Sep 2, 2026

Dog Parks in Phoenix: 14 Parks, and Most of Them Close in Summer

Phoenix publishes a document each year telling you which dog parks will be shut for weeks. In 2026 that is ten of fourteen, all in summer. Here is the list, the exceptions, and the pattern worth learning.

Luis ZamoraCo-founder of PetCompass; Dog Dad to Banzo and Tuck

Phoenix, Arizona10 min readThings to Do

Phoenix publishes a document every year telling you which of its dog parks will be shut for weeks at a time. In 2026, ten of the fourteen have closure dates, and every one of those windows falls in summer.

That is not a complaint about the city. It is the reason the parks are usable at all. As Phoenix puts it on its dog parks page: "During the summer months, the City of Phoenix sets aside time for turf recovery, improvements, and maintenance to dog parks. This allows regrowth and seeding to improve bare areas throughout the park."

But it does mean that in Phoenix, unlike anywhere else in this series, "is my dog park open" is a real question with a published answer. Check before you drive.

The fourteen, and the 2026 closures

Taken verbatim from the city's 2026 dog park summer closure document, organised by the city's own divisions.

Division	Dog park	2026 closure	Pens
Downtown	Hance Dog Park	May 19 to June 27	Large and Small
Downtown	Margaret T Hance Dog Park	July 3 to July 18	Large and Small
Downtown	Steele Indian School Dog Park	June 30 to August 10	Large and Small
Downtown	Thelda Williams Paw-Pup Park	No closure dates	Paw PUP
Northeast	Grovers Basin Dog Park	May 26 to July 15	Large & Small
Northeast	Paradise Valley Dog Park	July 16 to September 8	Large & Small
Northeast	Pinnacle Dog Park	None	Rotating Pens
Northwest	Deem Hills Dog Park	May 1 to August 31	Large and Smal
Northwest	Petsmart Dog Park @ Washington Park	No closure dates	Large and Smal
Northwest	Deer Valley Park	No closure dates (3 pen system)	2 of 3
South	Cesar Chavez Dog Park	June 1 to August 16	Large and Small
South	Esteban Dog Park	Close during irrigation cycle monthly	Large and Smal
South	Pecos Small Dog Park and RJ Large Dog Park	June 1 to August 16	Small and Large
Special Ops	Rose Mofford Dog Park	Closed for maintenance from June 15 through July 31, 2026	Large and Small

The source prints its date ranges with dashes our house style does not use; we have substituted "to" and are telling you so. The "Smal" spellings are in the original.

Two things in that table do not add up, and we are reporting them rather than tidying them.

First, "Hance Dog Park" and "Margaret T Hance Dog Park" appear as two separate rows with different closure windows. Those may be two pens of one park, or two records for the same one. The document does not say.

Second, the week counts do not match the dates. The May 19 to June 27 row is labelled "(7 weeks)", which is about six. The July 3 to July 18 row is also labelled "(7 weeks)", which is about two. Go by the dates.

The four with no closure dates

Worth pulling out, because in a Phoenix summer these are the ones that matter.

Thelda Williams Paw-Pup Park, Downtown, listed with a "Paw PUP" pen.

Pinnacle Dog Park, Northeast, closure "None", with "Rotating Pens". That rotation is presumably how it stays open: pens rest in turn rather than the whole park closing.

Petsmart Dog Park @ Washington Park, Northwest, no closure dates.

Deer Valley Park, Northwest, no closure dates, described as a "3 pen system" running "2 of 3". So two pens open while one rests.

The pattern is the useful bit. Parks with rotating or multiple pens stay open; single-pen parks close outright. If summer access matters to you, the multi-pen parks are the ones to learn the way to.

Esteban Dog Park is the odd one out: "Close during irrigation cycle monthly". Not a summer block but a recurring monthly interruption, all year.

The rules

Phoenix publishes one set covering all of them, and several items are stricter than people expect.

Everything is double-gated. Verbatim: "all of which are fenced with safe, double-gated entrances."

Leash until the gate is shut behind you. Verbatim: "Dogs must be kept on a leash until the owners/custodian and dog(s) are in the dog park and the entrance gates are fully closed after entry. Outside of gated dog parks, the Phoenix Leash Law applies at all times and in all places."

Note that second sentence. At all times and in all places. Phoenix states its leash rule more broadly than either the Arizona statute or the county ordinance do, and we cover the three layers separately.

Voice control, and eyes on the dog. Verbatim: "Owners/custodians must maintain voice control over their dog(s) and keep them in sight while visiting the dog park." Not one or the other. Both.

Aggression means leave. Verbatim: "Dog behavior can be unpredictable around other dogs and strangers. For the safety of all the dogs at the parks, immediately leash your dog if it exhibits aggressive behavior and leave the dog park area."

No food at all, and no smoking or alcohol. Verbatim: "Smoking, alcoholic beverages, and food are not permitted within the fenced areas." So no training treats, which changes how you handle recall in there. Practise elsewhere first; our dog park etiquette and how to leash train a dog guides cover the groundwork.

No dogs in heat. Verbatim: "Absolutely no female dogs in heat are allowed into exercise areas."

No grooming. Verbatim: "To help keep the dog parks clean, please do not groom animals at the park."

Clean up, using the dispensers provided. Verbatim: "Please use the mutt mitt dispensers and waste containers located at the parks' fence lines. Owners/custodians must clean up after their dog(s) to decrease the spread of disease."

And you are liable. Verbatim: "Owners/custodians of a dog are responsible for the acts and conduct of their animal at all times when it is in a city park", and "Park users and dog owners assume all risks related to use of the dog parks."

No children under 12

This is stricter than most cities in this series, several of which use eight or set no limit at all.

Verbatim: "Some dogs exhibit unpredictable behavior around small children. For the safety of children please do not bring children under the age of 12 into the dog parks."

Twelve. Worth knowing before you plan a family walk that ends at the dog park.

What your dog needs

Verbatim: "Maricopa County requires that all dogs in the county be licensed. In addition to being licensed, dogs must be older than 4 months and be currently vaccinated."

So three requirements: a county licence, over four months old, and current vaccination.

The age is worth a note. Phoenix says older than four months here. Arizona Revised Statutes 11-1008 sets the licence at "three months of age or older", and Maricopa County's own licensing page also says three months. Its Ordinance P-13 says four. Licence at three months and use the dog park after four, and none of the discrepancies affect you.

And the licence is worth having anyway. Maricopa County states on its licensing page that it follows "a minimum of 120 hours for Hold-Notify of a licensed dog that comes into the shelter, compared to a minimum stray hold of 72 hours". Five days rather than three, for $22.

Phoenix also adds a recommendation rather than a rule, verbatim: "To discourage aggressive behavior, the city of Phoenix recommends that dog owners only bring animals that have been spayed or neutered." A recommendation, not a bar.

When to go, which in Phoenix is the whole question

The parks close in summer for turf. The rest of the summer problem is the ground itself.

Maricopa County publishes an asphalt conversion table on its pet heat safety page, and the top row is the one to internalise: at 77 degrees outside, asphalt reads 125 degrees, and the county states that "Skin damage can occur in ONE MINUTE when asphalt temperatures are above 125 degrees."

Its test, verbatim: "Place your bare foot or the back of your hand on the pavement for 7 seconds, if it's too hot for you, it's too hot for pets too!"

A dog park is grass, but the car park and the path to the gate are not. Do the seven-second test on the surface between the car and the gate, not on the turf inside.

And the timing advice, verbatim from the county: "Limit your pet's time outside and try to stick to the mornings or evenings when the temperatures are cooler." Our summer heat safety for pets guide covers the signs of a dog that has had enough.

A note on the older park list

You may find a Phoenix Police Department PDF that lists seven dog parks with addresses and hours. It is useful, and it is out of date: it describes Paradise Valley Park Dog Park as "tentatively scheduled to open in the summer of 2014".

For the park list, the 2026 closures document is the current source, and that is the one this page is built on.

The practical consequence: where you find an address or an opening hour for a specific Phoenix dog park, check which document it came from and how old that document is.

Before you drive out

Check the closures document for your park. Ten of fourteen have 2026 windows.

Prefer a multi-pen park in summer. Pinnacle, Deer Valley and the two with no closure dates.

Licence and vaccination current, tag on the collar. County licence, over four months, currently vaccinated.

Leave the treats in the car. No food inside the fence.

Seven-second test on the walk from the car.

Nobody under 12 through the gate.

If you are visiting Phoenix, the county licence requirement is a practical obstacle for an out-of-town dog, and the honest advice is to plan early-morning walks on grass instead. Our roundup of pet-friendly hotels in Phoenix and our Phoenix hotel directory are the places to start, and our hotel stay with a dog packing list covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions

How many dog parks does Phoenix have? The city's 2026 summer closure document lists fourteen, grouped by division across Downtown, Northeast, Northwest, South and Special Ops.

Do Phoenix dog parks close in summer? Yes. Ten of the fourteen in the 2026 document have closure dates, all in summer, which the city says allows turf recovery, improvements and maintenance.

Which Phoenix dog parks stay open in summer? In the 2026 document, Thelda Williams Paw-Pup Park, Pinnacle Dog Park, Petsmart Dog Park at Washington Park and Deer Valley Park are listed with no closure dates. Pinnacle uses rotating pens and Deer Valley a three-pen system running two of three.

Are children allowed in Phoenix dog parks? The city asks that children under the age of 12 not be brought into the dog parks, citing unpredictable dog behaviour around small children.

Can I bring treats to a Phoenix dog park? No. Smoking, alcoholic beverages and food are not permitted within the fenced areas.

What does my dog need to use a Phoenix dog park? A Maricopa County licence, an age older than four months, and current vaccination, per the city's dog park rules.

Sources

Closure dates change annually. Check the current year's document before you drive out.