Sep 2, 2026

Where Dogs Are Not Allowed in Scottsdale

A temperature, a fence line, a maintenance window, a vaccination record. Every Scottsdale restriction on dogs with the rule behind it, including the one that never lifts.

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

Scottsdale, Arizona9 min readPet Care & Services

Most Scottsdale restrictions on dogs are conditions rather than bans: a temperature, a fence line, a maintenance window, a vaccination record. There is exactly one flat prohibition, and it is a trail.

Here is the complete list, with the rule behind each and the source that publishes it.

Pinnacle Peak Park's trail, at any temperature

The only unconditional one we found. Verbatim from the city's Pinnacle Peak Park page:

"Hiking with your dog and biking are not allowed on the trail. These activities are permitted at the nearby Brown's Ranch Trailhead ."

No temperature condition, no season, no time of day. And note that the alternative the city names is itself closed for improvements, with an expected start of 13 July 2026 and completion in Fall 2026.

Our Pinnacle Peak Park and dogs guide covers the park, the closed alternative and the trailheads the city redirects to, three of which it flags as having no drinking water.

The Preserve, above 90 degrees

Not a prohibition in form, but treat it as one.

Verbatim from the Preserve page, split across two lines on the page: "If it is over" / "90 degrees at any time in your hike, it's too hot for your dog."

And the sentence that gives that guidance teeth, verbatim: "The desert heat can kill them with little or no warning, and you could be charged with animal cruelty under State law."

Ninety degrees, measured at any point in the hike rather than at the trailhead. The city's instruction is to check the hourly forecast before you go. Our dogs in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and Scottsdale dog heat rules guides cover the thresholds and the surface-temperature figures behind them.

Off the lead, anywhere except the four dog parks

Functionally a restriction on almost the entire city.

Verbatim from the dog parks page:

"Owners or custodians of a dog must restrain and control the dog at all times with a leash of not more than 6 feet in length when outside of the dog exercise area. (Scottsdale Revised Code, Ch. 20, Sec. 20-32)"

Six feet, everywhere outside the pens. In the Preserve it is stricter again, verbatim: "Dogs must be on handheld leash, no longer than six (6) feet at all times."

"Handheld" rules out clipping the lead to a pack or a belt, on the face of it.

The state adds its own layer for two settings. ARS 11-1012(D), verbatim: "No person in charge of any dog shall permit such dog in a public park or upon any public school property unless the dog is physically restrained by a leash, enclosed in a car, cage or similar enclosure or being exhibited or trained at a recognized kennel club event, public school or park sponsored event."

Public school property is on that list. Our Scottsdale leash law guide sets out all three layers and which parts we could verify.

Inside a dog park, during the maintenance window

A dog park you drove to can be shut at 9 a.m. on a weekday. The windows are published and they are twice a week per park.

Park	Closed for maintenance
Chaparral Dog Park	Every Tuesday and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon
Horizon Dog Park	Every Monday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon
Thompson Peak Dog Park	Every Monday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon
Vista del Camino Dog Park	"No current schedule"

Plus the rotating third cell. At Chaparral and Thompson Peak, verbatim: "The third area (on rotation) will be closed for maintenance and turf repair." So one of the three pens is always out of service.

Our Scottsdale dog parks guide has the addresses, hours and full rules.

Inside a dog park, outside the published hours

Two of the four have published dog park hours, verbatim from the Chaparral Park page: "Year-round | 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m."

The park around it runs on different hours again, verbatim: "Sunrise - 10:30 p.m."

So between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. the park is open and the dog run is not. Horizon and Vista del Camino publish no dog-park-specific hours, so assume the park hours and read the signage.

Inside a dog park, if the dog does not qualify

Four exclusions in the city's posted rules, and they are about the animal rather than the place.

Verbatim: "All dogs must be currently licensed and vaccinated. Puppies under the age of four months are not allowed in the park until they have had their license and vaccinations."

Licensed, vaccinated, and over four months. The licence is a Maricopa County licence, and note the age conflicts with the three months in ARS 11-1008 and on the county's own page. Our Scottsdale dog licence guide prints all four thresholds without reconciling them.

Verbatim: "Female dogs in heat are not permitted in the exercise area."

Verbatim: "Aggressive or anti-social behaving dogs must be removed from the park immediately."

And a per-visitor cap, verbatim: "No more than four dogs per visitor." Two people can bring eight dogs. One person cannot bring five.

Inside a dog park, with food

Verbatim: "No food or alcoholic beverages allowed in the exercise area."

Read that with the recall standard, verbatim: "Dogs should be under voice control."

Treat-based recall does not work in a Scottsdale dog park. Train the voice cue before you rely on it. Our dog park etiquette and how to leash train a dog guides cover the groundwork.

Children, which is a restriction on you rather than the dog

Verbatim: "An adult must accompany youth under the age of 16."

Higher age line than most cities publish, but accompanied children are allowed, which is the opposite of Phoenix's rule barring under-12s entirely. Our Scottsdale versus Phoenix dog rules guide sets the two side by side.

Off the trail, in the Preserve

Not a dog rule exactly, but it constrains where a dog can walk. Verbatim from the rattlesnake page: "Travel only on designated and posted trails" and "DO NOT TRAVEL OFF TRAIL".

The capitals are the city's. With a dog on a six-foot handheld lead, staying on trail is mostly a question of where you put your feet, and the reason for the rule is in the same list: "Always keep your dog(s) on a leash".

Our rattlesnake bites and dogs in Scottsdale guide covers the clinic list the city publishes for bites, including which clinics say they hold anti-venom.

Waste left anywhere, including in a bag

Two separate rules, and the second one catches people out.

In the dog parks, verbatim: "Bag and dispose of your pet's waste using canisters provided." And, verbatim: "Please fill any hole your dog digs."

In the Preserve, verbatim: "Loose or bagged waste on the trail is prohibited."

A bag left beside the trail to collect on the way back is a violation. The city's wording is that waste must be disposed of in a trash container or carried with you until you reach one.

Two restrictions that are really about the county

Neither is a place ban, but both stop a dog being somewhere it might otherwise be.

An untagged dog is not allowed to be at large, and legally it is not even yours. Maricopa County Ordinance P-13 defines a stray dog, verbatim, as "any dog four months of age or older running at large that is not wearing a valid license tag", and provides that "Any animal subject to licensing under this ordinance found without a tag identifying its owner shall be deemed unowned."

And an unlicensed dog that bites cannot serve its quarantine at home. P-13 Section 9, verbatim: "An unlicensed or unvaccinated dog or cat that bites any person shall be confined and quarantined in a county pound or, upon request of and at the expense of the owner, at a veterinary hospital for a period of not less than seven days."

So the licence is what keeps your dog in your own house in the worst week it is likely to have. Our lost dog in Scottsdale and dog bites and attacks in Scottsdale guides cover both timelines.

The short version

One trail is closed to dogs permanently: Pinnacle Peak.

The Preserve is off limits in practice above 90 degrees, which is most of May to September.

Everywhere outside four fenced pens is six-foot-lead territory, handheld in the Preserve.

Two of the four pens close for four hours twice a week, and one cell in each of the two large parks is always resting.

If you are moving here, our moving to Scottsdale with a dog guide sequences the first month. If you are visiting, our pet-friendly hotels in Phoenix roundup and Phoenix hotel directory are the nearest listings.

Frequently asked questions

Where are dogs banned in Scottsdale? The only flat prohibition we found is the Pinnacle Peak Park trail, where the city states that hiking with your dog and biking are not allowed, with no temperature or seasonal condition.

Are dogs allowed in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve? Yes, on a handheld leash no longer than six feet at all times, and the city advises leaving the dog at home if it will be over 90 degrees at any point during the outing.

How long can my dog's leash be in Scottsdale? Six feet. The city states that owners or custodians must restrain and control the dog with a leash of not more than 6 feet in length when outside the dog exercise area, citing Scottsdale Revised Code Ch. 20, Sec. 20-32.

When are Scottsdale dog parks closed? Chaparral closes every Tuesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon, and Horizon and Thompson Peak close every Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon. Vista del Camino has no current schedule. At Chaparral and Thompson Peak, one of the three pens is also closed on rotation.

What are Scottsdale dog park hours? Chaparral and Thompson Peak dog parks publish year-round hours of 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., while the parks around them are open sunrise to 10:30 p.m. Horizon and Vista del Camino publish no dog-park-specific hours.

Can puppies use Scottsdale dog parks? Not under four months. The rules state that puppies under the age of four months are not allowed in the park until they have had their licence and vaccinations.

Sources

Rules and closures change, and one layer of this could not be read at source. Check the city's pages and the signage on site.