Louisville, San Francisco and neighbor, Oakland, took the top three spots on our roundup of the Best 100 Cities for Outdoorsy Dog Owners rankings, which compares the number of dog parks and the distance to the nearest state park for the 100 largest cities in the United States.
What makes a city exceptional for outdoor adventures with your dog? We think it comes down to dedicated parks for dogs and reasonable proximity to public open spaces. Beyond the backyard, are their abundant opportunities for dogs to walk, run around, and play outside? Are there dog parks nearby for canine socialization and cavorting? Are there large public parks and preserves within easy driving distance so you can go hiking with your dog?
To determine which of the 100 largest cities in the US are the best for nature-loving dog owners, we ranked cities based on two criteria:
- The number of public dog parks per 100,000 residents (Trust for Public Land 2018 City Park Facts, Dog Parks)
- The distance from city center to the nearest state park
We then combined the dog park rankings and the distances to state parks to determine a city’s overall ranking. To narrow the field, we focused on state parks larger than 250 acres. The majority of state parks on the list are less than 50 miles from the city.
Dogs are allowed in most of the state parks on our map, though access for dogs can vary significantly. Some parks offer wide-open access to all trails, and others restrict dog access to specific trails. Designated service dogs are allowed anywhere visitors are in state parks. It’s wise to do your research ahead of your visit—most park websites include a section on pet and service dog regulations.
We invite you to explore this interactive table to find out where your city ranks for outdoor adventures with your dog, or how your city or town compares to the top 100 largest US cities. Perhaps you’ll discover a new destination for a trip with your best friend. We hope it’ll inspire you to research new parks and locales to visit with your dog—close to home and across the country.
Top 100 Dog Friendly Cities
|
|
Overall Rank |
Dog Parks per 100k |
Nearest Large State Park (250 Acres+) |
Distance from city in miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY | 1 | 2.8 | Falls of the Ohio State Park, Clarksville IN | 2.5 |
| San Francisco, CA | 2 | 3.7 | Angel Island State Park | 6 |
| Oakland, CA | 3 | 3.8 | McLaughlin Eastshore State Park | 7.5 |
| Jersey City, NJ | 4 | 2.2 | Liberty State Park | 1.5 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 5 | 2.3 | Rio Grande Nature Center State Park | 4.3 |
| Madison, WI | 6 | 4 | Governor Nelson State Park | 10 |
| Boise | 7 | 6.7 | Eagle Island State Park, Eagle, ID | 12.2 |
| New York, NY | 8 | 1.6 | Liberty State Park | 6.3 |
| Chula Vista, CA | 9 | 1.9 | Border Field State Park | 9.8 |
| Norfolk, VA | 10 | 4.8 | First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach, VA | 16.2 |
| Glendale, CA | 11 | 1.2 | Rio de Los Angeles State Park | 3.5 |
| Anchorage, AK | 12 | 2.3 | Chugach State Park | 13.1 |
| Seattle, WA | 13 | 2 | Bridle Trails State Park | 12.3 |
| Boston, MA | 14 | 1.2 | Boston Harbor Islands State Park | 8 |
| Austin, TX | 15 | 1.3 | McKinney Falls State Park | 9.7 |
| Lincoln, NE | 16 | 1.4 | Pawnee State Recreation Area | 11.3 |
| Nashville, TN | 17 | 1.2 | Radnor Lake State Park | 9 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 18 | 1.7 | Fort Snelling State Park | 13.3 |
| Denver, CO | 19 | 1.4 | Cherry Creek State Park | 13.8 |
| Aurora, CO | 20 | 0.8 | Cherry Creek State Park | 7.3 |
| Detroit, MI | 21 | 0.8 | Belle Isle Park | 4.9 |
| Durham, NC | 22 | 1.1 | Eno River State Park | 11.7 |
| St. Petersburg, FL | 23 | 2.3 | Terra Ceia Preserve State Park | 22.9 |
| Tucson, AZ | 24 | 1.5 | Catalina State Park | 16.4 |
| Portland, OR | 25 | 5.2 | Molalla River State Park, Canby OR | 26.9 |
| Chesapeake, VA | 26 | 2.1 | Dismal Swamp State Park | 20.9 |
| St. Paul, MN | 27 | 1.3 | Fort Snelling State Park | 15.1 |
| Arlington, VA | 28 | 3.5 | Mason Neck State Park | 25.7 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 29 | 0.6 | First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach, VA | 4.1 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 30 | 2.3 | Raccoon Creek State Park | 23.9 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 31 | 4 | Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, Blue Diamond NV | 27.1 |
| Lexington, KY | 32 | 1.9 | Fort Boonesborough State Park | 22.8 |
| Greensboro, NC | 33 | 1 | Haw River State Park | 14.2 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 34 | 0.5 | White River State Park | 0.8 |
| Riverside, CA | 35 | 0.6 | California Citrus State Historic Park | 8.2 |
| Henderson, NV | 36 | 5.2 | Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, Blue Diamond NV | 31 |
| Tampa, FL | 37 | 3.5 | Hillsborough River State Park | 27.7 |
| Orlando, FL | 38 | 1.1 | Wekiwa Springs State Park | 16.7 |
| Toledo, OH | 39 | 0.7 | Maumee Bay State Park | 10.8 |
| San Diego, CA | 40 | 1.1 | Border Field State Park | 17.6 |
| Long Beach, CA | 41 | 2.1 | Rio de Los Angeles State Park | 26.5 |
| Raleigh, NC | 42 | 0.7 | William B. Umstead State Park | 11.1 |
| Buffalo, NY | 43 | 0.8 | Beaver Island State Park | 13.7 |
| Miami, FL | 44 | 0.9 | Oleta River State Park | 18 |
| New Orleans, LA | 45 | 0.8 | Saint Bernard State Park | 15.9 |
| Honolulu, HI | 46 | 0.4 | Waʻahila Ridge State Recreation Area | 5.7 |
| Richmond, VA | 47 | 1.3 | Pocahontas State Park | 25.2 |
| Washington, D.C. | 48 | 1.8 | Mason Neck State Park | 27.4 |
| Atlanta, GA | 49 | 0.9 | Sweetwater Creek State Park | 18.8 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 50 | 0.5 | Havenwoods State Forest | 10.8 |
| Stockton, CA | 51 | 1 | Caswell Memorial State Park | 22.4 |
| Laredo, TX | 52 | 0.4 | Lake Casa Blanca International State Park | 7.4 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 53 | 1.3 | East Fork State Park | 25.9 |
| Chicago, IL | 54 | 0.9 | William W. Powers State Recreation Area | 20.6 |
| Fresno, CA | 55 | 1.3 | Millerton Lake State Recreation Area | 26.7 |
| Fremont, CA | 56 | 2.6 | Big Basin Redwoods State Park | 46.1 |
| San Jose, CA | 57 | 1 | Castle Rock State Park | 23 |
| Baltimore, MD | 58 | 0.5 | Patapsco Valley State Park | 12.9 |
| Memphis, TN | 59 | 0.3 | T.O. Fuller State Park | 9.1 |
| Arlington, TX | 60 | 0.5 | Cedar Hill State Park | 15 |
| Sacramento, CA | 61 | 2.2 | Caswell Memorial State Park | 70.6 |
| Chandler, AZ | 62 | 1.5 | Lost Dutchman State Park | 31.7 |
| Irvine, CA | 63 | 0.4 | Crystal Cove State Park | 11.9 |
| El Paso, TX | 64 | 0.6 | Franklin Mountains State Park | 17.5 |
| Newark, NJ | 65 | 0 | Liberty State Park | 10 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 66 | 2.1 | Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park | 179 |
| Gilbert, AZ | 67 | 0.8 | Lost Dutchman State Park | 23.6 |
| St. Louis, MI | 68 | 1.6 | Sleepy Hollow State Park | 41.7 |
| Reno, NV | 69 | 0.8 | Washoe Lake State Park | 25.3 |
| Houston, TX | 70 | 0.7 | Sheldon Lake State Park | 21.2 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 71 | 1.7 | Eleven Mile State Park | 49.1 |
| Tulsa, OK | 72 | 0.5 | Keystone State Park | 17.2 |
| Columbus, OH | 73 | 0.6 | Alum Creek State Park Beach | 20.4 |
| Hialeah, FL | 74 | 0 | Oleta River State Park | 12.5 |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 75 | 1.3 | Lost Dutchman State Park | 34 |
| North Las Vegas, NV | 76 | 0.8 | Spring Mountain Ranch State Park | 27.3 |
| San Antonio, TX | 77 | 0.8 | Government Canyon State Natural Area | 26.2 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 78 | 0.4 | Neshaminy State Park | 17.6 |
| Dallas, TX | 79 | 0.3 | Cedar Hill State Park | 18.3 |
| Kansas City, MO | 80 | 0.8 | Weston Bend State Park | 32.5 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 81 | 0.4 | Pilot Mountain State Park | 22.6 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 82 | 0.9 | Tickfaw State Park | 42.9 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 83 | 0.8 | Chain O’ Lakes State Park | 28.6 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 84 | 0.6 | Little Talbot Island State Park | 26.5 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 85 | 0.3 | Topanga State Park | 20.3 |
| Anaheim, CA | 86 | 0.6 | Chino Hills State Park | 27 |
| Irving, TX | 87 | 0.8 | Ray Roberts Lake State Park | 54 |
| Wichita, KS | 88 | 0.8 | Cheney State Park | 32.7 |
| Fort Worth, TX | 89 | 0.6 | Cedar Hill State Park | 27.8 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 90 | 0.3 | Mustang Island State Park | 23.6 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 91 | 0.7 | White Tank Mountain Regional Park | 32.9 |
| Mesa, AZ | 92 | 0.4 | Lost Dutchman State Park | 26.1 |
| Cleveland, OH | 93 | 0.5 | Headlands Beach State Park | 29.3 |
| Charlotte, SC | 94 | 0.6 | Landsford Canal State Park | 38.1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 95 | 0.5 | Lake Thunderbird State Park | 27.5 |
| Omaha, NE | 96 | 0.4 | Eugene T. Mahoney State Park | 30.4 |
| Santa Ana, CA | 97 | 0 | Chino Hills State Park | 29.6 |
| Plano, TX | 98 | 0.3 | Ray Roberts Lake State Park | 47.5 |
| Garland, TX | 99 | 0 | Cedar Hill State Park | 36.2 |
| Lubbock, TX | 100 | 0 | Caprock Canyons State Park | 95.8 |