Have You Heard of This ‘Off-Leash’ Dog Park in Erie County?

I've been a dog owner most of my life. My sister got me a German Schnauzer when I was just 8 years old and I've had a dog ever since. My dog right now is an adorable pitbull/beagle mix (a beaglebull) named Odessa and we're often looking for awesome parks to take here in Western New York.

One of my favorite areas to visit with my dog is North Amherst near Niagara Falls Blvd. That's because you have West Canal Park, Ellicott Creek Park; plus the Amherst bike path and Ellicott Creek trail that stretches pretty far,

However, if you're a dog owner and looking for an off-leash dog park, you should try Ellicott Island Bark Park.

It's been an official off-leash dog park since 2014 and is a great location because it's an island, surrounded by Ellicott Creek.

People have the choice to let their dogs run freely once they cross the bridge into the park and is very popular on weekends, which is why I suggest going on a weekday if you can.

The park used to be just a regular island that people went to hang out and relax but organizers got together and decided it would be best for it to be used to assist dog owners and give their pets an option to run free.

There's a list of rules and guidelines dog owners must abide by and you can find that on their website.

A few of the rules include:

• The park is open from dusk until dawn (7 am-9 pm in the summer)
• All dogs must be properly vaccinated and licensed
• All dogs must be leashed prior to and after exiting the park

There's also a "Hot Dog Day" on June 27th!

Ellicott Island Bark Park is located on Creekside Dr. in Tonawanda, near Niagara Falls Blvd.