Dog walking in Rochester

Rochester Meadows

Rochester Meadows is a pretty busy neighborhood, with bustling streets and an active shopping center. Despite the busy atmosphere, there is still dog-friendly places to walk Fido, like Elizabeth Park. The park is small, but has lots of shaded areas and an open area for Fido to run around in. There are also paved paths for walking, water fountains, and a clean-up station. Dogs must remain on a leash inside the park. The Macomb Orchard Trail cuts through the neighborhood with 5 miles inside, and expands outside the city for 23 miles. The long path is made of concrete, with benches, water fountains, and is dog-friendly to leashed dogs.

Rochester Hills

Rochester Hills is pretty quiet, with small groups of residential homes and lots of areas to walk Fido. One of those areas is the Rochester Municipal Park, with 36 acres of wooded trails and grassy fields. Whether going to for a walk or run, dogs are welcome while they are on a leash and have access to picnic areas, water fountains, clean-up stations, benches, and a pavilion. The Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve is a protected area that's completely wooded, with scenic hiking trails throughout the 16-acre park. Leashed pups are welcome in the park, but owners will have to bring water and clean-up bags.

North Hills Garden

North Hills Garden is a neighborhood that most residents love to visit thanks to the beautiful scenes of rolling fields and thick forests in the area. Howlett Park provides the same pleasure, with serene views of the pond, surrounded by large trees on a hilly terrain. The park is peaceful, with paved trails that encircle the park, water fountains, open fields, and picnic tables. Leashed dogs are welcome. Dogs have another dog-friendly option in town, which is the Paint Creek Trail, an 8.9-mile trail made-up of crushed stone that follows the creek. Be sure to bring water and clean-up bags before hiking out onto the trail with Fido.

Stoney Creek District

Stoney Creek District is the northern neighborhood of the park, and is filled with lots of nature parks and preserves. The Stony Creek Ravine Nature Park provides a natural experience for dogs and humans with 60 acres featuring winding dirt trails that run throughout the park, and along the Stony Creek that cuts through. Another dog-friendly natural area in the neighborhood is the Blue Heron Environmental Area, a 139-acre plot of land filled with wetlands, lowland forests, and open farmlands. Whether going on a hike or playing around in the open fields, both parks are dog-friendly to leashed pups, but owners will have to bring water and clean-up bags.