Seattle could get 2 new off-leash dog parks by 2026

Seattle’s Parks and Recreation Department said this week it wants to add a couple of new off-leash dog areas to some city parks.

The first step in the multiyear process will be studying 30 potential locations around Seattle.

In many parts of dog-loving Seattle, finding an open space to let your pooch run free requires a car or a very long walk.

There are currently just 14 off-leash dog spots around town for the tens of thousands of pets who live here. In West Seattle, for example, the closest dog park is in Delridge at Westcrest Park.

But that could change — soonish.

This week, Seattle Parks and Recreation said it will study 30 parks around the city to possibly add two new areas for dogs to be off-leash.

The study will take a few months and examine all kinds of criteria, said the department’s off-leash area liaison, Danyal Lotfi.

“We do not want to put off-leash areas in areas that are environmentally critical areas that obviously would disturb the environment,” Lotfi said.

The department’s landscape architects and designers will assess the 30 locations’ drainage, size, and vegetation.

Lotfi said there are lessons to be learned from the current dog park setup and the department will “focus on neighborhoods that have the least amount of access to an off-leash area, in terms of walking distance.”

Parks and Recreation will share their two recommended spots with the public when the study finishes in late spring or early summer, Lotfi said.

Public feedback to those proposed areas will be part of the planning process, he added.

The department has $3.46 million in the budget for the two dog parks, a spokesperson wrote in an email to KUOW. Any additional dog parks would require more money.

The two new parks could open for good dogs everywhere by 2026.

The 30 spots being considered include:

• Sandel Playground
• Gas Works Park
• Salmon Bay Park
• Ballard Commons Park
• Bhy Kracke Park
• Mayfair Park
• East Queen Anne Playground
• West Queen Anne Playfield
• Discovery Park North Parking Lot
• Lincoln Park
• Me-Kwa-Mooks Park
• Hamilton Viewpoint Park
• West Seattle Stadium
• Delridge Playfield
• Laurelhurst Playfield
• Ravenna Park
• View Ridge Playfield
• Bryant Neighborhood Playground
• Dahl Playfield
• Hubbard Homestead Park
• Washington Park Playfield
• Homer Harris Park
• Rogers Playground
• Powell Barnett Park
• Montlake Playfield
• Dr. Blanche Lavizzo Park
• Rainier Beach Playfield
• Othello Park
• Benefit Playground
• Martha Washington Park
• Jefferson Park
• Brighton Playfield