The 9 Best Off-Leash Dog Parks in Calgary
From the city's biggest fenced off-leash park to wide-open prairie and Bow River swim spots — with the details other lists skip: which areas are fenced, the off-leash hours, and where dogs can actually get in the water.
Calgary has one of the largest off-leash networks in North America — 160 designated off-leash areas covering 1,145 hectares, roughly 13% of all City parkland — but almost all of them are unfenced zones inside larger multi-use parks, so good recall matters. Like all City of Calgary parks, off-leash areas are open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. unless otherwise posted. Dogs must stay leashed (max 2 m) on paved pathways even within an off-leash park, stay under control in the off-leash zone (responsive to voice, sound or visual commands), and are not allowed at any time in playgrounds, on sports fields, in wading or swimming areas, or on school grounds. Every dog must wear a City of Calgary licence by three months of age. Here's where to go, what to expect, and which spots suit which dogs.
Sue Higgins Park
Calgary's flagship dog destination: a 62-hectare park on the west bank of the Bow River that holds the largest fenced off-leash area in the city, with several river access points where dogs can wade and swim (the City began rebuilding them with gentler gravel ramps in 2025), a smaller fenced section popular for small dogs, washrooms and parking.
Nose Hill Park
One of North America's largest urban parks at roughly 1,129 hectares of native prairie grassland, with sweeping views of downtown and the Rockies. Large designated off-leash zones (mainly the multi-use plateau up top) sit among extensive trails — but it's wide-open and unfenced, so recall is essential and coyotes are present.
River Park & Sandy Beach
A hugely popular trio of off-leash areas above the Elbow River: River Park is a long off-leash ridge with downtown views, with two smaller off-leash areas below it in Britannia and beside the Sandy Beach parking lot. Benches and waste stations throughout. The Sandy Beach picnic area and all parking lots are on-leash, dogs must be leashed on the paved pathways, and Alberta Health Services often advises against swimming or wading in the Elbow because of bacteria.
Edworthy Park
A large river-valley park along the Bow with two off-leash areas — the Spruce Drive area and the Lawrey Gardens stretch toward the river where dogs can get in the water — framed by old Douglas firs and wooded trails. The off-leash fields are unfenced; the steep Douglas Fir Trail itself is on-leash. In 2026, water-main construction is delaying access to the north and south parking lots.
Bowmont Park
A 164-hectare natural-environment park along the north bank of the Bow River, with cliffs, grasslands and scenic lookouts. Off-leash portions are scattered through the park, including one that reaches the (fast, deep) river; a small fully fenced off-leash area sits on the west side off Nose Hill Dr NW.
Jim Davidson Bark & Play (Auburn Bay)
A purpose-built, fully fenced off-leash park in Auburn Bay (Auburn Bay Dr & 52 St SE), with two small-dog enclosures, agility obstacles, a digging pit, climbing hills, a water fountain, benches and a winding pathway — one of the safest enclosed options in the city.
Tom Campbell's Hill
A compact, roughly 18-hectare natural-grassland hill with some of the best skyline and Bow River-valley views in the city — gorgeous at sunrise and sunset. A large open off-leash area, but the perimeter is unfenced and, as in any Calgary natural park, coyotes may be around.
Connaught Park
Calgary's first inner-city fenced dog park — about the size of a hockey rink in the heart of the Beltline, opened in 2016, fully fenced with a separate small-dog section, drinking fountains and waste stations. The go-to enclosed run for downtown apartment dogs.
Hidden Valley Off-Leash Areas
Two neighbourhood off-leash areas in the far north: the larger one (about 6 hectares) off Hidden Valley Dr NW near Shaganappi Trail, with only post-and-cable fencing and none along Shaganappi Tr or Country Hills Blvd, and a smaller, roughly 2-hectare area at 9900 Hidden Valley Dr NW. Neither is fenced in, so recall matters near the busy roads.
Find your next park on the map
Off Leash is a free app that maps dog parks across Calgary — filter for fenced parks and see which dogs are there right now before you head out.
Off-leash, answered
Where can I take my dog off-leash in Calgary?
Calgary has 160 designated off-leash areas — about 1,145 hectares of off-leash space, among the most of any city in North America. The biggest and best-known are Sue Higgins Park (the city's largest fenced off-leash area, on the Bow River), Nose Hill Park's vast prairie plateau, River Park & Sandy Beach on the Elbow River, Edworthy and Bowmont parks along the Bow, and Tom Campbell's Hill for skyline views. For enclosed options there are fully fenced runs like Jim Davidson Bark & Play in Auburn Bay and Connaught Park in the Beltline. The 9 spots in this guide are the best places to start, and the Off Leash app maps dog parks across Calgary and shows which dogs are there right now.
Which Calgary dog parks are fenced?
Most of Calgary's off-leash areas are unfenced zones inside larger multi-use parks, but there are some fully fenced options. The standouts are Sue Higgins Park (the largest fenced off-leash area in the city, inside a 62-hectare park, with a smaller fenced section and several Bow River access points), Jim Davidson Bark & Play in Auburn Bay (fully fenced, with two small-dog enclosures, agility and a digging pit) and Connaught Park in the Beltline (Calgary's first inner-city fenced dog park, with a small-dog section). These are the safest picks for puppies and dogs still working on recall.
What are the off-leash hours and rules in Calgary?
Like all City of Calgary parks, off-leash areas are open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. unless otherwise posted. Dogs must stay under control in the off-leash zone (responsive to voice, sound or visual commands) and be leashed on a leash no longer than 2 m on all paved pathways — even inside an off-leash park. Dogs are not allowed at any time on school grounds, in playgrounds, on sports fields, or in wading or swimming areas. Owners must pick up after their dogs, and every dog must wear a City of Calgary licence by three months of age. Rules are set under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw and the Parks and Pathways Bylaw.
Can dogs swim in Calgary's off-leash parks?
Yes — several off-leash areas have river access. Sue Higgins Park has several Bow River access points with shallow wading spots and deeper sections, and Edworthy Park's Lawrey Gardens off-leash area runs along the Bow. Elsewhere, City rules keep dogs out of rivers, lakes and ponds except at designated entry points, and Alberta Health Services often advises against swimming or wading in the Elbow River because of bacteria. Always check the current — the Bow can run fast and high, especially during spring melt, and the City posts advisories when flows are unsafe — and note that Bowmont's main river access is to deep, fast water for strong swimmers only. Dogs are not allowed in Calgary's private community lakes or beaches (such as Auburn Bay's lake).
Last updated October 2026. Spotted an error, a closure, or a spot we missed? Let us know — we keep the map current.