This is a pretty lowkey park near the Jewish Community Center on the northeast side of Tucson. We didn't really explore a whole lot of the park, but it did seem to be a pretty popular place to go bike riding or taking a dog for a walk. On the plus side though, this park is near a few other larger parks, so it isn't super busy. We had no problem finding parking or getting access to one of the many picnic tables. So, if you want a more chill place to enjoy a picnic with nice views of the Catalina Mountains, this is probably a pretty good spot. read more

George Mehl Foothills Park - Park rules and hours of operation - Dog Parks Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This is by far my favorite dog park in town. I used to take my dogs to Brandi Fenton, just down the road but the park was filthy and small. This park has many shaded areas with seating for dog owners, pooper scoopers, and disposable waste bags. There are tunnels for my puppy to run through and shaded areas for my older dog to rest under. I've been here a dozen times or so and park doesn't seem as busy as Reid park which is nice. I have yet to see one dog fight or unfriendly owner which is a huge relief. As a young woman it is also a huge relief to come to a park without feeling the need to bring a friend or put headphones in to avoid the strange men who search for dates at a dog park. I'm sure there are still those individuals who visit this park but I have yet to have it happen unlike the many unpleasant encounters I have had at both Reid and Brandi Fenton. Also, there is a hose to wash your dog off or to fill up the many water buckets. Thankfully there aren't huge pools of standing water like the park on 6th since my puppy loves to jump in standing water. Overall, I think this is the best dog park I have been to in Tucson and recommend it above all others! read more

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This is paws down, the best dog park in town. It's a large space with trees, tunnels, toys. The dogs are awesome, the people are alright. The park is kept clean and there's water for the dogs, and shade and chairs for the humans. Busy times are in the late afternoon. That's when we like to go for maximum canine contact. read more

George Mehl Foothills Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

How did I never know about the dog park here? I've been to Brandi Fenton plenty of times, and it's great, but apparently just a little ways down the road Pima County has another park with the most adorable dog park ever. The Smiling Dog Ranch dog park. It's huge, there is so much space for your dog to run. It's super shady. They have all sorts of chairs for you to sit in. They have little water areas for hydration and those little scooper bags. They even have those little concrete tunnels for your dog to run through. My dogs aren't smart enough for such things, but perhaps yours are! Also the parking for it is right in front of the gate. This is a huge plus because your dogs only have a few feet where they can pull your arm off due to their extreme excitement. We shall be heading back for sure. read more

I had a similar experience as most other reviewers, although not as bad as everyone else. My boyfriend and I are regulars at the Brandi Fenton Memorial Dog Park and have heard this park had some excellent amenities. Today we went to our usual park but we decided to take a walk. During our walk we stumbled upon this park, and seeing my dog in need of water decided to stop in and see it. As we walked in we were disregarded by all people in the entire park. I got a very odd vibe and after having read other reviews I was very cautious about my dog's interactions with other dogs. As we were leaving a young man made a comment about my dogs breed... Along the line of feeling bad for huskies... Even though two golden retrievers were playing at the park with way more hair than my dog. I also was greeted with dirty looks from a few other patrons and felt incredibly uncomfortable the entire time. To be honest the park itself was nice but the people there were unwelcoming. I may go back over the summer simply due to the amount of shade provided. But I don't plan on holding my breath for a warm welcome. read more

I've been to quite a few parks and dog parks around town to run my animals. By far George Mehl seems to be the best as of yet. The park has a lot of baseball fields , access to the river bed and smiling dog ranch dog park read more

George Mehl Foothills Park - Dog Parks Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Lovely space near the river walk, lots of trees but no grass. My dogs are medium sized and there weren't many smaller dogs to play with, this park has no weight limit and all size dogs are in the same space. Most of the dogs there were larger sized. It really felt like more of a place for people to visit each other. Folks seem to have their 'click's and aren't welcoming to strangers, even giving dirty looks. We didn't have much fun. We won't go there again. read more

I've been going to the Smiling Dog Ranch park for about 1/2 dozen of times and so far the experiences have been great, well, except one time when this stupid bull dog won't leave my 15lb terrier puppy alone, attempting to step over my dog and snipping its hind legs, PLUS my puppy had his tails between his legs and yelping- and the owner didn't even say a word to that dog to back off. Besides that one incident though, I've always had pleasant experiences there. There's always at least 10 dogs running around, many chairs to lounge around and spend your afternoon chit chatting with the locals-which were mostly nice and approachable. I only gave it a 4 star because I felt that there are more big dogs than small dogs there and that one stupid bull dog incident. read more

The smiling ranch dog park here is awful, not the park but the people/dogs. I wanted to like it so bad and gave it multiple chances. However, after my dog got attacked 3 times by other dogs, I will never take my dog here again. The owners do not watch their dogs, they all sit in a circle of chairs and talk, while they let their dogs do whatever they want. My dog is 35 lbs and a female. She was stalked and chase after at least 15 dogs. I would scold the other dogs and try to get them to leave her alone, but once one came up to her, all of them would follow and continue to bite her neck as she cried for help. Watch out for the big black pit bull and the little Boston terrier. After my dog got attacked for the last time the owners did not even apologize, instead they tried to justify their dogs behaviors by saying that all the dogs gang up on a new dog and you just have to let them work it out and accept the new dog. THIS IS NOT OKAY, it is extremely ignorant. (Do not own a dog if you cannot train it well and accept the sequences of your dogs behavior) If I ever see the owners/dogs again, I will be reporting them. The dogs who go to this park are not trained, their owners do not watch them/correct their behavior, and can be vicious. BEWARE. read more

I recently moved to the area and this is the first dog park I've checked out. I recently adopted a dog and have only visited a couple of other dog parks in another state, so I don't have a lot to compare it to. However, in comparison to the other parks I've been to, I think it's great! It's large with lots of room to move around. There are usually a ton of dogs there, so my dog is always thoroughly entertained. It's very well shaded and has a hose and doggie water fountain available. I've noticed all of the dog owners here seem to be very responsible. By that, I mean I haven't seen any aggressive dog behavior go unchecked. Occasionally dogs get into scuffles, but the owners are always within feet of their dogs to correct the behavior and escort the dog out if necessary. That's a relief to me because in the previous town I lived in, there were a few regulars with aggressive dogs who were evidently unaware of what aggressive behavior looks like. Once a dog chased my dog around barking and growling, then tackled my dog and ripped a chunk of fur out of side. When I ran over to get the dog off my dog, the owner yelled at me and told me that was just how her dog played and if I couldn't handle it, I should leave. That was notorious behavior at the previous dog park, so I'm happy to say, the dozen or so times I've been to George Mehl's, the dogs and owners have always been well behaved. Additionally, EVERYBODY at this park routinely picks up after their dog. That's just amazing to me, because I certainly didn't see that in my old town. Some other commenters mentioned the crowd at this park to be rude or unwelcoming, which I've never seen to be the case. I will say it is a much older, predominantly male crowd, at least the times I've been. But they have always been very polite to me and I've yet to have problems with anyone. At any rate, I'd highly recommend this park to anyone with a large dog. Given there isn't a separate side for small dogs, and it tends to be pretty packed with large, rambunctious pups, it's probably not a good choice for small dogs or puppies. read more

What a gorgeous dog park!! This is by far my favorite dog park in Tucson due to its huge size, long layout, and beautiful landscaping. The long, multi level layout helps break up different groups of dogs and seems to cut down on the size and frequency of dog fights that can break out at any dog park. The trees provide some wonderful and much needed shade in the Tucson heat. Most dog parks in Tucson have very few trees (just your run of the mill open, bare grass, fenced-in dog park with a few picnic tables), so I was very pleasantly surprised by the abundance of desert trees and bushes! There's a ramp down to the bottom half of the dog park, which makes this relatively wheel-chair friendly. There's also a cool cement tube installed near the ramp that dogs can run down inside. I understand peoples' complaints about the lack of grass and therefore dustiness of the park, but this *is* Tucson. Dirt is not only unavoidable, it's the environmentally friendly option! Everyone we've met there has been lovely - even during our first visit, they engaged us in conversation, got to know who we were, and began to greet us by name once we had been there a few times. All of the people at the dog park did their best to pick up after their dogs and refill the water buckets. Clearly, this is a group of people who really care about their animals. read more

Love this place! One of the best dog parks in the neighborhood and has really cool ideas for dog lovers and networking with other doggies in the area. L shape design with plenty of room to grow. Like this place a lot and has little things that make it homey. read more

This morning at around 7am (Wednesday morning) I stopped at the Smiling Dog Ranch Dog Park with my dog Dakota, at about the same time another car pulled up and a guy (about 60-65yrs old) was getting his big German Shepard (100lbs. mabey) out of his car. I walked over to him and said good morning and asked him some questions about socializing my dog with his. My dog is about 60lbs. and likes to jump on other dogs at times and tackle them, bigger dogs a lot of times will play back with him in this manner BUT if a dog OR owner is uncomfortable with it I distract my dog away from that dog no problem. Anyway, I was just feeling this guy out and seeing if he would be comfortable with this and how his dog would react....I was very nice and friendly. I asked him if his dog was ok with male dogs and how his dog would react with that type of play......WELL.....the first words out of his mouth VERY loud and threatening were "if your dog attacks my dog I will sue you!" Needless to say I was floored! I advised him that's not even close to what I was saying and why did he have to be so rude about it (you had to have been there to hear his tone), at that point he lunges towards me and was screaming....I was so startled I don't even know what he was screaming! He did one of those motions towards me to make me jump (big man trying to punk out a girl). At this point I decided I am NOT staying here because I felt if his dogs hair got messed up or something the guy that just got out of the $80,000 sports car with his big what looked to be pure breed German Shepard would sue me! As I was leaving another guy with another big pure breed looking German Shepard was walking to the gate....he did not hear or know what was going on (yet...I am sure his buddy in the German Shepard Club would fill him in), I nicely said good morning to him.....I got nothing but a stare! Soooooo first impression.....very rude, snotty, holier-than thou a**holes are meeting there this morning and apparently I, nor my mixed breed Blue Heeler are good enough to become part of their "club", I was run off this morning and will never go back there! I went right over to Brandi Fenton Memorial Park and was met with good mornings, laughter and fun.....a better more relaxed non threatening bunch of people and dogs! read more

Nice interactive walking trail with plenty of shade, chairs and water bowls. Catch a baseball game right next to the dog park.

Ok. So coming from Seattle and being spoiled by the 42 acre Marymoor off-leash dog park makes me a little jaded, I thought this park was small and dusty. But it was also functional, people were friendly, and there is a small lake to walk your pooch (on-leash). For a place to socialize your dog and let them be off leash, this is a decent place to go. read more

This is my favorite dog park in the Tucson area. It's spacious, has nice trees for shade, a good supply of chewed up tennis balls and frisbees, chairs for humans, a kiddie wading pool for aquatic canines, free baggies and shovels for cleanup, fresh water for drinking and even cement culverts for pups who want to try out some agility training. Other dog parks seem cramped little pieces of dead dirt after Smiling Dog Ranch. This park is located right off of the Rillito River Park trail which is another great place to exercise dogs. Despite initial reservations due to the reviews here, I've found all dogs and humans here to be very friendly and welcoming. People are careful about monitoring their dogs for aggression, but I never felt this was done in a rude or inappropriate manner. My dog loves this place and we have become regulars. Located in the Foothills, this park also has some pretty nice views for the humans, particularly if you go around sunset. One point to note is that, unlike other local dog parks, there is no separate area for small dogs. Also, large dogs tend to outnumber small dogs. read more

Our favorite dog park so far. Lots of space for the dogs to run, climb and play. Plenty of access to fresh water. Many trees, a couple tunnels and a very large, varied area compared to other dog parks we've been to. This park is super clean compared to most we've been to. read more

liked the layout. nice people good parking. close to river.

I find these negative reviews about Smiling Dog Ranch to be the opposite of my experience here. Everyone I've met here is very cool, but I must admit, there are a select few that can be somewhat elitist....but I made it into that group just fine and we all get along great. However, I've seen them turn up their nose at some of the more annoying people. But all in all, they are super fun folks and we have happy hour at least once a week! The trick is to just act like you don't give a crap what they are doing or if you are a part of their little group because you and your dog are having an awesome time without them. We did that the first few times we went and then they were asking us to come join them by the end of the week! Brandy Fenton on the other hand is a freaking nightmare in my oppinion. Its full of annoying, catty middle aged old ladies who freak out if there is a 31 pound dog in the small dog park. They are ridiculous. They act like the dang dog park police. They also always freak out if their dog gets "rolled". Seriously? They absolutely lose their shit when the dogs start playing somewhat hard and rowdy. I can't freaking stand those hags there. So if you're lame and have a little frou frou dog, you'll probably hate smiling dog ranch and love brandy fenton. read more