Exploring Recreation Dog Park in Long Beach, California

Located a few miles north of the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach, California, just a stone's throw away from the Veterans Administration Hospital, lies Recreation Dog Park. A well-known and popular location for dogs and their owners, Recreation Dog Park is a leash-free zone where dogs can roam and play within a large fenced-in area without being leashed. The park is entirely encircled by a chain link fence, and there are three separate gated entrances which lead to different areas of the park. The park has two separate play areas; the larger area, which comprises the western end of the park, is reserved especially for the larger dogs; the smaller area, which sits at the extreme eastern end of the park, is a small fenced-in area reserved exclusively for the smaller dogs. However, many of the more industrious and brave of the smaller breed dogs tend to prefer to hang out in the "big side" of the park with the big dogs, entirely at their own risk of course!

The park floor consists of dirt and fine gravel. On busy days, when there are a large number of dogs running and stomping back and forth, the dust can get a little heavy. For the most part, the park is kept well-watered and the dirt and gravel are normally well-packed. Some days are busier than others; weeekends tend to be pretty busy, and weekday nights are a popular time. There are many friendships that have developed between people that have met at the park, and many dogs are accustomed to playing with a set group of playmates. My dog, tawnie, has three or four dogs that are her "preferred" playmates. On days when her usualy buddies are not there, she's not as active or as adventurous; she will often spend large parts of her time lounging.