Howe Farm Historic Park and Off-Leash Dog Area

Amazing dog park with a ton a of space for the dog to roam free. There are open pastures and wooded trails. Plenty of water and bags. I have been to a couple off leash parks and this one by far is the best one yet. Will be taking Diesel (black lab) back there soon and often. Went on a Sunday and it was packed, other dog owners were courteous and friendly. One told me that during the week it isn’t as crowded, so we will definitely be back this week.

Take my dogs here most every Sunday. Clean and well maintained. Safely fenced in off leash park. Highly recommend!

Our dogs LOVE coming here! I’ve never seen a dog park like this before. It’s huge, about half open space and half a wooded area with a few trails running throughout. The pups love running around such a large space off leash, and they especially love playing in the mud!

Howe Farm is a great park. I meet there regularly with fellow Great Dane owners, so that our big dogs have someone to play with.
For the most part, owners keep a very close eye on their dogs, and it’s a fairly consistent group that comes every week.
Just a couple things that would make the experience better: There’s a new trend I’ve noticed of people bringing their dogs in, and keeping them on leashes. This almost always generates a minor spat when off leash dogs approach the captive, who of course is feeling cornered. People need to really trust their dogs to handle themselves.
The second issue is that there are a couple of regulars with mid-​size dogs that display aggressive behavior toward nearly every dog in the park, and their owners simply watch it happen instead of correcting it or removing the dog from the park. I’m sure many of us would appreciate it if those with aggressive dogs would discipline or remove their dogs. I’m concerned that a serious fight, and injuries will occur if the same dogs keep doing what they’re doing. My own puppy has been wounded twice. Thankfully, he’s a big chicken, and runs away instead of reacting.
Overall, this is a wonderful place to take a dog that needs a place to open up and run.
Don’t forget to pick up after your dog, and keep your kids close, and away from situations where they could get knocked down.

This is a pretty dope dog park. I bring my pack here basically everyday and I rarely have issues. Huge fields and trails thru the woods to keep you and your pup busy

Pretty rad park! It’s sectioned off pretty well and there’s mini trails that you can walk your dog on.
Dog owners that visit are also pretty on point with ensuring that their pups behave well. I’ve never seen an owner without a leash on hand!
The only thing to be mindful of is that some folks bring their children here so if you have a rambunctious dog make sure to keep an eye out on him/​her.
Otherwise, bring your fur baby and enjoy the park!

First time here and we both love it! Poop bags everywhere,. Water bowls and water jugs eveeywhere. Every dog has been friendly so far

I go to this park on a weekly basis and probably will for a long time to come! The people who come here are awesome and this whole place is very well kept up. I love taking my dogs through the trails. A must see place to go!

Best dog park. Very well maintained by a good community of people who care about their dogs. Water bowls and pick up mitts throughout the park. Nicely fenced, large, happy dogs. We’ll be back.

So I literally just got home from this dog park about 15 mins ago. This place really needs more reviews!!! It’s freakin’ awesome!!! I wanted to take my 4 month old puppy to a dog park today since it’s a beautiful sunny day in WA. She has never been to a dog park before (I wanted to make sure she got all her shots first), so we didn’t know where to go. Luckily I like to Unilocal and went on this morning and found this place. It made my beautiful sunny day a thousand times better. I absolutely love this place and so did my little furry daughter. She had a great time!!!
There were tons of dogs today, around 20 at any given time, with people coming and going. I guess that’s what you get when the weather is in the nice upper 60s with a breeze and blue skies. Everyone here is super friendly and it’s easy to strike up conversations with the doggy parents while the dogs run around and play. All the dogs were very friendly and well-​behaved; there were lots of sniffing of butts and running around the large, open grassy field that was there. It’s fenced in and I can’t believe how big it is for a dog park. There’s even hiking trails with tons of trees to provide shade. All the dogs were off their leash and just went nuts, sniffing, playing, running, and having fun. Non of them were aggressive to humans or dogs and everyone pretty much got along. I hear that it’s very rare to see aggressive behavior since the owners who come here are very involved with their dogs and will control them if they need to. Also, since it’s such a big dog park, if any dogs didn’t get along, the owners could always take them to another spot to get out of a potentially hostile environment. But from what I saw today, it’s pretty safe and friendly here.
My daughter was probably one of the few puppies here today but she roamed around with the big dogs without any issues. She was at first a little unsure of the area since she’s never been to a dog park before but then she was happily prancing around the field smiling with her ears back while chasing after the big dogs. There were so many cute and playful dogs and they all played very well together. We even brought tennis balls for her and the other big dogs joined in on the fun. Afterwards, we took a stroll through the woodsy area and chatted up more doggy parents. I even met a couple who brought their two dogs all the way from poulsbo since they loved this park that much. After a little bit over an hour and a half, we said goodbye to all our new found friends and headed home. My daughter didn’t even want to leave as we saw new people enter the gates with their very excited dogs. My little one fell asleep in my arms on the ride back home and is now peacefully sleeping at the bottom of the bed. Even I’m ready for a nap after all the fun we had today.
One big thing to note: there’s no water source here so most people who come bring gallon containers and fill it up with water so they can contribute to the water bowls that can be found around the area. There were over 30 something containers from what I saw by the gate. I guess you can take them home and fill them up if you would like. It’s all communal and I find that practice quite courteous and nice. I usually come prepared with water and snacks for my puppy so she had all those things already. However, for those who forget, don’t worry; there’s usually containers of water for your dogs. There’s also areas with doggy bags and trashcans to pick up poop if you forget to bring your own. So please, be considerate and do pick up the poo so it’s better for everyone, including yourself.
Basically, if you want a good spot to take your very beloved fur baby, take them here. It’s worth the drive no matter how far away you are. The people are friendly, the dogs are super sweet, and it’s a large open field for you and your furry babies to run around in.

Super nice dog park glad we have it around! Silverdale dog park doesn’t compare! This one has nice trails and space to play fetch. Even if your dog doesn’t play with others it’s a great place to spend time with your dog off leash.

this is my favorite off dog park in kitsap county!!! my dog loves it she is a small 15 pound terrier and not very social, but this place has brought the best out of her. she can walk the trails over and over we race on some of the less used trails. its so clean to. Thank you to lall of our great volunteers who make this dog park the best in the area. the other owners are under standing of my problem of «little dog syndrome» which is a blessing cus she can be so embarrassing sometimes with her temper.

i absolutely love coming here and so does my dog. he loves walking the trails and finding a dog or two to play with a little. he’s come a long way socially because of this dog park and the many awesome dog owners who bring their dogs here. it’s very far and few between where i’ve seen inattentive owners who are more into talking to each other than keeping their eye on their dogs.
it’s a volunteer park with no running water so please bring some water either just for your dog or bring a gallon for everyone.

The best dog park around! Beautiful grounds and lots of space. I sometimes run with my dog here and I often walk. Time flies by as you play with your pooch here at Howe,

Hands down, best dog park I’ve ever visited. It has acres available for the dogs to run around. We really enjoy walking through the wooded area (and would even without the dog running around). There is a stream running through the woods that the dog loves to explore and adds a nice touch to the park. There is also a large open area to just run through, to play chase, or to literally run circles around the slow people like our dog. It seems to be a pretty friendly crowd of people who use the park. There are many water bowls in the park that are usually full. It also has two entrances which is nice for shy dogs or escape artists. Easy to find and easy to park (unlike some other dog parks). There are a few benches so you can sit and enjoy the view while the dogs romp around.

What makes this park better than other dog parks is that it is a park I actually like to go to. Most dog parks are flat, open, expressionless places. Great for a dog to run, but not for much else. Howe Farm, on the other hand, is wooded and has gentle hills. The path through the woods takes you past creeks and over bridges, through lush veneration and under towering trees. All of it is meticulously maintained (I’ve never seen a blackberry vine) and cared for. Even if you don’t have a dog, I’d recommend stopping by.

We recently moved to Silverdale & found Silverdale dog park to be a serious disappointment.
After a few miserable trips there, we found Howe Farm a few miles south in Port Orchard & are in LOVE.
Our dogs have never had a better time at the dog park, walking with us through the trails (or running away from us on them), running through the field, traipsing through the creeks. Each time we have gone, not only are my dogs having an incredible time — my husband and I love walking around & enjoying the scenery!
The people have always been friendly and we are more than willing to drive down from Silverdale for a WONDERFUL dog park!!!

I knew this place existed for a long time, but never had the time to go check it out since we’ve moved into town, down the street. Seeing as how this was going to be probably one of the last good days without rain, we decided to take the pup for a stroll.
The actual place itself was awesome. We didn’t expect it to be so big. I’m a little horrified at how much dog poo was at every step (clean up people! There’s copious bag dispensers and trash cans for this purpose), but *shrug* they’re dogs. Whatever. I didn’t realize at first that the wooded area was all trails, but was quite pleased when we ventured in. My dog is silly and gets overwhelmed easily, so it was nice to find an area where he could focus on sniffing everything and not being so afraid.
The people there seemed like a good group too. A lot of people coming up and introducing their dogs or chatting about my dog’s strange breed combo. I didn’t appreciate someone telling me what I should be doing with my dog without knowing my or his back story, but it doesn’t detract from the park and its awesomeness. Just makes me not like that guy.
If you haven’t been here yet, definitely check it out. It will definitely be a muddy experience if it’s been raining recently, but come spring/​summer when things dry out, I imagine it’s one hell of a place!

So I can only speak to the dog area of this park. I bring my dog here at least once a week (if not nearly daily) in the random times when Washington has decent weather. The regulars tell me that even in the winter there are a decent amount of people and pups there, but the doggie and I are too wimpy to brave the rain.
I have a small dog and at first was worried since it didn’t appear that the entire area was fenced. I have, however, confirmed that the entire place is fenced in. There’s a lot of area to this place. When you walk in there is a big openish area with some logs to sit on. As you walk back there are woods to your left with several paths running through them and a hilly field area to your right. It all loops together and is pretty big for an off-​leash dog area.
The park seems pretty well maintained and fences go up when some areas get too muddy. Wood chips seem to be applied somewhat regularly and it helps keep the mud level to a minimum (or as best as you can get in WA). Beware if your dog is one that loves water there is mucky pond (ish) area here and a stream that runs throughout the woods.
Overall, the people here are great too. They are attentive to their dogs generally and puppy fights or aggressive playing gets stopped pretty quick when it’s not appropriate. If you’re in the Kitsap area, I highly suggest stopping by here with your dog.

During our little road trip across the water from Seattle, my dog and I stopped at Howe Farm for the off leash area park. There appears to be two separate areas: the off leash area and the open area for community garden, trails, etc. The open area was closed and locks on the gate. Bummer. It was a beautiful day and I would have love to go for a walk with my dog through the fields.
The off leash area was nice. Someone at the park said it was about 10 acres. I did like the trails in the woods which looped to the open field or to the side entrance of the park. I liked the open area since it was hilly which was great for my dog because it wears her out running up and down the hills to fetch her ball.
Don’t forget to bring water for your dogs!