As I write this, British Columbia recently relaxed some of our restrictions for COVID-19 and we've moved into Phase 3. Phase 3 allows for non-essential travel throughout the province, so we took the chance to get out of the house and explore the great Pacific Northwest again. Over the weekend, we made a trip up to Whistler, which isn't too far for us living in Vancouver and since we were hungry to explore, we squeezed quite a few activities into our trip including a stop at Rainbow Park.

About Rainbow Park

Rainbow Park runs along the eastern side of Alta Lake, which sits just on the other side of the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Whistler, British Columbia. On nice days, you'll find people swimming in the lake, throwing a frisbee, play on their outdoor volleyball courts or taking the trails around the lake. There are public washrooms and picnic areas in the park and being located right in the middle of a neighbourhood, this park gets pretty busy during the summertime.

It was raining on the day we visited the park and because of that, it wasn't very busy. Especially around the volleyball court area, the rain created quite a bit of mud and walking through the grass wasn't great for our shoes! Due to COVID-19, access from the beach into the lake was fenced off with a temporary plastic fence to discourage groups of people swimming. So while it wasn't busy while we were there, the combination of the ugly weather and closed facilities was likely the reason why.

Beyond those activities, people also like to visit this park because it's a great place to take dogs for a swim. Towards the south end of the park is Barking Bay, an off-leash dog area with grass and its own beach access including a dock with a doggy ramp (at least, that's what we thought that was). If your dog loves getting into the water, this is a great place to take them!

Rainbow Park Off-Leash Dog Park/Barking Bay

• Size: Small

• Enclosed: No

• Doors: No

• Traffic: Low/Moderate

While Barking Bay itself isn't very big, it has beach access into the lake where dogs can go for a swim. If you head towards the right side of the park and follow the path, you'll eventually have to walk around a staggered gate to enter the dog park. This gate doesn't have a door, so it isn't meant to keep the dogs in or out, but likely there to stop vehicles or cyclists from going straight in.

On the other side of the gate, you're at the end of the park already so you'll be surrounded by water by that point. One side of this area has beach access into the lake and another side has a dock that sits above the water where you can bring your dog on if you want to load them onto a boat or something. The dock juts out into the water and there's a small ramp off to the side for dogs to get on and off the dock.

Because of the weather, there weren't other dogs in Barking Bay while we were there. We got to spend some time with Markus on the dock, but we weren't there for long either since the rain was coming down pretty hard.

The grass area of Barking Bay isn't very big and if your dog doesn't like going into the water, your dog will probably enjoy walking around the rest of the park a little bit more than the dog area. There are some paths you can take in and out of Rainbow Park including some small wooden lodges off to the side by the entrance of the park. 

What we liked

• The park as a whole is a great place to hang out and maybe even have a picnic when the weather's nice.

• As it is with most areas around Squamish, there's a great view here of the water and the mountains on the other side.

• The off-leash dog area is great for getting in and out of the water whether it's for swimming or boarding a boat.

What we didn't like

• The off-leash area isn't fenced off.

• The off-leash area also isn't very big, but there's an entire rest of the park to take your dog if they're not getting along with other dogs.

Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs

While it wasn't the busiest while we were there, my recommendation for reactive dogs is that you might be better off walking your dog outside the off-leash dog park. The off-leash area is not very big, so if there is more than one dog, they are bound to gravitate toward one another. I found that the space is mostly used for dogs getting in and out of the water rather than actually enjoying the grass area with other dogs. If your dog is reactive and you want to get into the water, you'll be able to do it without going through the Barking Bay.

The other thing to note is that the space isn't fenced or gated. Dog reactivity can trigger all types of responses and if your dog or the other dog ends up taking off, there's no fence to keep them in. The good news is that you'll be able to do most of the same things in and out of Barking Bay.

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.