The 10 Best Off-Leash Dog Parks in Portland
From the forested slopes of Mt. Tabor to the big fenced field at Chimney Park and Gabriel Park's summer-and-winter pair — the best of Portland's official off-leash areas, with the details lists skip: which are fenced, which change hours with the seasons, and where a wet dog is actually allowed.
Portland Parks & Recreation has run its dog off-leash program since 1995 and now designates more than 30 off-leash areas (its July 2025 rules list 36), some fenced and many simply marked out on open grass by posts and signs. Everywhere else in the park system your dog must be on a leash — including the walk to and from the off-leash area — and Park Rangers can fine you up to $150 for leash or scoop violations. Most areas follow their park's hours, typically 5 a.m. to midnight, but the posted schedule is what counts: Mt. Tabor's area runs 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., several neighborhood areas like Laurelhurst and Sellwood Riverfront post morning-and-evening-only hours in summer, school-adjacent areas close 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days, and Gabriel Park swaps between a summer and a winter area. Bring a leash even inside the area, no more than three dogs, and current license and rabies tags. And plan for mud: from fall through spring the unfenced grass fields turn soft, so a towel in the car is standard Portland kit. Here are the best official off-leash areas, best first.
Mt. Tabor Park
A big, hilly off-leash area on the slope of the extinct volcanic cinder cone that gives this 176-acre park its name. It has gated entrances at the end of SE 68th Avenue (off SE Division) and via a path from SE 70th, and after 2024 erosion repairs some hillside sections are fenced off to let plants re-establish, so keep dogs out of those. Unlike most Portland areas, it is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. only.
Chimney Park
A large fenced off-leash field that takes up much of this 18-acre park beside N Columbia Boulevard. It sits in an industrial stretch of North Portland, away from homes, and it's open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.
Gabriel Park
This 89-acre Southwest park has two off-leash areas and rotates between them: a North Summer area and a South Winter area, each closed for its off-season as signed on site. The City lists Gabriel among its fenced off-leash areas, and the posted hours are 5 a.m. to midnight when an area is in season. Leashed walks on the trails through the park's 30-acre natural area make a good warm-up.
Fernhill Park
A large, open grassy off-leash area at the east end of the park along NE 41st Avenue, with its boundary marked by posts rather than a fence. Room to really run on rolling grass, open 5 a.m. to midnight — but it gets muddy in the wet months.
Laurelhurst Park
An unfenced off-leash area in a historic, Olmsted-inspired park, with seasonal hours. The City's posted schedule: from June 15 to September 1 it's open only 5–10 a.m. and in the evening (from 6 p.m. weekdays, 7 p.m. weekends) until 10:30 p.m.; the rest of the year it's open all day on weekdays but closed 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on weekends. Check the sign at the area before you go. Dogs aren't allowed in Firwood Lake.
Cully Park
A fenced off-leash area in a 25-acre park built on a former landfill, transformed by Portland Parks & Recreation with neighborhood partners. Open 5 a.m. to midnight, and a useful secure option in a part of town with few others.
Council Crest Park
An unfenced off-leash area near one of the highest points in the city, where on a clear day you can see five Cascade peaks. The park is open 5 a.m. to midnight, but the road gate closes to cars at 9 p.m. (April–October) or 7 p.m. (November–March).
Sellwood Riverfront Park
An unfenced off-leash lawn between the parking lot and the wetlands of this Willamette riverfront park. The off-leash area is the lawn, not the riverbank, so leash up beyond it. The City's posted hours are seasonal: in summer (June 15–September 1) it's open 5–10 a.m. and evenings; the rest of the year it's open all day on weekdays and 5–10 a.m. plus 4 p.m.–midnight on weekends.
Normandale Park
A fenced off-leash area along NE 57th Avenue in a busy 14-acre neighborhood park, open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. Simple and secure — a reliable everyday option on the inner east side.
Wallace Park
A fenced off-leash area along NW 25th Avenue in a compact five-acre Northwest park, open 5 a.m. to midnight. One of the few secure options for dogs in the dense Northwest neighborhoods.
Find your next park on the map
Off Leash is a free app that maps dog parks across Portland — 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 Portland?
Only in one of the more than 30 dog off-leash areas designated by Portland Parks & Recreation — everywhere else in city parks, dogs must be leashed, and Park Rangers can fine you up to $150. Top picks include Mt. Tabor Park, the big fenced field at Chimney Park in North Portland, Gabriel Park's seasonal fenced areas in Southwest, and the wide-open grass at Fernhill Park in Northeast. The Off Leash app maps dog parks across Portland and shows which dogs are there right now.
Which Portland dog parks are fenced?
The City lists 13 fenced off-leash areas: Brentwood, Chimney, Cully, Darcelle XV Plaza, Gabriel, Luuwit View, Lynchwood, Normandale, Parklane, Sacajawea, The Fields, Wallace and Willamette. The Fields Park's area closed after the August 2026 Centennial Mills fire and reopened, renovated, on October 2, 2026. Mt. Tabor's area has gates and fencing along parts of its boundary, but the City doesn't list it as fenced. Most other Portland off-leash areas, including Fernhill, Laurelhurst, Council Crest and Sellwood Riverfront, are open fields marked only by posts and signs, so solid recall matters there. Where a fenced area is signed small-dog only, dogs 19 inches or taller aren't allowed.
What are the off-leash rules and hours in Portland?
Hours are whatever is posted at each area. Most follow park hours of 5 a.m. to midnight, but Mt. Tabor runs 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Laurelhurst closes at 10:30 p.m., and the City's posted schedules for several areas, including Laurelhurst, Sellwood Riverfront, Irving, Overlook, Woodstock and Creston, limit midday use in summer, so read the sign at the entrance. Areas next to schools, such as Arbor Lodge, Cherry, Couch, Creston, Frazer, Grant and Hillsdale, close 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days. Inside any area, carry a leash, bring no more than three dogs, keep them in sight and under voice control, display license and rabies tags, and leash up whenever you enter or leave.
Where can dogs swim in Portland?
Not in the off-leash areas: Portland Parks & Recreation bans pets from park fountains, lakes, ponds and streams, and none of the areas in this guide has water access — at Sellwood Riverfront, for example, the off-leash lawn stops short of the river. Sauvie Island's beaches aren't an off-leash option either — they sit in the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, where state rules require all dogs to be leashed, except hunting dogs in season or dogs under a training permit. For water play, many Portlanders drive to the Forest Service's Sandy River Delta near Troutdale (I-84 exit 18), where leashes are required only in the parking, restroom and picnic areas and within 100 feet of the Confluence Trail. It's open sunrise to sunset, costs $5 per vehicle per day (Oregon and Washington state passes aren't accepted), and wading is a listed activity. Some state-owned riverbank land and islands at the delta are temporarily closed through January 2027, so follow the posted signs.
Last updated October 2026. Spotted an error, a closure, or a spot we missed? Let us know — we keep the map current.