Where Can I Take my Pup to Play in Columbia?

They say, and we agree, that dogs are a man’s best friend. If you agree, you know how hard it is to find a safe space to let your four-legged friends stretch their legs. Sometimes, you just need to get out of the backyard and have some fun! So we did a little digging and here are a majority of the dog parks in the Columbia and Lexington Metro area.

Richland County

Noma Bark Park – Earlewood Park

Address – 1111 Parkside Drive, Columbia SC

Located on North Main Street in Columbia, and located within the confines of Earlewood Park. This is an independant dog park with reasonable yearly memberships.

Website:  https://www.nomabarkpark.org/

Doggie Park – Humane Society

Address – 127 Humane Lane, Columbia, SC

This park requires a yearly fee of $36, and is open year round. Here’s a Link

Sesquicentennial State Park – Dog Park

Address – 9564 Two Notch Road, Columbia SC

This is probably one of the lesser known dog parks in Columbia. Just three miles from Downtown Columbia, this State Park Service dog park has 2 fully fenced acres for off-leash fun. The rules for this park are a little bit different. You have to have a permit of $25 per dog per year or $4 per day. When you get your dog’s permit, they have to be present because they will be taking a photo of your dog. For more details on the rules, here’s a link to the site. Make sure to scroll towards the bottom to see info about the dog park.

Lake Carolina Dog Park – Residents Only

Address – 971 Lake Carolina Blvd, Columbia SC

This is a great feature that Lake Carolina has for its residents. However, it’s only for owners and renters of Lake Carolina.

Emily Douglas Park

Address – 2500 Wheat Street, Columbia, SC

Located in the heart of Shandon, this park is free to use. It’s hidden by the many tall pine trees. It even has a spray pool that is operated during the Summer. This park is great because it has other stuff, such as play equipment for kids, swings, and a huge field to throw a ball. Here’s a Link

Lexington County

Paw Park – Town of Lexington

Address – 989 Hendrix Ave. Lexington, SC

This is a Town of Lexington owned park and is one of the larger parks with 3 acres, and tons of items to play with/on.  This park has a few more rules than most i.e. dogs must be spayed/neutered, you have to fill out an application and provide shot records. It cost $30 for the first dog and $15 for each additional dog per year. If you are interested in an application, you can find it here.

Irmo/Chapin

Barking Lot – Saluda Shoals

Address – 5605 Bush River Rd, Columbia 29212

Located inside of Saluda Shoals park is a 2 acres off leash dog haven. With similar rules as Paw Park, make sure your dog has everything inline before applying for a permit. The permit is $45 per dog per year or $5 per day. Here’s a Link.