Living in St. Cloud, MN, allows you excellent access to fantastic dog parks where you can exercise your dog off-leash and give them time to play with other dogs as well. There are three parks in this area that stand above the rest. The best dog parks in St. Cloud, MN, are Jaycee Park, Wilson Park, and Whitney Park. It’s important to remember that when you take your dog to one of these parks or any dog park in general, you must clean up after your dog.

If your dog defecates in the dog park, you are responsible for cleaning up after them and disposing of it. Also, you need to be aware that you must also have a permit to exercise your dog in these off-leash parks under local regulations. You will need both a permit and licensing to be allowed legally to take your dog to an off-leash park and use it for your dog’s exercise.

These permits are called OLPEA permits which stands for Off-Leash Pet Exercise Areas. Most dog parks in areas where this is required will sell a single-day OLPEA permit as well for anyone who does not have a permit or licensing or is unaware of the requirements.

Mini Golden Doodle playing fetch in City dog park

Dog Parks in St. Cloud Include:

Jaycee Park

Jaycee Park is located east of St. Cloud Hospital and sits on the corner of 12th Street and 37th Avenue. This park is a very popular place for dogs and people. The dog park does not occupy the entire park, and there are plenty of things for people to enjoy here too. There is a playground for children and plenty of open areas for sports, games, and other outdoor activities to be enjoyed. This park has been known to be an excellent place for picnics as well.

One very desirable feature of this particular dog park is the fact that it is a divided dog park. Most dog parks only have one fenced-in area for dogs of all sizes to enjoy. A split dog park allows for there to be one side for larger dogs and one side for smaller dogs. This is a perfect place for people to bring certain types of dogs. Many larger dogs have higher energy and do best to exercise and socialize with one another.

There are many small dogs that cannot keep up with this energy and may become tired and even more sensitive to dogs trying to get them to keep playing. Small dogs may even snap on larger dogs that are overly energetic, which may cause a negative situation to develop. Also, elderly dogs are not the best to socialize with young, active, large dogs who want to run and play all day. At divided dog parks, many owners of elderly dogs, regardless of size, will take their dogs to the small dog section.

This allows an elderly dog to get some exercise and socialization without the pressure that some large dogs may produce with their high energy. For all these reasons, Jaycee Park is one of the best dog parks in St. Cloud.

Wilson Park

Wilson Park is a beautiful park with many amenities. This park is located right on the Mississippi River. The actual dog park is only fenced in on three sides with the Mississippi River being the fourth side of the park. Wilson Park is one of the most popular places for outdoor activities and events in the city. With its stunning riverside location, it’s great for anything you would want to do outdoors.

Because of the access to the river and dock, this is an excellent place for any water activities, including boating and fishing. Wilson park also features a large, safe playground for kids. There are shelter rentals here for events, and they even offer a discount to St. Cloud residents. There are horseshoe pits, grilling areas, a large field, a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, and a tennis court.

This park has loads of things to do which is great for any park that features a dog park. You can bring your family and make a day of it while you allow your dog off-leash exercise in the fenced-off dog park. This dog park is particularly great for dogs who like to play swimming fetch into the river. The dog park portion is considerably large, with plenty of space no matter how many dogs exercise at once.

Whitney Park

The dog park at Whitney Park features two separate areas on different sides of the park to exercise your dog off-leash. These areas are both a bit smaller than the previously mentioned dog parks. However, with having two separate areas, you can exercise your dog a bit in one and then go on to the other for a new experience. Both sites are open to dogs of all sizes. This park also has some agility games set up for dogs, so it is an excellent place for training.

Two women and dog relaxing in park

Conclusion

St. Cloud has several great options when it comes to dog parks. If you have a small dog that doesn’t like to play with big dogs or an elderly dog that needs a slower pace, then Jaycee Park would be your best choice because of their split dog park. Jaycee Park is also an excellent choice for dog owners with larger dogs who need others with that same high energy to help them exercise and play it out.

Wilson Park is a good choice for those who want to bring their family or have a whole day in the park enjoying all of the activities offered. Wilson Park is also preferred by those who like to let their dogs play fetch into the river and get some swimming into their exercise routine.

Whitney Park offers variety by having two separate fenced-in locations for off-leash exercise and agility games for dogs that provide outstanding training opportunities. You have your choice of three excellent dog parks in St. Cloud, depending on what you’re looking for.