Great Northern Dog Park

I stumbled across the GNDP while exploring the shared use trail off Shoal Creek. I think it's a really great space. LOTS of surface area for your fur baby to experience. Its even got an observation deck area, as well as a small water feature. I did not see any fish in there but the water has some movement so its pretty clean. Unfortunately I saw some dookie bags laying discarded outside of the proper receptacles, but otherwise this is a really great use of space.

This is a fine park for a dog with infallible recall or to go on a leashed walk for dogs who don’t startle easily with cyclists zipping through. 👎🏼There are no water stations or fences, so dogs beeline quickly to the water retention pond. 👎🏼There is an embankment that cuts abruptly into a wall over a sidewalk. It should be fenced! My girl Daisy hurt her ankle barreling down that embankment without seeing how steep the drop off was. 👎🏼The parking situation is bad. Only a few gravel off road spots right by a heavy bike route with some car traffic. If your dog leaps out of the car unleashed, there is a major safety hazard. 👍🏼 One star because there is a small grassy play area at the top of a hill and a cement play area across the park from parking. 👍🏼 Another star because it is HUGE and sparsely populated. It’s perfect for my “Covid pup” who is still working on being socialized at 4 y/o and can’t do many of the often overcrowded parks in town. We avoid the pitfalls listed above, and are able to take laps around the park with a water break at our car each time with pass.

Baby loved the run along the drainage area. Spacious and plenty of area if your dog likes too run. Lots of grass for them to roll around in as well. Poop bags provided , we will definitely be back our next visit.

A nice circular route on either paved pathway or on sloping grass (the choice is yours). A great off-leash park for pups young and old.

Guess we’re calling anything a dog park these days… because this was not a dog park. Great Northern Dog Park was a short trek from my abode so we decided to take a visit, imagine my surprise when upon arrival… there’s nada! We perused further into the surrounding environment, following a walkway hoping the “dog park” would reveal itself, but it turned out the dog park in question was a dirty field with concrete patches, one that we originally dismissed as part of the “Northen Dam,” which also wasn’t a dam. Damn. Regardless, we were disappointed by this as it wasn’t fenced in and showed no signs of development, just concrete, dirt, and the Austin Recreational Parks signage taunting us. Go to this park if you don’t like dog parks or if you love hot concrete and dry dirt. Otherwise, surrounding park/walking path was nice!