Paso Nogal Park in Pleasant Hill sprawls across 63 acres of open space with two separate fenced dog exercise areas—one for dogs under 25 pounds and another for larger dogs—making it easy to find a comfortable spot for your dog to run without worrying about size mismatches. The park sits roughly between Taylor Boulevard to the south and Paso Nogal Road to the north, with Morello Avenue marking the eastern edge, and you can access it from eight different entrances depending on which part of Pleasant Hill you’re coming from. The main entrance is on Paso Nogal Road, but you’ll also find access points at Kiki Road, Boies Drive, Gail Drive, Odin Drive, Morello Avenue, and Paso Nogal Court.

Beyond the fenced dog areas, there are about 63 acres of hiking trails throughout the open space where dogs are welcome as long as they’re leashed. The trails wind through scenic terrain with small picnic areas scattered around if you want to settle in for a bit. The leash requirement on the trails is important to respect since other visitors might not appreciate an unexpected encounter with someone else’s dog, friendly or otherwise.

A few practical things to know: the dog park closes every Wednesday for maintenance until 3:00 pm, though the hiking trails stay open. During wet or muddy conditions, the fenced areas shut down for about three days afterward to let them dry out—it’s worth calling ahead during rainy stretches since muddy fields aren’t great for your dog’s paws anyway. The variety of entrances means you can pick whichever one is closest to your neighborhood, and the size-separated dog areas take some of the social stress out of off-leash play.