Sue Higgins Park

Kilometers of trail partially through a nature preserve, with huge fields for throwing balls and frisbees, and 4 access points for dogs to get to the river makes this the spot for Spot to stretch his legs and have a run, sniff, and bark. Weekends the parking lot gets filled so arrive early to ensure stress free dog parking!

It was a shame what the 2013 flood did to it. And I understand the work that went into making it useable again. But it seemed as though restoring the improvement have stalled hope they are going to get back on track. But it is still the best in town. How can you beat the size, the river terrain, the pathways and paddock variety plus much more.

This place has gone to the dogs!
I think I might have as much fun here as the doggies do (no, not doggy-​doo). Your pooches get to run, play, be social and sniff all the dog bums they want, you get to go for gorgeous river stroll complete with wetlands, bridges, trees and hang out by the river, all the while getting greeted by a never ending supply of the cutest puppies ever! EVER! So many cute puppies! SO many cute puppies! I like to run full speed through the field and pick up a whole entourage of doggies trailing behind me. Try it: D
It’s fenced and safe for dogs, so they can’t get out onto the highway or even the bike path that cuts through the middle. Dogs get to be dogs and the poop stays off the pathway. Now we just gotta do something about those Canadian geese… Landmines everywhere!
Southland Dog Park is one heck of a good place for your hound and a nice walk for you too.

I see this place all the time, and have been kind of anxious about taking my fur-​babies here, since one has a tendency to assume he is a much bigger dog than his 11.5 lbs. and will bum rush one and all, yapping away with the worst high-​pitched bark in the universe.
But the warm weather, and their happy dopey faces won me over, and I took the boys here. I’m so glad I did! They loved every moment of it. I loved every moment of it. Meeting new dogs, all the different things to see, climb over, explore, smell, etc. It’s a wonderland for canines. I only wish they had some doggy drinking fountains, but on a warm enough day, the boys are happy to wade in and lap up L’eau de Bow.
Lots of parking available, you can get here one of two ways; I accessed it via the Carburn Park entrance and over the bridge.
P. S. Yay for Indy being the face of Southland Dog Park!

Love love love love!
This is Baileys fav spot in Calgary.
So much to explore from the fensed in water spot, to the bushel of Trees, so many nooks and crannies to discover!
Super easy to find, and HUGE! Normally we visit the doggie park in Dover but its got nothing on this place!
Also, theres always other dogs when I go which is great for my poochie, Bailey. Whenever I head over to the Dover park I never catch any other dogs there — Bailey still has fun, but not as much as when there are other four legged friends to run around with.
If your new to Calgary I recommend this park! Top knotch, and HUGE!
And fur mammas, dont fret — it is completely fensed in! So no way for your little one to wonder off.
In the winter its nice but I gotta say its a blast in the Summer, especially when theres a couple pups splashing around in the water! When we get home Bailey will sleep for hours! Tuckered out little puppy —
A gem in Calgary!

Perhaps my favourite dog park in Calgary! All sorts of little nooks and crannies for your pup to explore! There are open fields, access to the bike paths, treed areas, access to the river and little dog beaches. Be prepared for your pup to have fun and get messy!
My only comment is that I wish the City would have more garbage bins around the park and bike paths. Not so much fun carrying poop bags around with you! I would come prepared with garbage bags, towels and toys.

There aren’t a lot of dog parks like this one. With its expansive fields, hills, treed areas, and fenced in water spots along the river.
My dog goes insane every time we drive by the park, knowing he will soon get to splash, run, and play.
Overall the owners are responsible and clean up after their dogs, I have had only one occasion where my dog was playing frisbee and slipped in another dog’s feces (ewww)
There are two river access points at this park — one with a fence to keep your dog within a confined area, and another open and much muddier area.
This park is as good as it gets for off leash parks

This place is doggie heaven. As I drive over Deerfoot, it is fun to point out the other pooches going nuts in the backseat of nearby vehicles as my own dog whines and spins in anticipation.
Huge, huge park that is fully fenced with access to the river, which is a big plus for my water and puddle loving Golden Retriever.
On a weekend there are a TON of dogs here, great place for your furry friend to learn to socialize, romp and chase.
Only two small complaints: the parking and the absence of garbage bins throughout the park. If you want to encourage owners to pick-​up after their dog, having easily accessible bins is the first step. No one wants to carry poop around in the hot sun until the trek back to the parking lot. When the parking lot is full you are not allowed to park along the road, I have seen many a car being ticketed, the City suggests going to one of the other nearby off leash areas, but those are basically hills that run onto a street with no fence separation.
In conclusion, Southland Dog Park is great! Take your dog there and they will love you forever and you don’t have to worry about them running into the road.

I’ve been going to Southland Dog Park on and off for years. We’d walk my sister’s dog there, and then I started bringing mine once I got her in 2008. I don’t live especially close, so it’s not a usual spot I’ll go to, but occasionally I feel like something different from where I usually take my dog (River Park).
I like Southland — it’s a huge dog park with a lot of options. You can head two different ways from the parking lot, and there are a myriad of paths to branch off on, depending on what you want to do that day. During the summer, there’s a good spot for doggie swimming in a little inlet south of the parking area. My dog is small (17 lbs) so I’m afraid to let her paddle around in the river proper, but the gentle currents in this area are fine.
It’s also really pretty, moreso in the summer. Fun to explore.
The minuses? The parking, especially on nice days during prime hours. And parking enforcement does come around for those who’ve decided to chance the side of the road.
And the fencing. It’s a positive/​negative thing for me. It’s great that there’s a safe® area for people to let their dogs run around, but a lot of owners also believe this means that they don’t have to fully train their dogs. «Hey, it’s fenced in — why should my dog come to me when called?» I see a lot more poorly trained dogs when I come to this park: jumping up on people, running willy nilly at other dogs and listening to owners try to recall their dogs over and over with nary an ear twitch. So, all in all I think fences on dog parks make some owners lazy. Hence why I prefer to walk my dog at unfenced parks where a modicum of training is needed.
I liked Southland better when there was a little fenced in corral and the rest was both fenced and unfenced. But I’ll keep visiting because the pluses outweigh the minuses.
(Yelp Kicks Butt Challenge ¹⁄₁₀)

I have gone to this park many times with my two dogs. Its very large and has lots of different terrain to walk on and many treed areas to roam through. Three are several different areas (62 Hectares!) separated by gates so you can make your walk as long or short as you (or Rover) wants A river runs by the park on the east side and gives the dogs many places to swim (and the river is at a different depth and speed at each one too).
There is a fair amount of parking although it can get packed on the weekends. Each area is fenced meaning your dogs are safe. Generally the dogs there are well behaved and owners do a great job of cleaning up after their pooches. This is by far the best dog park I have ever been to (and I’ve been to my fair share across Canada).