Goodale Park

Columbus, Ohio is a bustling city with plenty of restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and sightseeing for both tourists and locals to enjoy. Like most cities, Columbus has set aside several natural park spaces for outdoor recreation, and Goodale Park is among the most popular and centrally located off these parks. 

If you are enjoying a day downtown, you can even bring your dog along and take advantage of the public park, which offers your dog a chance to stretch its legs and sniff around while you take a break from exploring the city. Although there are several specified dog parks in the area, Goodale Park is not a park explicitly for dogs.

Dog owners love the park because it is clean, well-lit, centrally located, and full of intertwining paths and trails that dog walkers can take advantage of. You may see some dogs running off-leash, but in general, dogs are not allowed to roam free and without a leash. 

On a leash, however, they are free to walk and be on the grass, just make sure that you are carrying poop bags with you! Since this is a public park, you should make sure that your dog’s poop is properly disposed of so that everyone else can enjoy a clean, pleasant park. 

Most of the park is shaded by trees, and there are plenty of benches for you to rest on should you get tired from walking around all day. Goodale Park is owned and managed by the City of Columbus, and the park is extremely popular at all times of the day. 

If you bring your dog, expect to be surrounded by other dog walkers, as well as small children and families. Make sure that your dog is well-socialized and well-behaved, that way no issues arise as a result of the busy, occasionally overwhelming amount of foot traffic. If you are visiting and exploring the city, Goodale Park is the best place to take your dog for a quick rest, or for a pleasant stroll while planning the next move!