Berkeley Park

This park has a lot to offer, including a rec with outside swimming pool, a kids playground outside next to the recreation center–
A friendly dog park, tennis court, and a cozy little library called Smiley–
There’s spots for fishing and come the warm weather good walking in the early hours–
Whatever time of the year I visit, the big trees are great to relax and read or lay in the shade and look at the lake–

Amazing place to take your dog! The scenery is beautiful and the dog park is always clean, crowded, and the people are friendly. It especially beautiful during Fall :)

Not sure about the other facilities, but the dog park is terrible. It’s entirely covered in gravel, and the only shade covers a small bench for seating. My dogs were very weirded out by the large dog area, so I took them into the empty small dog pen. They still didn’t want to run around on the hot gravel there so we just left.

I take my pup to the dog park here 2 or 3 times/​week.
Gravel dog park, really big size, plenty of space for dogs to RUN!
There’s an «active play» and «calm play» area.
No trash cans inside the gated area, sometimes people will leave a pile of bags in one corner of the park when the trash can is 10′ outside of the entrance/​exit gate.
Overall, great park in a convenient area (immediately off i70)

This is a pretty decent dog park for the most part. It of a fair size and has some variety. The people and dogs at the park on a recent Saturday seemed rather nice. Some negatives would include the distance from parking to the dog park entrance, a decided lack of bags (all of the dispensers were empty), and the rocks (pea/​crushed gravel). I suppose the rocks serve a purpose (you don’t have to water them, they withstand high traffic, and perhaps they are easier to clean). I am not a fan of them however. Most of the dogs did not seem to mind, but it made for a less than pleasant walking experience for humans, and some dogs.
As for the rest of the park, it had some nice grassy areas, play areas, picnic tables, the obligatory worthless geese, and some park workers who seemed hard at work emptying trash and leaf-​blowing the sidewalks.

First time here.
I came to watch a friend in a women’s tennis league and was pretty excited to see a local watering hole has a Whiffle Ball league sponsorship at the park as well.
There is ample parking on the side streets, plenty of grass, shade and a parking lot off of Tennyson.
Be prepared to be hauled off by over-​sized mosquitos as dawn approaches. The lake to the North is a bit stagnant, so those bayonet-​nosed winged wonders are looking at kidnapping your plasma.
Notable Notes for first timers:
1. Bring chairs, not a lot of seating or picnic tables and I sat in a mound of ants…
2. Although apprehensive at first, I left my flak jacket in the car… no worries.

this is a pretty great dog park overall. I’m not a huge fan of the rocks, i feel like it isn’t the best for some dogs’ feet, but I understand the reasoning behind it so I can’t knock them for that. It’s a nice big dog park, and there are always lots of dogs there having fun. I haven’t had a bad experience yet with either other dogs or people, everyone seems pretty happy to be there. My dogs enjoy it, so we’ll keep coming back!

This dog park is not horrible — I never saw it pre-​renovations, so I’m reviewing what it looks like now.
It is a decent size, there are two areas — the large area is for high energy dogs, the small area is for low energy or small dogs. The people I have met there have been friendly and so have their dogs.
Missing improvements include: A water source to provide clean drinking water for your dogs and garbage cans INSIDE the park. The only trash is a dumpster that’s outside of the dog park, super inconvenient and I feel like it definitely contributes to the amount of dog poop that is not picked up, because people are lazy and dont want to walk that far.
The ground is made of tiny pebbles, which I am not so sure about. At first, I was a fan because its not dirt or mud. But after an hour play session of chasing balls and other new doggie friends this past weekend, BOTH of my medium sized dogs are having issues with sensitive feet — the skin in between their toes is red and has countless little red dots and cuts, so they are pretty miserable and licking their feet incessantly. I dont know if their feet would eventually get used to this type of ground or not.
While they had fun, and its super convenient from my house, this may not be a good place to bring my dogs for a running around session,
Has anyone else had this issue?

This is my neighborhood park.
I am here up to three times a day walking my dog and (starting about a week ago) occasionally visiting the dog park.
I think the rennovations were great. I like the new dog park. It’s true I would have liked a bench or two on the inside of the park, and perhaps sand is not the best material for the ground. However, sand will not turn into a giant mud pit when it rains, and hoping for grass in a dog park is silly. Remember what the old dog park looked like? Yeah. That all used to be grass. Until it became mud.
I also enjoy the non dog park aspects of this park. The path around the lake is very nice, and will only get nicer as the plants grow a bit. The park has tennis courts, a basketball court, a recreation and fitness center, a pool, and a branch of the denver public library. It also has a lot of lesser used secret type parts where you can play with you dog and relax in the grass.
It’s a good park.

12 months later and it is 4 stars.
Super new dog park. Two separate ares: one for «high activity» dogs and one for «calm dogs». There are never any dogs in the calm area. Duh!
A superb berm on the north side that bounces the I-​70 noise into outer space. It also blocks I-​70 from your view as you walk around the «lake» on the smooth concrete path. Lots of new vegetation on the berm and down into the lake.
This is a huge improvement and a great example of «my tax dollars at work».
Soon, there will be fish.

OK, I just made my first post-​renovation visit to the Berkeley Dog Park and I have to say that I’m incredibly disappointed at the result and even angry about the waste of tax dollars used to create such an unwelcoming place for both dogs and people. I cant believe that anyone who uses the park with the park was consulted on the supposed improvements — usually getting user input helps to inform good design.
The park is now essentially a giant kitty litter box. Instead of solid dirt or even a few patches of grass or any other vegetation, it now consists solely of deep loose sand with pea gravel mixed in. It’s difficult for humans to walk in because of it’s depth and also because the rocks and sand get into your shoes. Wearing sandals during warm months will mean picking more rocks out and even more difficulty walking.
When the dogs run, they kick up large amounts of dust, which not only gets them dirty and coughing but also is a preview of what the whole place will be like on windy days. My regular routine was to walk laps around the inside perimeter while my dogs played, and my attempt to do that yesterday was not fun because of the uneven footing, sinking into the sand and getting sand and rocks in my shoes. Even the few trees remaining in the park are fenced off now, limiting the ability of dogs and people to find relief in the shade.
I’ve been to lots of dog parks, including great ones in Ft. Collins, Boulder, Durango, Austin, San Diego and Santa Fe – all of them are pleasant fun places for both humans and dogs to exercise and socialize. All of them have natural vegetation and some access to water for the dogs. It would have been very easy to do this at Berkeley because of the adjacent lake and pond. The Berkeley Dog Park is now by far the least hospitable and the worst designed one I’ve ever visited. What was once a good amenity to our neighborhood is now an eyesore.
I’m planning to write to my city council person (
) about the problems in hopes that solutions can be found. What do you think?

After a couple million bucks in renovations, Berkeley Park is tremendously improved from when we moved in to the neighborhood a year ago. With a berm built to block the noise from I-​70 along with a wide, lovely walking/​running path around the lake, the park is now a jewell instead of an eye-​sore. The paddle-​boat dock was a popular attraction this summer, now that the lake is full again.
The huge open area dog park is almost complete so I’m excited to see all of the happy pooches having dog-​parties. The city has also added a lot of landscaping which will make the park even more beautiful as the years go by.
Great job, Denver :-))

Berkeley dog park is not Westminster or Chatfield, but my Ridgeback/​Lab mix will still get plenty of exercise here chasing other dogs around. It’s under construction now, but once the work is done, I’m sure it will be fantastic.
I have two tips based on the fact that this dog park is frequented primarily by very large dogs. On more than one occasion, I’ve seen a Mastiff, Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepherd, Husky, and several Boxers and Labs at this small dog park… all at once. Especially on the weekends.
1) DO NOT bring your small children here as they will almost definitely get knocked down and start crying, and they will potentially get very hurt. Should you choose to ignore this advice, do not get angry at the dog and its owner for your poor judgment.
2) If you have a small dog with Napoleon complex who harasses large dogs incessantly, don’t be surprised if a large dog asserts its dominance and your Boston Terrier /​French Bulldog /​Chihuahua /​Yorkie, etc. gets hurt. I’m NOT saying that it’s okay to bring aggressive dogs to a dog park, but as the owner of a small dog, it is your responsibility to protect it. Bringing a small dog to a dog park like this one is akin to throwing a 7 year-​old pee wee football player into a Broncos game.
Large dogs often play rough and by simply doing what they are predisposed to do, they will hurt 10 pound dogs. It’s a fact. So make smart choices for the sake of your dog.
There is a dog park in LODO called Railyard Dog Park with separate sections for small and large dogs. This is a brilliant idea and should be implemented everywhere!

I love this park because it’s a great place I can bring my dogs!
The walk around is nice (except by the highway– wish they could plant some tress along there or something…) and quite lovely.

Apparently all the area dog haters are encouraged to spend their park visit between the parking lot and the dog park entry gate, so getting your excited-​to-​the-​at –the-​park dog from the car to the fenced-​in dog park can be a challenge.
Once you’re finally inside the fenced-​in area, you’ll soon discover the dog park is actually only mediocre, at best. Barren and all dirt, which I can only imagine becomes a giant muddle puddle in wet weather, and as far as I can tell, not a lot of cleaning up after poo on the part of visitors’ owners. Small-​to-​medium in size. Could be better if some effort was put into this place.
Once your dog is done romping in the dirt (mud?) and poo, you’ve got that sojourn among dog haters to look forward to before you can load up the car and go home.
Convenient location, so it has that going for it. Even still, I question whether or not it’s worth the trip.
Meh.

Berkeley Park is a great example of what makes Denver so great. This wonderful city park has a lake, a rec center, a playground, library, tennis courts and a dog park.
We love the rec center. It’s older, but it’s in great shape. My kids take swimming lessons there, I do water aerobics, and the kids hang out in the rec room. I love getting to know our neighbors and watching the kids make new friends. The center offers numerous classes at drop in rates — you don’t have to be a member to use the rec center. This, my friends, is a good example of what taxes should pay for.

This park is home to a rec center, a public library, and a dog park. Hard to top that!
The dog park is good stuff, but pretty standard.
The best service offered here is at the end of summer. On the last day of pool season, the rec center opens the pools up to the dogs, who can jump in and swim around. It’s a hoot!

UPDATE — They’ve remodeled! Now there are plenty of nice benches to relax on and a water fountain just outside the gate! My only complaint now is the surface — which is pea gravel, not sand, dirt or grass. It seems like I can’t leave the park without one of my pups getting a busted pad or torn nail. For most dogs — the surface is fine (and cuts way down on the normal «dog park stank» that other parks have), but my pack runs HARD after the ball. Thanks Denver Parks for the upgrade!
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I used to live on this side of town for three years… I maybe went to this park a handful of times. Here are the reasons why I think this park sucks:
1. The walk from the parking lot to the park. As another reviewer noted, even with good training it is almost impossible to not be dragged down the hill to the park by your dogs. While I like the idea that it is shared with a regular park, I do not appreciate having to walk my Cattle Dog and Border Collie past rollerbladers, bicyclists, etc. Pull, pull, lunge, pull, lunge, FAIL. They need to run to help burn off some energy so they don’t want to herd everything that moves. Having to walk past all of these triggers is a nightmare. Thankfully, once they’ve gotten some off leash running time — they’re much better behaved on the walk back to the car.
2. No place to sit down! Now, I realize I may be a bit picky here. I have a disability that makes lots of standing/​walking difficult… what bothers me probably doesn’t bother most people. I usually end up having to find a spot to sit on the ground and hope no one comes up and pees on me. It has happened more times than I’d like to count. PAY ATTENTION, PEOPLE! Dog urine is not an effective cure for gimpy feet. Trust me.
3. No water!!! I mean really, what the heck?! Its hard enough dealing with a ¼ mile walk with two lunging dogs chasing after squirrels and skateboarders, now I need to carry 2 gallons of water too? Plus a chair? and toys? and poop bags? ugh. Sometimes you will see an extra jug or bowl of water… more often than not its been peed on or frankly, I just don’t trust it. Considering the number of people who attend this park and let their dogs pee on people, I doubt their dogs are vaccinated or being checked for parasites on a regular basis.

I love this little park. It’s convenient to the house, to the freeway, to the library and to post-​volleyball fun at the Music Bar.
I am sans-​dog, so my review is for the actual park, not the dog park. There is a community center which has really cheap rates for the fitness center, dance classes, etc. There are tennis courts. There is a kids play area. There is a paddle boat & kayak rental place. There is a 1 mile walking/​jogging loop around the lake and there are lots of benches and shady areas to picnic/​bbq.
I’ve lived in the hood for a year an not taken nearly enough advantage of this great spot. Believe me, the kite and I will be out more often next spring. But, for now, I’ll take my laps around the lake and stop in at Smiley Library (conveniently located at the park).
There is also a running club called the West Side Runners that meets at Patrick Carrols nearby and traverses this park often, so keep an eye out for that on Tuesday nights.
For ya’ll dog people out there, I know you love your puppies and you think that everyone should, but there are just enough people like me out there that want to use this park without your dog sniffing and drooling all over us. Please, please, please, keep doggy on a leash in the park, there is a separate dog park for off-​leash right there onsite.

Not amazing, but gets the job done. As others said, there are no benches. That doesn’t bother me, since I like to trail after my little one to make sure he’s behaving. Lots of space, lots of dogs. There is some grass at the edges but in the center it’s just dirt. There is the amusement park on one side and the freeway quite close to the other, but there’s also a big lake. Overall it’s very pleasant even with the road noise.
I have been very disappointed by people bringing kids in, a woman brought in four small children, all looking to be age 5 or under. The rules sign clearly states children under 12 are not allowed, and it was no fun to see them start screaming when a big dog came their way to take a sniff. This happens all the time and it bugs me. I also saw a girl a little older, maybe 7, carrying around a tiny purse dog. She kept getting jumped on. Please don’t bring little kids!
There are plastic bag dispensers, but it’s a leave-​a-​bag-​take-​a-​bag situation, like those penny dishes at the 7 – 11. Bring bags, though. And use them! I see too many people not cleaning up after their pooches, and it makes me seethe!
I have to disagree with the review that says there’s no interaction between people or between dogs. I have had a lot of nice chats with fellow dog owners, and my dog always has gotten plenty of interaction with other dogs.
Further, there’s no problem bringing small dogs. Big dogs can play with small dogs. It’s not a big deal.
And water dishes are allowed. The reviewer misread the sign. You are not allowed to *leave* a water dish. That is, if you bring it, take it home with you, but a lot of people don’t follow that rule. I don’t think you’ll get fined or anything for it.