Queen Elizabeth Park

Markus (right) enjoying the view at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park with his friend

About Queen Elizabeth Park

Type: Park
Length: 3.3 km
Traffic: Low to Moderate
Route Type: Loop

Markus at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park by the Bloedel Conservatory

Queen Elizabeth Park is one of the most beautiful gardens and parks in the world. To have this in our backyard as an absolute privilege and we make sure to take advantage and visit when we can. Regardless of season, we love bringing Markus here to enjoy the sight and smells of nature together!

Queen Elizabeth Park has an off-leash dog park that's close to the tennis, basketball and hockey public courts. This dog park is unfenced, so there are plenty of dogs running around at most times. There are also no designated drinking areas for the dogs, so be sure to bring something for your dog to drink out of. If your dog is reactive, you can definitely avoid this area by going around the courts.

Pro Tip: A handful of times, we've let the dogs off leash in the hockey rink. Markus can't go off leash unless it's in an enclosed area, so the designated off-leash area of the park doesn't work for us. The hockey rink, of course, is meant for hockey, so we need to be respectful for those who want to play by clearing the area if there are hockey players and making sure your dog does not relieve themselves in there ever. Before you let your dogs off, make sure all the doors are properly closed and that there aren't anything that could harm the dogs like broken glass (which we've seen before).

Our Preferred Path

Queen Elizabeth Park is a massive park and it's easy to get lost if you're not familiar with the area. We do have a path that we like to follow, which ends up being about a 45-minute round trip depending on how frequently your dog stops. This path is not a trail and mostly goes along a sidewalk, but there are plenty of opportunities to stop at grassy areas. This path also won't take you through the garden beds where the flowers are, but you can explore those areas on your own!

For reactive dogs, this is a great path to take because other dogs on the path will likely be leashed as well since it's along the road with cars going back and forth. There is an off-leash area in this park as well and that’s where most of the off-leash dogs will be. There also aren't drinking areas for dogs, so remember to bring some water and a bowl for the dog to drink out of (we love using this one).

We usually park on W. 37th Ave by the dog park. This is a good place to start and it's generally quieter parking in the streets, though, if you can find parking in the actual park, then you might as well. If you park by the dog park, just keep in mind that it's an off-leash park in case your dog is reactive. If this is the case, you can go around the public courts or stay on the paved areas like through the Pitch & Putt Parking Lot.

Markus at the small pond trying to get at the ducks

When you're on the main road, you can start following the path along the sidewalk. Throughout this walk, there will be areas with grass, trees, dirt, etc. for the dogs. As you keep following this path, you'll eventually come across a small pond that tends to have a lot of ducks! Keep on going and you'll come across a u-turn area where you'll start going uphill towards the Seasons in the Park restaurant.

Once you're around Seasons in the Park, stop following the sidewalk path and keep right to cut towards the Bloedel Conservatory. Before the conservatory, there's a great viewpoint with a few statues nearby. People love to pause here to take pictures of the viewpoint. You might even be able to get one with your dog in it.

Markus posing in front of the fountain filled with bubbles at Queen Elizabeth Park

If you cut in front of the conservatory towards the left, there will be a large fountain with nice seating nearby. We love stopping here to take some photos. Finally to finish off where you started, cut across the parking lot in front of you and there's a slightly hidden path on the back side. That path goes downwards back towards the street where you started.

Although it is not a traditional trail and the park was made more for humans than dogs, it is still one of the most beautiful and well-maintained parks in the world and we love bringing Markus there to take in all the sights and smells!

About Queen Elizabeth Dog Park

Type: Off-Leash Dog Park
Size: Small to Medium
Enclosed: No
Doors: None
Traffic: Low to Moderate

Immediately next to the tennis courts is a large field where dogs are allowed off-leash. This is less of a true dog park and really just an open field that’s designated for dogs. As such, it’s mostly just a grassy field with some trees and no enclosures. For the few times we’ve passed by, there have been low to moderate number of dogs playing here. It’s especially busy on the weekends.

One thing to consider with the Queen Elizabeth Dog Park is that it is pretty close to the street - it is separated by a sidewalk. There are a few trees that line the outer edge of the dog park, but it is possible for dogs to run off and end up on the street.

What we liked

It's one of the most beautiful parks in the world.
This path is great for reactive dogs because it is relatively quiet.
For dogs who can't be off-leash without fences, the hockey rink is great place to do it if it's empty.
The park is picturesque and great for Instagram.

What we didn’t like

The park gets busy and it can be hard to find parking (which is why we recommend just parking on the streets)
No designated drinking area for dogs.
The off-leash dog area is unfenced and close to the street.

Our Recommendation For Reactive Dogs

Since this isn’t your traditional walk, we usually don’t come across too many dogs when we take the route we mapped above. If anything, there’s more foot traffic and even then, they’re mostly in the flower gardens and not likely walking the perimeter. Keep in mind that there is an off-leash dog park immediately next to the tennis courts where we have the route starting. This dog park is not enclosed and it is basically a large field for dogs to run. If your dog isn’t comfortable with other dogs being off-leash, you’ll want to stay on the paved areas.

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.