photo: Phoenix Michael
Hi, guys! Man’s best friend here with a guest column for Zócalo Tucson Magazine. As a part time sniffing consultant and expert on all things fetchable, I’ve been asked to contribute this month’s Loco For Local piece on the City of Tucson Parks & Recreation’s off-leash dog areas. I was happy to oblige!
My grownup and I began our tour at Christopher Columbus Park, 4600 N. Silverbell Rd. The city’s first dog park is also one of its best. 14,000 square feet and open from dawn to dusk! I didn’t know what to smell first. A ramada provided shade for our humans while we dogs romped (there was this one brown beagle with a Frisbee...anyway.) There was even a lake nearby, although I had to be on my leash again to go see it. Memo to you ducks: consider yourself warned.
As civic-minded Tucsonans we were pleased to find Sixth Avenue Dog Park, 2075 N. 6th Ave., in the stewardship of conscientious neighborhood residents who know picking up after their pooches is just good manners. Responsible owners and well-behaved dogs of all shapes, sizes and colors are welcome from sunrise to sunset daily here too. My thoughts? That female Chihuahua’s rump certainly was fascinating.
At Reid Park, north of 22nd Street and east of Country Club Road, my owner explained Miko’s Corner Playground is so named in memory of a Tucson Police Department K-9 dog that perished in the line of duty while chasing a criminal. What better way to remember his bravery than with two acres of turf for us dogs to tear around on? As a miniature dachshund, I was particularly pleased to find a separate area just for small guys like me! Miko’s Corner is open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily; use the Picnic Place or Concert Place entrances off Country Club Road.
The sandy off-leash area at Jacobs Park, 3300 N. Fairview Ave., was smaller than some I’ve seen but no less fun to frolic in; look for it on the west edge of the park. This spot has a reputation for the eccentric yet harmless characters, both human and canine, often found here between dawn and dusk. Five stars!
The east side’s spacious and serene Udall Park, 7290 E. Tanque Verde Rd., was next. With an acre set aside for leash-free shenanigans from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, I had quite a blast marking my territory here before our final stop. And then suddenly, there it was: Tucson’s largest off-leash dog area, Palo Verde Park, 300 S. Mann Ave. Its glorious 38,000 square feet are open 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m. daily. I slept the whole way home!
Call 791-4873 or visit TucsonAZ.gov/parksandrec/offleash for rules and regulations governing off-leash dog area usage.
