The 11 Best Off-Leash Dog Parks & Runs in NYC
Fenced dog runs and big-park courtesy hours where your dog can run free — with the details most lists get wrong: which are fenced, the real off-leash hours, and where dogs can actually swim.
Off-leash in NYC comes in two flavours: fully fenced dog runs that are open through the day, and big parks like Central Park and Prospect Park where dogs can roam off-leash in designated areas only during “courtesy hours” — 6–9am and 9pm–1am in those two parks. Here's where to go, which is which, and what each spot is best for.
Prospect Park (incl. Dog Beach)
Brooklyn's premier off-leash scene — dogs roam the Long Meadow (except the ballfields), the Nethermead and the Peninsula Meadow during courtesy hours, and the Dog Beach at the Upper Pool lets them actually swim. It's a shared park, not a fenced run, so recall matters — and dogs stay leashed in the wooded areas.
Central Park off-leash lawns
The classic NYC scene: dogs play off-leash in specified areas during courtesy hours — the Conservancy’s local favourites are Cedar Hill, Pilgrim Hill, the Great Hill and the West 86th–90th Street landscape. Heads up — Sheep Meadow, the Great Lawn, the East Meadow and the North Meadow are dog-free at all times, and the Ramble, North Woods and Strawberry Fields stay leash-only.
Tompkins Square Park Dog Run
NYC's first dog run (1990) and still its most famous — fully fenced with separate large- and small-dog (25 lb and under) areas, a decomposed-granite running surface, three dog pools and wash-down hoses. Volunteer-run by the community.
Washington Square Park Dog Runs
Two fenced runs in the heart of the Village, both open 6am–midnight: the main run behind the Park House for dogs of all sizes, and the beloved Robin Kovary Run for small dogs (25 lb and under). A plan to replace the gravel with synthetic turf was presented in 2026, so watch for temporary closures.
Riverside Park Dog Run (105th St)
A fully fenced run looked after by a dedicated dog-owner group since the early 2000s, working with the Riverside Park Conservancy. It’s one of several fenced runs along Riverside Park — others sit at 72nd, 87th and 142nd Streets.
Hillside Dog Park
A fully fenced, wooded dog park on a slope at Columbia Heights and Middagh Street, with separate large- and small-dog areas. Hilly and shaded — more real terrain than gravel pen.
Brooklyn Bridge Park — Pier 6 Dog Run
A fully fenced waterfront run with a turf surface, open 6:30am–10pm and hosed down every morning. A second, pilot run on the John Street lawn serves the DUMBO end; dogs must be leashed everywhere else in the park and are never allowed on its lawns.
McCarren Park Dog Run
A fully fenced run with separate large- and small-dog sides at North 12th Street and Driggs Avenue, inside the 35-acre park. Note that McCarren isn’t a designated off-leash park — outside the run, dogs stay leashed at all hours.
Carl Schurz Park Dog Runs
Two fenced runs by the East River — a larger all-dog run and a separate small-dog run — kept up by the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy, which has been raising funds to swap the large run’s crushed granite for synthetic turf. Both close to the public Wed & Thu 12:15–1:15pm for ASPCA use.
Madison Square Park — Jemmy's Dog Run
A fully fenced run with double gates and separate large- and small-dog areas, joint-friendly ground, a water feature and shade umbrellas. Closed for deep cleaning Tue & Thu 10:30am–12:30pm, plus short daily cleaning breaks around 6am, 11am and 4pm.
Union Square Dog Run
A small, social, fully fenced run at 15th Street and Union Square West. It’s a single shared space with no large/small split — central but crowded, especially on Greenmarket days.
Find your next park on the map
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Off-leash, answered
What are the off-leash hours in NYC parks?
In designated off-leash areas, dogs can be off-leash from when the park opens until 9am, and again from 9pm until the park closes — in Central Park and Prospect Park that means 6–9am and 9pm–1am. Everywhere else, dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet. Fenced dog runs (like Tompkins Square or Washington Square) are open through the day, with hours that vary by run. Always check the posted signs, and carry proof of your dog’s license and rabies vaccination.
Can dogs go off-leash in Central Park?
Yes — in specified areas during off-leash hours, 6–9am and 9pm–1am. The Central Park Conservancy’s off-leash favourites include Cedar Hill, Pilgrim Hill, the Great Hill and the West 86th–90th Street landscape. But Sheep Meadow, the Great Lawn, the East Meadow and the North Meadow are off-limits to dogs at all times, and spots like the Ramble, North Woods and Strawberry Fields stay leash-only.
Which NYC dog runs are fenced and open all day?
Plenty — Tompkins Square (East Village), Washington Square (incl. the small-dog Robin Kovary run), Riverside Park at 105th, Madison Square’s Jemmy’s run, Union Square and Carl Schurz on the East Side, and Brooklyn’s Hillside, Pier 6 and McCarren runs. Hours vary by run (Washington Square is 6am–midnight, Brooklyn Bridge Park 6:30am–10pm), and many have a separate small-dog section.
Where can dogs swim off-leash in NYC?
Prospect Park’s Dog Beach at the Upper Pool lets dogs swim during off-leash hours (they must be leashed there the rest of the day). NYC Parks otherwise keeps dogs out of water bodies not designated for them, and the city’s beaches aren’t off-leash areas — so fenced runs with water features (Tompkins Square’s dog pools, Madison Square’s water feature) are the reliable warm-weather cool-off spots.
Last updated October 2026. Spotted an error, a closure, or a spot we missed? Let us know — we keep the map current.