Battle Creek Regional Dog Park

I found this dog park by visiting this website so this is the first time there. It is early March as I write this so the trails were very muddy and icy but it was still a very enjoyable trip, albeit messy. The terrain was hilly at times, which made it a bit challenging with the mud and snow, so keep that in mind if you want to visit during this time of year. It should be a lot easier during the warm season. There are several trails here and lots of woods, but since this was our first time here, we stayed on the outside trail near the fence which looped around the park and would bring us back to the start. (This is a very large dog park compared to most, and it would be easy to get lost or turned around if you're directionally impaired like me :-) ). We passed a few ponds on the way as well as a couple open play areas for the dogs. In one of the open areas, there is a small fenced off area for smaller dogs to play if wanted. All along the main trail there are numerous garbage cans for disposal of your dog's waste. Over all, the trails seemed to be clean of poo. There is plenty of water available for the dogs to drink, with all the ponds and streams there, as well as some bowls put out with fresh water. But for people there is none, so I recommend you bring a water bottle for your trip.

I recently went to Battle Creek for the first time. It is a very large park with lots of open space and trails to explore with your dog. The people were also very friendly and there were a lot of dogs (big and small) there.

I have two main issues with BC. First is that I was constantly side-stepping poop. It seems that some owners are not picking up after their dogs, I hope that this is not a regular issue and that I was there on an "off day". I'll give it the benefit of the doubt for now.

My other big issue is that a few of the owners in the park brought treats in with them. My dog is very treat motivated and I had to constantly catch her before she jumped up to beg for a treat. (She is still a puppy, we are working on it.) Some owners said it was no big deal and would give her treats without asking. I appreciate them being nice, but my dog has tummy issues and I need to know what she is eating as we try to figure out what triggers her bad tummy reactions.

Aside from the poop and the treats it was a great park to walk around and let our pup run and roam.

Mack and I both love this dog park. Just started going this yr with mack. People are very friendly as are the dogs. I enjoy walking the trails. We get there as often and weather permitting as we can.

Great trails and big open spaces. The people and dogs we met today (first time there) were very nice. I will definitely be going back often and I'm excited for spring/summer so my dog can go swimming there too

I'm sorry to hear this. There are no no bad pit bulls just bad owners. I love this dog park and i truly wish everyone will have great experiences from now on. I hear this story over and over again. I wish this person would just go to a different dog park. Again i'm sorry to hear you had this happen.

Today was my first time visiting the Battle Creek dog park. The park was fantastic. My husband and I brought our two dogs for a lovely hike on the wooded trails when another patron of the park coming in the opposite direction told us that we should NEVER bring a pit bull into that park. We were in shock. Our Piper who is a Staffordshire Terrier / Boxer mix, was leashed and controlled. She is not an aggressive dog at all. She is very well behaved and being properly trained. This person then proceeded to "bully" me by saying that she has been charged by THREE pit bulls in the park. As this person walked away - several people approached me to say that this awful person's dog has gone after their dogs and that she is a terrible dog owner. Actually I found it amazing that this person would accuse our Piper of terrible bully behavior when she in fact was doing just the thing she was complaining about. Breed discrimination should be a crime. I am not intimidated by this individual in any way. She did mention that she was going to bring a tazer into the park and that she would use it against any pit bulls.

First impression - well, it was eventful that's for sure. Oh and we will be back. The number of understanding and welcoming people in the large grassy area proved to us that one person's opinion just doesn't matter in this case.

Just took our 2 dogs to this park and we will be back. Love the trails, the ponds, and the open spaces. Our dogs loved every minute of their time here.

I have been going to this park with my dog at least weekly for several years and have never once seen an aggressive dog. I have however seen owners that are very uptight and thought that dogs were aggressive simply because they were chasing other dogs (not barking, not growling, nothing. Just playing chase like dogs do). I have found that if we simply keep moving that we have no problem, but sometimes there is a LARGE concentration of dogs/people in one area and there seems to be a mix of people who understand dog behavior and those that don't which seems to cause some conflict. I try to avoid those large groups and keep on the walking trails with my dog - we're a lot happier that way :)

This is the best dog park I have ever seen. Multiple ponds, large wooded areas, walking trails. My dog LOVES this park - his favorite place to be. People are friendly and the park is clean and welcoming. After searching for a dog park in another city I am planning to visit and having no luck it makes me appreciate it even more. You can't beat free and open to everyone - other cities aren't so lucky in that regard.

This park is huge! A fairly nice sized pond. Great wooded areas and trails, and multiple play areas. I run into a lot of dogs/people I know here, and everyone is so nice. I am willing to travel out of my way to go here.

A fellow park go-er suggest the DNA test Wisdom-Panel for my mixed breed dog, and I'm so happy I got my cute little mutt tested! Thanks! He's a Springer Spaniel, Yorkie, and Beagle!

Two cents about earlier posts:

I have never had an issue with aggressive dogs or irresponsible owners at Battle Creek. Most fights can be prevented if you notice warning signs, so a little education on both owners parts could be necessary. If you really feel you need to protect your dog, "Spray Shield" or "Direct Stop" are citronella sprays that are non-toxic and non-harmful, dogs just don't like the smell. If you feel you have to bring a taser to the park, please don't come.

yesterday was our first visit to this dog park. it was a little hard to find at first and not well marked so we had to ask some people walking their dog if we were even heading in the right direction. so - signage could be improved greatly. but now that we know where it is all is ok! the park itself has great trails and so much variety that Maggie (dog) and i (owner) both had a great time. Maggie got to run and be a happy dog and i got a great cardio workout traipsing thru the snow and up the gentle hills. there were many other patrons out w/ their owners enjoying the winter weather. i guess there are three park entrances but i only saw one other than the one i parked at. it would be great if better maps were provided either online or at the park itself. it's a great park and the free entrance price is a huge bonus. they ask park patrons to bring any extra poop bags and donate them in the many mailboxes throughout the park which i think is a great idea. can't wait to go back next weekend.

I mean no disrespect to anyone in my "well let me ..." post. But whomever that is that hints that he'd/she'd tazer someones dog needs to get their mind straight. how can you say you care about your dog but think about hurting anyone elses? I too care about my dog, and if she gets into a tussle with another dog at the park, i'd be concerned as well, but i also know dogs play rough. What looks like a fight is more commonly rough play. To anyone that misinterpreted my comments, I am sorry for the aggressive tone!

I love this park. It's huge, it's fenced, there's water, there's trees, great people, great dogs, best dog parks i've been to!

well let me make sure you understand. I see you spray or tazer my dog or anyone elses, you'll have a HUGE problem! I encourage you to take this as a threat! If you're so uncomfortable, maybe you should stay home with your shades pulled, so that way you'll have nothing to fear. Dogs play aggressively, most people do too! Watch any professional sporting event.

Please do not bring these weapons into a public park. Not only are you putting other people and their dogs at risk, you're putting your own pet at risk.

Please do learn to control you dogs by going beyond reacting to their aggressive moves by anticipating them instead and stepping in before another owner is upset by your dog's behavior or a dog is hurt.

This is a public park -- it takes willingness to be tolerant of strange people and dogs in public and it takes willingness to not do in public what you may consider okay to do in the privacy of your home if it's offensive or threatening to enough people and/or dogs.

For starters I am not being hyper sensitive cause I am going to protect my dog no matter what and for two I would appreciate if you " leave your comments at home" cause you were not there to witness my dog being attacked so you have no opinion here. And your right I shouldn't have to bring spray cause people should be in verbal command of their dog at all times like the signs says but some people are just stupid and don't control their dogs so like I said I will protect my dog in anyway I have to!

The sign specifically says that mixing leashed and unleashed dogs is not a good idea. It is an off-leash park. In fact, you are the one who is in the wrong.

I'm sure the dogs were just playing, but either way, it is horrible that you bought spray. Not such a good idea....trying to combat aggressiveness with more aggressiveness. Maybe you should just be a "dog lover" at your own house. And a Tazer? You have got to be kidding.

Battle Creek Dog Park will be closed Oct. 18-20 & Nov. 8-10, 2010 for deer hunting.

For almost the past week I've gone to the dog park and there have been a very aggressive French bull dog and two bostons.... Not sure what to do and have also heard from at least ten other people saying the Sam e thing... Three days ago my dog was attacked! When my wife and I were yelling at the owner to tell there dogs to stop she said they were playing when my puppy was crying! One of the rules is control your dog at all times! I now bought dog spray and a tazer... Other than that it's a great place!

Outside of the ponds (which dry-up through the summer), it's a fairly clean place to let the dog romp. The wide-open field offers a great vantage. Trails and ponds are on the south-end of the park, as well as a 'dedicated' throwing/fetching/retrieving areas. Winding trails and thick woods give the impression of expanse.

You get a mix of all kinds of dogs here, and most owners understand that. We love this place!

We love this park! There are many dogs for our wiggly butt to play with:)

This is a great park! I come here about once every week. My dog loves it. There are always dogs here. There are woods, ponds, and just grassy areas. It's the biggest dog park I've ever been to! I will always come back here:) Haven+Ryder

Overall I think this park is great. Some of the owners tend to let their dogs exhibit unhealthy play behaviors (Aka aggressive behaviors) and are unwilling to break up the dogs saying "they are just playing". I am able to avoid this with my dog because we keep moving around the park. In addition, my boyfriend brings his dog who is "still in training" to the park. Dogs will come and get all tangled in the leash trying to play and the owner of the dog is NOWHERE to be found! It is a little frustrating but the park is great!

I just moved to town and was elated when we found this place. i have never seen such a large fenced-in off leash dog park.... totally awesome. thanks st. paul!!

THANK YOU!!

-Remington and His Owners

Is it possible we could get some wood chips to cover the extreemly muddy areas on the trail mostly on the northeast side of the park. Thanks that would be awesome!

I LOVE this park, my dog LOVES it even more. It's huge & spacious & beautiful but I normally bring 4 poop bags with me & I guess I need to start bringing more to pick up all the other stray poops. It could be a fulltime job! I've stepped in it, my dog has stepped in it. It is very disconcerting. Today I asked someone there sitting at a table socializing which dog was his & he stated that his dog was somewhere in the park. On my way out later his dog was following me & my dog, pooping all over & trying to come out the gate with us. His owner was obviously still socializing on the other side of the park. Very irritating to say the least.

Is the park open this weeken 11/21-11/22. I know that Otter Lake is close for deer hunting?

My dog was about 30 feet into the woods "doing his business" so I fixed my eyes & headed towards the spot and stepped into a huge pile of poo along the way! The day before on the way out there was a giant pile of poo right inside the gate which I saw & so cleaned it up so somebody else wouldn't have to spend 45 minutes cleaning their tennis shoes in the wash tub like I did today. Come on people!

I saw a notice in the park today that stated they have decided not to charge a fee thanks to city council members.

Wow! This park is outstanding! It's absolutely gorgeous! Met some very nice people and doggies. It's HUGE. Someone told me it recently got expanded to 25 acres! It was our first time there and we spent several hours hiking & exploring & playing & chasing. Might not recommend for persons with limited mobility as I found alot of the terrain quite challenging! It was a great experience for me & my dog. It is all fenced & I saw 3 entrances & 2 parking lots & a few picnic tables in 2 separate locations.
Highly recommend!

I love the new fence and the fact that it is still free. The fence is a comforting feeling. My dogs love the dog park! The people are very friendly and attend to their dogs very well. I have come to know many of the "regulars" and enjoying playing on a regular basis.

I think battle creek is a nice park for dogs. And the people are nice. But I think just because they put up a fence they are thinking to charge people next year to bring there dogs there. If this is true why did they put a fence for. The park was okay the way it was.

my dog freaks out when we say 'want to go to the dog park?' and he LOVES it

This park is great with lots of trees. People are nice and attend to their dogs well. Very clean.

Battle Creek may well be one of the best off leash dog parks in the country which is located in the middle of a large metro area.