My dog Juno has visited all nine of Bend’s off-leash areas in local parks.

She still loves the park closest to home the most — in our case, Alpenglow Community Park. It’s also my go-to, given the short travel time, its open space of 3.9 acres and the perfectly spaced trees, which allow just enough shade during the hotter months but don’t interfere with visibility and watching the pups roam.

Given how much Juno loved visiting Big Sky Park and Ponderosa Park, we recently checked the three remaining dog parks on Bend’s west side off our list— Awbrey Reservoir, Discovery Park and Overturf Butte Reservoir.

Awbrey Reservoir, 2050 NW 12th St.

Juno and I arrived at Awbrey Reservoir to find a bin of old tennis balls someone left behind for the enjoyment of canine visitors.

The off-leash area is awkwardly shaped, as it is built around a reservoir site. It’s partially fenced, with some chainlink fence and some wood fencing that mark the perimeter of the park, but wouldn’t stop any four-legged friends.

A trail encircles all of Hillside Park, with leashes required for part of the trail, and a gentle incline through trees and bushes with views of the city and the Old Mill District below.

It’s not a dog park worth going out of your way to visit, but it’s a nice area for well-trained pooches to stretch their legs if they won’t be at risk of running into the nearby roads.

Discovery Park, 1315 NW Discovery Park Drive, Bend

Discovery Park, located a half-mile north of NorthWest Crossing, is a fenced 1.6-acre off-leash area. It’s wide open in the middle, with some boulders placed around the edges, perfect to perch on while watching the pups play.

The back half of the park is off-limits to allow the grass to regenerate, making the park slightly smaller.

This dog park is ideal for socialization with its wide-open, yet small area, where owners typically keep a close eye on Fido.

Overturf Butte Reservoir, 475 NW 17th St., Bend

The city of Bend has been having issues with erosion at Overturf Butte Reservoir, so it requested Bend Park & Recreation District lock the bottom gate to the dog park.

“The fencing will continue to be in place until the city decides the vegetation has taken hold,” said Julie Brown, community relations manager at the Bend park district.

Brown said regrowth typically takes multiple growing seasons, so she expects the gate to be closed for a few years.

Those who make the effort to enter Overturf Butte Reservoir from the upper or side gates are likely to find few others visiting the off-leash area. This 4.6-acre fenced dog park is built into the hillside and offers a peak at Pilot Butte through the trees.

While I’ve enjoyed getting to know Bend better through the lens of dog parks, Juno is happy to keep returning to her favorite off-leash areas where she feels most comfortable. She knows the lay of the land and often the other dogs, too. So we’ll continue to visit Alpenglow.

Bend is a haven for dogs: three off-leash areas to bring your pup: on Alpenglow Community Park, Ponderosa Park and Pine Nursery Park. 

An honest review of three of Bend’s off-leash areas: on Riverbend Dog Park, Hollinshead Park and Big Sky Park. 

Bend off-leash dog parks: Where to let furry friends roam

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