The Waukee Brief
Waukee has its own official off-leash dog park, and it's a good one: Trailside Dog Park, 4 fenced acres right off Alice's Road and next to the Heart of the Warrior Trail, with the large dogs and the little ones kept in separate yards. There's one catch newcomers miss - you need a pass, bought online, before you go. Here's the address, the hours, the cost, and exactly what your dog needs.
Trailside Dog Park is Waukee's official off-leash park, at 590 SE Brick Drive - about 4 fenced acres east of Alice's Road, with separate large- and small-dog areas, restrooms, parking and shade, open 7 a.m. to sunset. Every dog needs a pass from BarkPass.com (which gives you a gate code): as listed by the City, $25/yr residents, $45/yr non-residents, or $5 for a day. Waukee residents must license their dog with the City first.
Trailside sits east of Alice's Road, directly next to the popular Heart of the Warrior Trail, so you can pair a walk with off-leash time. Inside the fence you get separate large-dog and small-dog areas so timid or little pups have their own space, plus public restrooms, 21 parking stalls, a drinking fountain, waste stations, a shade structure, concrete walking paths and open grass to run. It's a proper off-leash park, not just a fenced square.
The park is open 7 a.m. to sunset every day, but it closes Thursday mornings from 7 to 10 a.m. for maintenance, so plan around that. Dogs must be leashed to enter and exit; you can unclip only once you're inside the fenced area. Standard dog-park etiquette applies: watch your dog, clean up after it, and keep an eye on the large-vs-small split if your pup is nervous.
Every dog entering Trailside needs a valid pass, purchased at BarkPass.com; when you buy it you get a gate code to open the entrance. As listed by the City of Waukee, an annual pass is $25 per dog for residents and $45 per dog for non-residents, and a single day pass is $5. One extra step for locals: Waukee residents must license their dog with the City before buying a park pass (non-residents just need the pass). Confirm current prices and any vaccination requirements with Waukee Parks & Recreation at 515-978-0007 before you go.
Buy your pass and set up your gate code before you drive over, bring water even in cooler weather, and leash up in the parking lot until you're inside the fence. Avoid Thursday 7-10 a.m. when the park is closed for upkeep. Early morning and early evening are the busiest, most social times.
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Yes. Waukee's official off-leash dog park is the Trailside Dog Park at 590 SE Brick Drive, just east of Alice's Road and next to the Heart of the Warrior Trail. It is a City of Waukee park covering about four fenced acres, with separate areas for large and small dogs, public restrooms, parking, a drinking fountain, waste stations, a shade structure and concrete walking paths.
Yes. Every dog entering Trailside Dog Park needs a valid pass, bought online at BarkPass.com, which gives you a gate code to get in. As listed by the City of Waukee, an annual pass is $25 per dog for residents and $45 per dog for non-residents, and a single day pass is $5. Waukee residents must first license their dog with the City before buying a park pass.
Trailside Dog Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to sunset. It closes on Thursday mornings from 7 to 10 a.m. for maintenance. Dogs must enter and exit on a leash, and can be let off-leash only once inside the fenced area.
Yes. Trailside Dog Park has separate fenced areas for large and small dogs, so smaller or more timid pups have their own space. The park also has concrete walking paths, open grass, a shade structure and a drinking fountain.
Yes. Leashed dogs are welcome on Waukee's trail network, including the Heart of the Warrior Trail that runs right past Trailside Dog Park and the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Keep your dog leashed, clean up after it and bring water on hot days.
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