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French Broad River Dog Park

One of Asheville's most beautiful parks, the dog-friendly French Broad River Park meanders alongside the tranquil French Broad River, and features a vast area of open green space with old trees, a wildflower garden, a paved trail, a gazebo, picnic tables and grills, an observation deck, and a small playground. The Dog Park features a large fenced-in area made for exercising and socializing your pooch! It is a one acre lot with wood chips, fresh water, and dog waste bags. No separate areas for small and large dogs. There is a great trail system, picnic facilities, and wonderful access to the river for doggy swimming as well! Visit Website

Or call (828) 259-5800 for more information.

Reviews

BringFido Guest Rating

French Broad River Dog Park has received a rating of 2.9 out of 5 bones by 33 canine critics on BringFido.

  • Adam
    Jul. 20, 2022
    Best in Asheville

    Best dog park in Asheville and the busiest which makes it great for my pups socialization skills. Large dog and small dog parks are separate but adjacent. Large dog area has lots of space and there are a few mud holes which the dogs love but some owners may not appreciate alas let them play. Shade and water is available but no grass, only mulch. An added perk, just off to the side, is access to the french broad river which my dog really enjoys getting in to cool off.

  • Teri
    Jun. 17, 2022
    Beautiful Park

    Lily and Ivy say The French Broad River Park is very nice with paved trails and lots of shade. The dog park area is small but clean. The people we met very friendly. After you park go down the trail to the left a little way until you see the dog park.

  • M
    Feb. 6, 2022
    Too small

    this dog park is in a great location, but because of the number of dogs in the area, it is too small. We only stayed a short time period as we were afraid for the safety of our dog. We chose to walk her on the nearby path instead.

  • Cheri
    Nov. 20, 2021
    Great time with fellow aussies!

    Had a great visit at the dog park! We were traveling and needed a place for Remi to stretch her legs…she is a mini aussie over the small dog weight limit but the fellow pet owners agreed that it would be okay to bring her in. The large dog setting was very overwhelming with several dogs acting aggressive with little owner intervention. The small dog part was ideal. There were a couple of benches and a picnic table for pet owners. When we were there, it was filled with an Aussie mix, baby mini Aussie and Full size Aussie. So fun to see the size difference!

  • Susan
    May. 28, 2021
    A few tips...

    The address they give is not directly to the dog park. Its actually down the road a bit before(or after, depending on the direction you are coming from) the bridge. Then you will Have togo up into the parking lot, park and walk a short distance to the park.

  • Aryn
    Jul. 22, 2020
    Nice enough

    There are two fenced areas, one for bigger dogs and one for <25lbs. The big dog area is huge. There's a lot of mud right now and my dog left very muddy! Both areas have trees for shade and benches for sitting as well as fresh water stations. There is mulch on the ground and you will occasionally see some glass in the dirt since it was built on a landfill but it's old and smooth. the dog park is next to the river and there's a small area people will bring their dogs to cool off before or after. Weekends tend to be busy, weekday afternoons are less but there are still some dogs there. my dog loves it and people are pretty friendly, too. The dog park is a 5-10 min walk from the parking lot on a paved path.

  • Brooke
    Jul. 21, 2020
    Vicious Dog Attack Beware!

    today my 5 month old puppy was attacked because the owners of a light brown collie looking and Aussie mix dog were negligent! my dog has been to many parks all across the south east. not once has my dog been aggressive and the owners did not help at all. I had to hold down their dog until he let go of my screaming puppy! this alone would be enough but this dog park must’ve been built on recycled glass because there are bits of glass everywhere! these dog owners were an older couple. older heavier set woman with grey wavy short hair. red welts on her legs
    man was skinny older 56 glasses visor
    beware of these unempathetic unhelpful dog owners!

  • Lydia
    Dec. 28, 2019
    Great Find

    Our dog, an energetic German Short Hair Pointer had a blast at the park. Was clean, not messy. Beautiful seating near the river. Many well behaved dogs. She played for an hour. We are going back tomorrow before we leave Asheville. Thank you for your help in finding the park.

  • Beate
    Dec. 8, 2019
    Great Dog park - All Mulch

    We stopped here on our way home to give our dogs a break from driving. The dog area is divided for small and big dogs and the big dog are has a lot of running space as well as a water fountain. To the contrary of other reviews the run was well maintained and mulched throughout. Not messy or muddy at all. We all had a good time.

  • Cecelia
    Jul. 22, 2019
    Messy and Crowded

    Once a beautiful dog park, but it’s definitely needing some love and updating, and maybe some expansion. It tends to get overcrowded, even during the weekdays, and it’s always muddy. Unfortunate, seeing as it’s the closest dog park to our house. It also (not at the fault of the park itself) tends to draw in undertrained and ill-behaved dogs, and makes me nervous to bring my girls for fear of a fight breaking out.

  • Kimberly
    Mar. 31, 2019
    Great dog park

    This was a great dog park to visit. There always seemed to be many friendly dogs to play. It was located on a river and there was also a nice path to walk on.

  • Reagan
    More than a year ago
    Dirty, but dogs don’t care

    Probably the best dog park in the area, but nothing special. It’s usually pretty dirty and muddy. The dogs don’t seem to mind.

  • Justin
    More than a year ago
    DIRTY and Violent

    This park is a bit difficult to find. The parking lot is a 1/4 mile trail away from the dog park. The park is all mud - no grass at all. It is a large space but super mucky. We took our 7 month old puppy here on a Saturday afternoon. We was timid by all of the other dogs, but eventually he started playing lightly with a select few. He rolled in the mud with the other dogs - not the best, but he had fun. Toward the end, a pitbull mix and him started playing really well. All of the sudden the pitbull got too aggressive and I had to yank him off my dog. Don't go here... mud is one thing - but too many come here and fights suddenly break out.

  • Lauren
    More than a year ago
    Good park!

    This park was full of dogs when we went on a weeknight. There were plenty if pups to chase my guy around and get tired. Unfortunately there were quitelling a few landmines around so watch your step!

  • Jena
    More than a year ago
    my dog loved it

    This park was great. I have no complaints.

  • Alyson
    More than a year ago
    enjoyable morning

    Didn't find the glass or mess others noted. Just a few dogs and well placed benches for owners. Walk along the river for good doggy swimming spots!

  • Kimberly
    More than a year ago
    myneeds to be cleaned

    the dogs like the park but it needs to be cleaned just watch your step

  • Anita
    More than a year ago
    Loved this park

    Friendly pet owners. Kind of muddy near the water bowl. Separate areas for big and small dogs. Toys for them to play with. Nice paved walking trail for on leash dogs. There are steps going down into the river for the dogs to swim and cool off. Some shady areas for the owners to sit

  • Elaine
    More than a year ago
    A attractive place

    We visited this park on our way to our hotel across town We walked our golden retriever along the woodsy river path and it was shaded. Our dog swam a bit in leash. Then we went to the enclosure which was relatively small compared to home but clean. They had a much smaller area for tiny dogs. There was a dog fountain but too much water had spilled and it was muddy. There were people restrooms at the parking area. Overall a nice park especially for dogs on leash.

  • Jill
    More than a year ago
    Dangerous

    Twice now our dog has been attacked by pit bull mixes that are not well supervised by their owners at this park. Some days there are so many dogs there that it is just an accident waiting to happen when they are all running around, and all it takes is one aggressive dog in the mix to start an upset. We will never bring our dogs to this park again.

  • Dirty dog
    More than a year ago
    dirtiest dog park in wnc

    This is the dirtiest dog park that I have seen in WN. Someone is not doing their job!!!! There has been broken glass at the entrance to the dog park for months now. It's actually ever where and along the dirt trails that run along side of the river. Then there is dog s*#t everywhere because there's alot of people not picking up after their dogs. It's ridiculous. Apparently we are going to have to drive to Hendersonville to get a decent park because this place sux. Inside the actual dog park for the big dogs is nothing but ankle deep dust and fleas so don't wear flip flops or sandals. And what little bit of grass there is not whats shown in these pictures looks more like knee high weeds. Very disappointed

  • Grace
    More than a year ago
    Beware of GLASS!

    6 years ago this was a nice park. It is awful now. There is glass everywhere you go. The people are friendly for the most part but they do not think if their dog is biting your that it is a problem. Not all owners are that way but I have had my share of experiences that last couple of visits that the owners do not seem to mind what their dogs are doing. A lot of doggy loggys laying around too.

  • Beth
    More than a year ago
    nice dog park!

    Nice walking trails by the river and a nice little dog park for your pup to play. There were lots of dogs in the park area, all well watched by their humans. Super nice folks come here!

  • Grace
    More than a year ago
    Small but Pretty

    Nov. 2013: Great location; little hard to find for out-of-towners. Separate areas for big and small dogs (and owners actually separate their dogs properly). Very small though and on a nice day the dogs will get crowded. Someone brought their un-neutered pit bull to the park and got upset when it agitated all the neutered dogs. There's a dented metal water bowl put in the middle of a muddy area and male dogs often peed in it for some reason. There is another drinking area, but owners stand around the muddy section so dogs gravitate towards that area. But overall the park was clean. Haven't been to any other dog parks in Asheville, but I plan to try the others out before I would return here. Great place for a leashed walk along the river though.

  • BecAndCall
    More than a year ago
    Very friendly

    Though my GPS puts this about 1/2 mile from where it actually is we finally found it. The area is shaded, mixed landscaping, dirt and grass but very comfortable. The park was popular that day but all dogs were well behaved and looked after. I'd definitely go again.

  • K
    More than a year ago
    Terrible Dog Park

    Small fenced area with mud and mulch; no room for dogs to run; trash emptied infrequently. The person who wrote that most dog owners leave their dogs on leashes in the walking areas must think that one can choose to let them off leash in areas other than the fenced enclosures - this is wrong. The "vast area of open green space" is not an off leash area, nor are the walking paths. Terrible terrible. Asheville has so many great things, but falls far far far short when it comes to dog parks.

  • Sheila
    More than a year ago
    visiting

    It's a dog park....nice grass, side walks...the fenced in area did have a muddy area , that the dogs love and the owners dread....but most dog parks have that one spot....there is water available, and room to run...which is just what our big puppy needed...we found everyone to be friendly and helpful...

  • Annalee
    More than a year ago
    Icky Sicky

    This dog park is disgusting. Rotting bark mulch on the ground, mud, and stench of feces and urine. Not a good place to bring your dog if you want them to stay healthy.

  • Dog Owner
    More than a year ago
    Won't be going here

    This dog park and the others in Asheville are nonsense. So much for moving to a so-called dog-friendly town. Filthy and overrun by people who can't control their dogs. These are not safe, physically and very unsanitary. I'd never take my dog here.

  • Northern CA Dog Owner
    More than a year ago
    WOOF!

    I was in Asheville visiting relatives for two weeks with my dog. I went to this and the other park and was extremely disappointed with both the parks as well. Patchy grass, overcrowded, muddy, fecal matter left around, not well-kept in the least . If you love your dog, take him/her for a hike on a nice trail in Asheville instead.

  • Rick
    More than a year ago
    Nothing Special

    The off leash park was just a fenced in area with minimal shade, few chairs, limited water bowls/buckets. The tap were you get water was a mud hole with a cement pad on it. Not fun trying to clean a golden off. Very disappointed in both the dog parks in Asheville. The 3 dog parks in Raleigh are tended to much better. Most of the time by volunteers.

  • Dog Lover
    More than a year ago
    French Broad River Dog Park

    We take our dogs here every day. On the walking area most other dogs owners keep their dogs on leashes. The fenced in area for big dogs and for small dogs is clearly defined. This park is maintained regularly and well, and every morning the maintenance service beats us to the park.

  • Loree
    More than a year ago
    French Broad River Dog Park

    Just visited this dog park for the first time this morning. I was greeted with a strong smell of dog poo. The fenced in area is way too small for the amount of dogs that are using it The dogs can not get in a full run other than in circles. The grass needs cutting and the trash cans emptied. I would suggest that somone in the county patks make a visit to James Island county dog park in Charleston. It is the perfect dog park . No smell, plenty of tables and a wash off area for dogs. Asheville and the surrounding areas here could easily have a great dog park that we could brag about.

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French Broad River Dog Park