Gardiner’s Park

The trails are long and if your dog loves exploring this is the perfect place. The people are friendly but all sorts of dogs come here which you means you need to be hyper vigilant. There was one dog with a muzzle who despite having the muzzle was still terrifying. I’ve always seen dog owners pick up after their dogs but for some reason there are still lots of dog poop around. It’s cool that there’s a beach at the end of the main path but it isn’t very clean. Basically all seaweed along with dog poop. The damp smelly areas are a breeding ground for Mosquitos and I’ve definitely gotten my fair share of bites before I invested in a bottle of bug spray. I always wash my dog after leaving here too, it doesn’t seem the most sanitary place. It’s basically a nice place to mix up the usual routine but not some place I take my dog on a regular basis.

Coming here with and without dogs for 25 years. It’s popularity rises and falls. If Newsday or Channel 12 remind the masses it swells up for a while. Right now it’s pretty good. Full house on Sunday afternoon. Which, by the way is still not a lot of people. It’s a gem. It also has a play area for kids, a pond and a little pavilion for a picnic.

Lovely place really. Most people obey The rules of keeping leashed dogs (my dog isn’t dog friendly so dogs rushing up on us isn’t well received). Wide open spaces grassy areas and fairly clean beach.

On recommendation from some friends, The Bean and I went beaching and barking today at Gardiner’s Park. The path leading to the beach {about a 10 – 15 min walk} is nice and cool in the afternoon and The Bean liked sniffing all the different trails. She wanted to go off the beaten beach path to another area of the park, but I reined her in and we continued.
The beach is full of seaweed and is pretty marshy/​soggy. I shouldn’t have worn my sneakers! Lots of dirt and sand covered The Bean on our way out, but she had so much fun chasing after the ball that she didn’t care. She also chased some sticks and dug some holes in the sand with a little dog buddy. Tons of people were walking in and out with their dogs and in this very dog unfriendly area, it was nice to see. Definitely bring something to clean your dog/​yourself with.
The are surrounding the beach is very nice with lots of benches and doggy bags. I always pack some poop bags just in case {I basically have a Doggy Diaper Bag}, but it was nice to see them along the trail.
Wish this beach was a little cleaner for my own sake, but The Bean loved it.

It’s not terrible here it’s just that the walk isn’t all that long and once you get to the water the shore is covered in seaweed and sometimes garbage. Also if you bring your dog be careful because there are ticks.

3.5 stars
Titz and I spent a lovely sunday morning introducing Jolene to the ocean for the first time.
Gardiner Park isn’t advertised as a «dog park», but I didn’t see one person without one. Before you head to the beach, get a drink of water and use the bathroom. Then take a nice long walk through the woods to the beach. There are free plastic bags for messes, garbage cans to throw them in, and lots of benches for when your best friend lays down and refuses to move.
The beach itself is kind of gross, but the dogs don’t seem to care and the owners are all very friendly. Jolene made friends with a Newfoundland and a Yorkie, a Lab and a Boxer. Then she brought home a stick that stank up us, her breath, and the car for days. She was a happy little girl!