anne Greenbelt: Best Trail for a Short Nature Hike
Luna on the nature trail in the Northeast Queen Anne Greenbelt
This short nature trail is off the beaten path, we almost never see other dogs or people here! However, the trail is sometimes very narrow, so might not be ideal for a reactive dog in case you did happen upon another walker. This trail is fairly short and only takes about 10-15 minutes to walk all the way through. It is nice and shady for hot days. There are a couple of steep hilly parts of this trail. You can access this trail on the east side of upper Queen Anne at Taylor Ave N and Newton St. The trail meanders quietly through the woods of the Greenbelt above Hwy 99 and emerges through the parking lot at Taylor Pl N behind 1700 Taylor Ave N. If you loop back up the hill on Taylor Ave you and your pup can stop by Trolley Hill Park for some extra sniffs.
Best For: Active, Social Dogs- the trail can be very steep and narrow at times with not a lot of room to pass by
Amenities: none
Points of Interest: View of Lake Union at the top of the hill
Parking: free street parking near Taylor Ave N and Newton St by MacLean Park
Bhy Kracke Park: Best Short Trail with City Skyline Views
Prince and Birdie at Bhy Krake park
Big views at this small park! With trails that zigzag through the trees and up the hill, it offers a nice easy route between upper and lower Queen Anne. The park can be accessed from 5th Ave N and Highland Dr at the lower end and Bigelow Ave N and Comstock Pl on the upper side. The upper side of the park has a nice open area with benches, a drinking fountain with a dog bowl, and a rewarding view of the Seattle skyline. The lower side of the park has a playground and a small open area. We love to bring dogs here for a quick sniff! The park is adjacent to Bigelow Ave, which is a popular route for people to walk their dogs through upper Queen Anne. From here, walking West towards Queen Anne Ave, you will meet up with Highland drive, our next highlight.
Best for: Active dogs who don’t mind an uphill climb
Amenities: drinking fountain, dog water bowl, playground
Points of Interest: Skyline view of downtown Seattle and Lake Union
Parking: Free street parking on both upper and lower sides of the park.
Highland Drive to Kerry Park, Parsons Gardens, and Betty Bowen Viewpoint: Best Route to Walk with Visiting Friends and Family
Winnie at Kerry Park
If you are looking for views, this popular route will not disappoint! Highland Drive is usually pretty busy with dog walkers and pedestrians and is not an ideal path for reactive dogs. Walking west from Queen Anne Ave along Highland, you will pass by Kerry Park, a popular destination with picturesque views of the Seattle Skyline highlighting the Space Needle. Continuing west to the end of Highland, you will reach Parsons Gardens, a small secluded park where our pups love to sniff. Across the street from Parsons, Betty Bowen Viewpoint offers more sweeping views of Puget Sound. The historical path continues along 8th Pl W with views of Magnolia and the cruise ship terminal.
Best for: Any dog! This area is usually pretty busy but there is plenty of room for reactive dogs to cross the street if needed. The path is nice and flat for less mobile dogs.
Amenities: playground, playfield (down stairs from Kerry viewpoint)
Points of Interest: Views of the Seattle Skyline, the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and Magnolia
Parking: free street parking anywhere along Highland or adjacent streets
Lower Kinnear Park: Best Park for an Off Leash Play Date
Beanie in the off leash area at Lower Kinnear
Queen Anne’s only official public off leash area is in Lower Kinnear Park. Located at the west end of Roy St, you can follow the short nature trail (.2 mi) past the tennis courts and down the hill to the dog park. This dog park is not huge but is fully fenced and has plenty of room to romp around. The dog park is usually not busy and we often have the place to ourselves. The dog park is in a quiet area surrounded by trees. Sometimes there are homeless encampments in Lower Kinnear, but we have never been bothered or approached by anyone while we use the dog park.
Best for: Active, social dogs. There is a steep incline on the trail to the dog park and we often see off leash dogs here.
Amenities: tennis courts, picnic tables
Points of Interest: Official Off Leash Area
Parking: free 2 hour zone parking on Roy St.
Upper Kinnear Park: Best Park for a Good Sniff
Luna, Rick, Quincy, and Louie at Upper Kinnear
Upper Kinnear Park is a neighborhood favorite for dog walks. The path makes an easy loop about half a mile all the way around. There is also a staircase that winds down the hill to Lower Kinnear Park. Our pups love to sniff around the trees and leaves and look for squirrels here. We often see people letting their pups off leash to play fetch or gather in off leash groups in this area. However, please remember that dogs must technically be on leash if you are not in the designated off leash area in Lower Kinnear. This park is nice and shady for a hot summer walk.
Best for: Active, social dogs. There is a moderate incline on the loop trail and we often see off leash dogs here.
Amenities: Public restrooms, swing set, picnic table
Points of Interest: View of Puget Sound
Parking: free street parking on Olympic Pl.
Seattle Center: Best Park for a Rainy Day Walk
Hank, Remy, and Rick outside of MOPOP at Seattle Center
Seattle Center is often crowded with tourists and events, which can make it difficult to walk your dog. However, we have found that on rainy days it makes a great dog walking destination! There are plenty of covered areas to walk without getting wet, and lots of pavement to walk on to prevent your dog from getting muddy in the grass. The rain will keep away most of the crowds too, giving your dog plenty of room to roam around and explore the park.
Best for: Social dogs- this park is often very crowded.
Amenities: Public restrooms, dog and human drinking fountains, grassy sitting areas, covered walking paths
Points of Interest: Space Needle, MOPOP, playground, the fountain, sculpture art, monorail, and more
Parking: paid street parking surrounds most of the park, there are also several paid parking lots and a parking ramp close by.
West Queen Anne Playfield: Best Park for a Playful, Social Dog
Pretzel and Parker at the West Queen Anne Playfield
If you live in the neighborhood, you may have noticed that West Queen Anne Playfield near the community center turns into a renegade dog park when it is not being used for sports. Many neighbors gather here to let their dogs off leash to romp and play at both the soccer field and the baseball field. The fields are both partially fenced. If you use this area for your dog, please be respectful- clean up after them and put your dog on leash if asked. This is not an official off leash area so technically dogs must be on leash at this park.
Best for: Social dogs- we often see off leash dogs here.
Amenities: Playground, playfields
Points of Interest: Queen Anne Community Center
Parking: free street parking surrounds the park
David Rogers Park: Best for a Classic Walk in the Park
Gus at David Rogers
David Rogers is a medium sized park on the northside of Queen Anne. It has many good trails for dog walking passing through and around it. Our dogs love to get some sniffs in all the woody areas of this park. It is set on the side of Queen Anne hill so get ready for a climb if you walk all the way around. It's usually not too busy so reactive dogs will have plenty of space. This park is another shady option for those hot days.
Best for: Active dogs- the entire park is set on a steep incline. There is plenty of room for reactive dogs to move away from the paths if needed.
Amenities: Public restrooms, drinking fountains, playground, swings, tennis courts, playfields
Points of Interest: none
Parking: free street parking on the south, west, and east sides of the park
Ready to explore Queen Anne’s best parks with your pup? Whether your dog loves peaceful strolls, adventurous hikes, or playful social outings, we’ve got you covered! Our experienced team at Comfy Critter LLC offers both private and pack walks to ensure your dog enjoys every moment outdoors. Let us handle the exercise while you relax knowing your pup is in good hands.
Contact us today to schedule your first dog walk and give your pet the fun, safe, and active lifestyle they deserve!
