About Kings Mill Walk Park Off-Leash Area

• Type: Off-Leash Dog Park/Beach

• Size: Medium to Large

• Enclosed: Yes

• Doors: Two sets of single doors

• Traffic: Moderate

Recently, one of our friends' dog celebrated its adoption day and they invited us and a small group of other dog owners to get together and let the dogs play. The location they chose was the Kings Mill Walk Park Off-Leash Area in West Vancouver, which we had never been, but were excited to go because we had heard that it's an enclosed park with beach access. Although we go a lot of places with Markus, his exposure to water has been limited (and he doesn't seem to like it at all) so we were looking forward to trying to get his paws wet.

Kings Mill Park is a fantastic off-leash area. For starters, the park is really big. For an enclosed park, it is probably the largest one that we've been in British Columbia. There's plenty of parking and after a short little walk, you're at the park. To enter the park, there is a set of double-doors and it was great to see that there weren't dogs crowding the entrance, which tends to happen with other enclosed dog parks. Throughout the park, there are seats and picnic areas, so you can sit and rest (and maybe even enjoy the sunset) while your dog is running around.

The park naturally breaks off into two areas - the higher area where you enter which consists of grass, trees and dirt and the lower area, which is a sand beach that leads into the water. There aren't many enclosed areas with beach access, so this made Kings Mill Park unique to us. 

While we were there, we started in the grassy areas, but quickly made our way down to the beach with the other dogs. The beach area isn't the easiest to access (at least where we went down), since you have to go down some large and uneven rocks. It will likely be much easier for your dog to get down, but once you get there, there's a mix of sand, large rocks and logs that have washed up - plenty of areas for dogs to play. If your dog is a swimmer, one thing to make a note of is that the enclosure obviously ends at the beach, so technically dogs can swim around the fence. If you're concerned about that, just go further down the beach so that you're not near the fence and you'll be fine.

In our time here, Markus mostly explored around the rocks and in the grassy areas. He doesn't like to get wet, so whenever we bring him close to the water, he ends up retreating whenever the water washed in. He did get his paws wet, which is all that we were hoping for, so he definitely isn't a swimmer like some of the other dogs.

This park is a little farther for us, but we will definitely make a trip back there sometime in the near future!

What we liked

• It's a very large, but enclosed park.

• We didn't get crowded at the door, which gets Markus really defensive quickly.

• There's beach access!

• There's a washing station if your dog gets sandy from the beach.

• The view during the sunset is incredible.

What we didn’t like

• Going down to the beach wasn't the easiest since you're walking on rocks to get down.

• If you're in the upper area by the grass, there are parts where you can't see down onto the beach. If you're trying to keep an eye on your dog and your dog wants to go up or down quickly, it might not be the easiest to keep up.

• The single doors means somebody can open the door or leave it open and dogs are free to run out. That said, the park is so big that they’re usually not hanging around the doors anyway.

Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs

Because of its size, the Kings Mill Walk Park Off-Leash Area is not a bad place for reactive dogs. If you're hoping to bring your dog off-leash and practice socialization, but you're concerned about being in an off-leash park, this park is a good place to start. Given the variety of things to do at this park and the fact that there's no overcrowding because the park is so large, it is a good park for dogs who may be anxious around other dogs. The beach itself is pretty narrow, so if you’re worried about your dog being in close proximity with other dogs, it’s worth keeping in mind.

Disclaimer

Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.

Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.