Colma Dog Park

Colma's city motto is "It's good to be alive in Colma!" The motto is a nod to the several cemeteries that dot the hillsides of Colma. The city of Colma has over 17 cemeteries, which account for almost 75% of the land area of the town. As of 2016, the town had about 1500 residents, and almost two million graves. In Colma, the dead outnumber the living by nearly 1,000 to one.

Colma is a small town on the outskirts of San Francisco. At the turn of the 20th century, San Franciso moved all of their cemeteries and graves to Colma. Until the 1980's, most jobs in Colma were in Mortuary services, such jobs as gravediggers, morticians, and affiliated services such as cosmetology and masonry. Since then, the town has diversified, but Colma still has a sense of humor about itself, referring to itself as the "City of the Dead" and "Town of the Silent."

Given Colma's wry sense of humor about itself, it should come as no surprise that the town's dog park is called the Bark Park. It's a small park, only about 3,300 square feet. It's tucked behind the City Hall, and it's totally fenced. The park has grass and a gravel walkway. There are a bench, a trash can, and a water fountain for the thirsty puppies. There is no bathroom for people, and there is no separate area for small dogs. However, the city does provide bags for you to clean up after your dog, which is a nice convenience.

Colma is a suburb of San Francisco, and dogs are allowed in other city parks and public areas, however, dogs are required to be leashed unless they're in the Bark Park, and the city asks all owners to make sure that dogs and their people treat the memorials to the other residents with respect.