We, and the fur kids, LOVE this dog park…read more
Unlike most (all?) other dog parks, this is NOT one big, flat, open, space. Whereas most parks are stripped of all weeds, plants, etc, leveled, sprinkled with few trees, benches and some bark mulch all inside one big fence, this park was designed to be different. In creating it the city intentionally left in place most of the existing plants, terrain, etc. Some trees were planted on both sides, bark mulch, and benches were added, and voilà! A new type of dog park was born!
There are two play areas for your dog to choose from. One for big(ger) dogs (25+ lbs), and one for smaller dogs (under 25 lbs), divided down the middle with a dirt/gravel walking path. The first section is a large area with an obstacle course, one covered set of benches near the course, and more uncovered benches placed throughout. While this space is designated for bigger dogs, smaller dogs are welcome too, provided they're okay hanging with the bigger pups.
On the west side of the park is a smaller, but equally nice smaller dog area Like on the big dog side, there's one covered set of benches, along with few uncovered stand alone benches placed throughout. Unfortunately though, there's no obstacle course on this side.
The north side of the park has an entrance/staging area that has a pump, a big (plastic) bowl for water, and a couple of benches. The gates for both the big and small dog areas are accessible from there, as well as the entrance to the path dividing the two sections.
There are more parking spaces on the south side of the park than on the north, so if you're coming by car I'd plan to use the lot on Ventana Village Rd (just W of Universe) which is right next to Ventana Ranch Elementary. That south side also has staging area, a pump, water dish and benches. The entrance for the bigger dogs play area is accessible from the south, but the small dog area is not. To get to there you'll either need to take the path I mentioned above, or walk through the big dog area and out to the staging section on the north end. There's only one gate into the small dog play area, and it's on the north end of the park.
My only complaint about the park is there are quite a few ants in the small dog area. It's not overrun, and if your dog is spending their time running around, then they probably won't notice them. But they are there, so be aware, and watch where you sit/stand. I don't know whether the big dog side has the same problem, as we spend all our time on the side for the littles.
We don't come here as often as we probably should, given how close it is to our house (about a 5 - 10 minute walk), but it really is a great park, and a nice thing to have so close to home. If you're anywhere near Ventana Ranch, you and your fur kids should come check it out!