Is the Genesee Park dog park fenced?

Yes. The Genesee Park off-leash area is completely fenced and has two double-gated entrances.

Does Genesee Park have a small dog area?

Yes. Seattle Parks added a Small and Shy Dog Area to the Genesee off-leash area in the first quarter of 2018.

Is there parking at the Genesee Park off-leash area?

Yes. The south side of Genesee Park and Playfield, where the off-leash area sits, has a parking lot and a restroom.

How big is the Genesee Park off-leash area?

Seattle Parks gives the size as 2.7 acres on its off-leash areas page, with the center 2 acres covered in gravel; the park's own page describes it as 2.5 acres.

Is Genesee Park the same as Genesee in West Seattle?

No. Genesee Park and Playfield is at 4316 S Genesee St in the Rainier Valley, while Genesee is also the name of a West Seattle neighborhood across the Duwamish.

Genesee Park Dog Park: Fenced Off-Leash Area in Seattle

The Genesee Park off-leash area is a completely fenced dog park of about 2.7 acres at 4316 S Genesee St in Southeast Seattle, with two double-gated entrances, a gravel center that stays mud-free through the winter, a doggie drinking fountain and a separate small and shy dog area. You will find it inside Genesee Park and Playfield, just south of the Stan Sayres Hydroplane Pits and a short hop west of Seward Park on Lake Washington.

Because the ground is relatively flat and the fence runs all the way around, it is an easy place to keep an eye on your dog, which makes it a favorite pick for first visits and for owners of escape artists. Seattle Parks and Recreation lists it among the city's official off-leash areas; compare it with the rest in our guide to Seattle dog parks.

Genesee Park Seattle: the off-leash area at a glance

Size: 2.7 acres on the city's off-leash areas page, while the Genesee Park and Playfield page describes it as 2.5 acres.
Fencing: completely fenced, with two double-gated entrances.
Surface: the center 2 acres are covered in gravel, which keeps the area mud-free in winter.
Water: a doggie drinking fountain.
Small and shy dogs: a separate area, completed in the first quarter of 2018.
Extras: a kiosk for community notices, plus a restroom and a parking lot on the same side of the park.
Hours: the park is listed as open from 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Finding your way around Genesee Park and Playfield

S Genesee St splits the park in two. North of the street, a broad, rough meadow stretches for five blocks and holds a reservable picnic shelter, while the south side packs in the off-leash area, two synthetic turf athletic fields, a restroom and the parking lot. Keep your dog leashed as you walk past the turf fields, since Seattle Parks rules keep dogs off organized athletic fields altogether.

Read the full guide

Genesee Park also forms the middle link of a 1.1-mile green connector that runs from downtown Columbia City to the shore of Lake Washington, passing Rainier Playfield, Rainier Community Center and Stan Sayres Memorial Park before meeting Lake Washington Boulevard. Pair a run in the off-leash area with a leashed walk toward the lake, or with coffee and lunch in Columbia City on the way home. Seattle Parks has a restroom replacement project listed for the playfield, so check the park page for current conditions.

From slough to Seafair

The land under your feet has had several lives. According to the park's history, it was a waterway called Wetmore Slough until Lake Washington was lowered by about nine feet in 1917 during construction of the ship canal. The city bought it in 1947, used it as a dump until 1963 and began turning it into a park in 1968. Today the 57.7-acre park serves as the main entrance to the hydroplane races and air show during Seafair in early August, so expect crowds and closures that weekend; see our Seafair Blue Angels guide before you plan a dog outing then.

Getting there

Set your map to 4316 S Genesee St, Seattle, WA 98118, and use the parking lot on the south side of the street, next to the restroom and the off-leash entrance. Coming by bus? Map your route with the King County Metro Trip Planner. For more to see in the area, browse our Rainier Valley guide.

Off-leash rules to know

Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle Animal Control enforce the same rules at every off-leash area, so run through this list before you open the gate:

Your dog must be licensed and vaccinated.
Carry a leash for each dog while you are inside, and clip it back on as soon as you step outside the off-leash boundary.
Stay with your dog and keep it under control; unattended dogs are not allowed.
Pick up after your dog, use the containers on site and carry your scoop bags where they can be seen.
Leave puppies younger than four months and females in heat at home, and take off pinch or choke collars before you go in.
Leave bicycles outside, and bring food in at your own risk.

Read the full list on the city's park rules page, and keep in mind that dogs are not allowed on organized athletic fields, beaches or children's play areas anywhere in Seattle parks, even on a leash.