Hillcrest Dog Park

This place is the cat’s pajamas. It’s totally free. Tons of room for your dog (s) to run around and get into all sorts of shenanigans.
Also, it has more tennis balls than that creepy old pro you hired to fix your daughter’s service game so that hundred dollars you paid for the full-​page yearbook picture of her in her tennis gear wouldn’t go to waste.
Poop bags are supplied by the park so you’ll have to find another use for your massive collection of Meijer bags. Also, also, there’re normally a few hot girls there so that’s nice.
Overall ¹⁰⁄₁₀. Your dog will love it and everyone is always kind and friendly.

Hillcrest Dog Park is our favorite place in our neighborhood and possibly all of Grand Rapids! The dogs and people here are consistently friendly. This large and fenced in park is totally free. There are areas for large and small (or shy or elderly) dogs to run off-​leash. There are plenty of bags available if you forget your own (if you have plastic shopping bags you want to get rid of, this is the perfect place to donate them) and there are also a few tennis balls or sticks to throw if you don’t bring your own toy. The park is surrounded by trees, with a few benches and one sheltered seating area. In the summer, there’s a water pump to fill the large water bowls, a couple of portable outhouses (beside the adjacent baseball field) and the ice cream truck comes through often. During the winter months when it gets dark early, there are lights that come on to make the park more accessible. There is no running water, but the regulars who drive here usually bring gallon jugs to share. The ground is covered in wood chips and really only gets muddy/​messy in the early spring. You should be prepared to get a little dirty, though… I’ve had dogs jump on my unexpectedly with dirty paws, and I’ve seen my own dog slobber on many strangers. :)

I’ve been twice so far, and both my dogs and I love it! The dog owners there are very courteous and clean up after their animals, refill the water bowls, and will diffuse any tense situations between dogs.
The park has two areas – one for large dogs and another for small dogs. The area for big dogs is much more spacious, and usually much more full. (Note: I have a 21lb. dog who thinks he’s 60lbs., and he gets along just fine with the big kids.) Lots of areas for owners to sit and chat. So far, everyone I’ve met there has been very nice and will even play with strangers’ dogs, which makes for a very warm and welcoming environment.
There’s a constant stream of dogs in and out, which is great if you are trying to socialize your dog. There are also complementary doggy bags, and lots of balls left around the park.
All in all, it’s a great little place, and I plan on bringing my dogs every week.

If my dogs could have a Unilocal (wait: can they?!?) they would give this place 5 stars!
Located near the Hillcrest community garden, by Fulton and Fuller, is the Hillcrest dog park. Set back from the road, there is two large fenced areas for big dogs and little dogs. Covered in wood chips with an occasional dirty tennis ball hidden in, pooches can run free and sniff each other’s butts in exhilarating freedom. It’s free to stop by but please pick up your doggie’s doo to keep it clean for others.