The 11 Best Off-Leash Dog Parks in Halifax
From the ocean-edge trails of Point Pleasant Park to fully fenced fields at Mainland Common and Eastern Passage — every official off-leash area in Halifax, with the details lists skip: which spots are fenced, the hours, and where dogs can actually swim.
Halifax Regional Municipality designates off-leash areas inside specific parks — everywhere else your dog must stay leashed and under control. The municipality runs two kinds of off-leash areas: "shared" spaces (open fields and trails dogs share with other park users) and "dedicated" parks (purpose-built and fully fenced). Most designated parks are open year-round from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., the same as the park's opening hours, unless other times are posted on site — Point Pleasant Park is the notable exception, open until midnight. A few parks carry their own limits: Connrose Park is off-leash only from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m., only the Governor's Loop is off-leash at Hemlock Ravine, and at Sandy Lake the beach is off-limits to dogs. Here is every official off-leash park, best first, with what to expect at each.
Point Pleasant Park
A 75-hectare wooded peninsula where most of the park is off-leash, wrapped by ocean views and historic forts. Dogs must stay leashed in the parking lots and on Cambridge Drive, and are not allowed on Sailors Memorial Way after 10 a.m.
Shubie Park
Kilometres of wooded canal-side trails with a sizeable off-leash middle section, plus Sunrise Beach — a dog-swim spot on the shore of Lake MicMac. The north and south sections of the park stay on-leash, and after neighbour complaints near Sunrise Beach the city asks that only dogs with solid recall go off-leash and that none leave the off-leash area.
Mainland Common Dedicated Off-Leash Park
Halifax's best fully fenced setup: two enclosed fields split by dog size (the large-dog field has agility ramps and obstacles), plus a separate fenced wooded trail of about 350 m. Sheltered picnic tables, a rain-collection water system and gated entrances for leashing up. After September 2026 landscaping work, newly sodded patches stay fenced off until the grass is established.
McIntosh Run (Spryfield) Off Leash Dog Park
A fully fenced dedicated dog park built on the former Roaches Pond ball diamond, opened in summer 2022. It sits right beside the scenic McIntosh Run Community Trail through marsh and forest in Spryfield.
Shearwater Flyer Park
A fully fenced, year-round dedicated off-leash area in a portion of Shearwater Flyer Park, beside the Shearwater Flyer Trail. A secure option for dogs of all sizes on the Eastern Passage side of the harbour.
Don Bayer Park
A year-round dedicated, fully fenced off-leash area inside Don Bayer Park, with construction completed in fall 2023. A convenient enclosed option for the Burnside / Dartmouth side of the harbour.
Sandy Lake Park
A big wooded park about 25 minutes from downtown, with off-leash trails around the lake. Dogs are not allowed on the supervised beach (the city posts "No Pets on the Beach"), so keep well clear of the beach area, especially in summer.
Dartmouth Common
A large, wide-open grassy off-leash area in the heart of Dartmouth, with views across the harbour to downtown Halifax. No time-of-year restrictions, but there's no water access — skip it on the hottest days.
Hemlock Ravine Park
A wooded old-growth hemlock park with the historic heart-shaped Julie's Pond. Only the Governor's Loop trail is off-leash — the rest of the park's trails are strictly on-leash — so check the on-site signage before you unclip.
Fort Needham Memorial Park
A green hilltop park in the city's North End with a grassy off-leash area good for fetch and a quick run. Paved paths welcome leashed dogs; the off-leash space is unfenced.
Connrose Park
A west-end park on Jubilee Road that the city has added to its official off-leash park list — but dogs may be off-leash only from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m. Outside that window it's a regular park and dogs must be leashed. It isn't one of the city's dedicated fenced dog parks, so bring reliable recall.
Find your next park on the map
Off Leash is a free app that maps dog parks across Halifax — 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 Halifax?
Halifax Regional Municipality designates specific off-leash areas inside certain parks — everywhere else dogs must stay leashed and under control. The best-known spots are Point Pleasant Park (mostly off-leash trails), Shubie Park (off-leash trail plus the Sunrise Beach dog swim), and the fully fenced parks at Mainland Common, McIntosh Run (Spryfield), Shearwater Flyer (Eastern Passage) and Don Bayer (Dartmouth). The 11 parks in this guide cover the city's official public options, and the Off Leash app maps dog parks across Halifax and shows which dogs are there right now.
Which Halifax dog parks are fenced?
Halifax's fully fenced, dedicated off-leash parks are Mainland Common in Clayton Park (two fields split by dog size, plus a fenced wooded trail), McIntosh Run at the former Roaches Pond ball diamond in Spryfield, Shearwater Flyer in Eastern Passage, and Don Bayer Park in Dartmouth. These are the safest picks for puppies, small dogs and dogs still working on recall. (There's also a service-dog-only fenced park at Ardmore Park that requires a registered Halifax service-dog tag and key card, so it isn't open to the general public.)
What are the off-leash hours in Halifax?
Most designated off-leash parks are open year-round from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., the same as the park opening hours, unless other times are posted on site. Point Pleasant Park is the exception, open until midnight. Connrose Park is off-leash only from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m., and at Hemlock Ravine Park only the Governor's Loop trail is off-leash. Halifax also opens off-leash sports fields on seasonal schedules: a handful of summer fields from June 1 to November 1, and many more fields and ball diamonds from November 1 to May 1. Always read the signage at the trailhead before you unclip.
Are there off-leash dog beaches in Halifax where dogs can swim?
Yes. Sunrise Beach at Shubie Park in Dartmouth is a dog-swim spot on Lake MicMac (watch for blue-green algae advisories). Sandy Lake Park in Bedford has off-leash trails, but dogs are not allowed on its supervised beach, so it isn't a dog-swim spot. Check the signage before heading to the water.
Last updated October 2026. Spotted an error, a closure, or a spot we missed? Let us know — we keep the map current.