Meridian Dog Park (Small Dogs) - East Lansing, MI
Meridian Dog Park (Small Dogs) – East Lansing, Michigan
Located in scenic East Lansing, Michigan, Meridian Dog Park (Small Dogs) is a favorite destination for small breed owners looking for a safe, friendly, and well-maintained dog park. This park features a secure, ~4-ft tall fenced area on gently sloping hills dotted with pine trees, making it perfect for dogs 30 pounds and under. The park’s pet-friendly atmosphere is enhanced by a welcoming community, with groups of local dog walkers regularly meeting at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm every day. Free parking is available, and the park is wheelchair accessible, both in the lot and at the entrance.
Unique amenities include a small agility section, picnic benches, and a public dog water fountain just outside the park. Pet-friendly trails for walking, hiking, or jogging are directly connected, offering extended adventures around the Meridian Township area. Annual membership is required, with easy registration at the Meridian Township office. The park is open year-round, kept clean and well-maintained thanks to community fees, and is especially popular for its inviting crowd of well-natured owners and their pups—making it one of the top dog parks in East Lansing for small breeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are dogs allowed off-leash at this park? Yes, dogs are allowed off-leash inside the designated small dog fenced area.
- Is there a fenced area for dogs? Yes, the park has a secure ~4-ft tall fence around the perimeter.
- Are there breed or size restrictions at this dog park? Yes, only dogs 30 pounds and under are allowed in the small dog section.
- Are there water fountains or bowls for dogs? Yes, there is a public dog drinking fountain just outside the small dog park.
- Is there shade or shelter available? There are a couple of pine trees providing shade inside the park.
- Are there benches or seating areas for owners? Yes, picnic benches are available for owners to sit.
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, both the entrance and parking lot are wheelchair accessible.
- Is the park open year-round? Yes, the small dog park is open year-round, dawn to dusk.
- Is there a fee or membership required to enter? Yes, a membership with a fob is required. Registration and payment can be handled at the Meridian Township office.
- Is there parking available? Yes, free parking is available near the park.
- Are there walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, there are pet-friendly trails adjacent to the park for walking, hiking, and jogging.
- Is there agility equipment for dogs to play on? Yes, a small agility section is available in the park.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? Yes, maintenance and upgrades are funded by membership fees, and the park is kept clean and in good condition.
Reviews
My dog loves it. Has lots of friends there. Some of the people are not bad either
Very good small dog park. Has a small agility section, picnic benches to sit on, and a generous amount of space. There is also a public dog drinking fountain outside the small dog park.
The small dog park itself is a gently sloping hill with a couple pine trees toward the top.
Very safe for small dogs with a roughly ~4 ft. tall fence around the perimeter.
If you visit, you may consider bug spray. The nearby woods can produce mosquitos.
A great place to bring your pet!
It took me so long to be able to find this small dog park because it didn’t have its own Google Maps page. I’ve gone ahead and made the Google maps page for people to find it better and included pictures.
This small dog park is amazing. I go to it after Northern Tail Dog Park closes for the winter season. Parking here is free, unlike at Solden dog park, which is a place many people recommend, but I can’t seem to connect very much with the people who visit there. I’ve connected and had much more fun at Meridian.
Dogs 30 pounds and under can come and meet some good natured people. There’s a group of people who bring their dogs in at around 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. everyday. This is also an excellent location to be able to explore very large trails nearby. I listen to podcasts for a long time walking around those trails. If you walk enough, you’ll find the meridian LARGE dog park, meant for dogs over 30 lb! The large dog park sometimes closes to let the grass grow back, I believe. I don’t think the small dog park closes like that.
I see older people with canes walking their dogs on these trails. It’s a very good feeling here, even if I have to drive 20 minutes to get here.
The Meridian Township office closes at 5 p.m., but when they are open, they’re very nice. That’s where you can pick up the fob after you register, send evidence of your Michigan dog license and rabies license), and pay for it online. It costs about NULL per year for a fob if you are a non-resident of Meridian and NULL per year if you are resident of Meridian. Coming from florida, I’m not used to paying money for any form of dog park, but after saying f it and I got the membership, I realized that they do in fact communicate how they clean up the park, take care of it, and upgrade it based off of the membership fees that we have. They don’t just take the money as a corrupt gotcha fee.
I also really adore the older slower crowd, and many of them come to Meridian small dog park. In summary, if you pay the fee, you get well-natured people and lovely dogs all year round, dawn to dusk. :-)) I tend to stay a little bit after the sun goes down simply because I don’t like leaving such a nice park/trails just because the days are shorter. I see some dog walkers, hikers, and runners with LED collars, jackets, lights, etc come out during this time. That’s what I’m talking about!
5 stars