Alton Baker Dog Park

Eugene, Oregon is not a large city. With about 150,000 residents, in many ways, it feels like a small town. But, it's the second largest city in the state and home to the University of Oregon. It usually tops the list of small cities that are good places to live because the city balances industry with the natural environment very well. A great example of that can be found at Alton Baker Park.

Alton Baker Park is just off the campus of the University of Oregon, between Autzen Stadium and the Willamette River. At over 400 acres, it's the largest developed park in Oregon. And this park has it all; biking trails, jogging paths, duck ponds, an 18 "hole" disc golf course, an outdoor amphitheater, and a BMX course. It is the kind of complete park you might expect in a college town. Of course, no park is truly complete without a dog park. And Alton Baker has a good one.

The Alton Baker Dog Park is nicely sized, at four acres. There are benches which diviede the park in half. The western half is informally considered to be restricted to small dogs, but there is no separete fence of signage. There is also no covered rain shelter, because locals pride themselves on not seeking shelter from the rain. This can make for some muddy paws, so there is an area near the parking lot to clean your dog after she has enjoyed the park.

The park has a lot of water fountains and in the summer, local volunteers bring in wading pools and metal water bowls for the dogs to use. These same volunteers routinely provide outdoor toys for the dogs to enjoy. The city provides plenty of poop bags and trash cans in order to encourage people to pick up after their pets.

There's a lot to see in Alton Baker park, but other than the dog park, you will need to make sure your puppy is leashed. As long as she is leashed, and you clean up after her, she is welcome throughout the rest of this amazing park.