Reed Street Dog Park is a 1.5-acre off-leash space in Santa Clara—the only city park in the area where dogs can run freely without a leash. If you’re tired of the usual on-leash walks around the neighborhood, this place gives your dog actual room to move.

The park has separate fenced areas for large and small dogs, which matters more than you’d think. Small dogs stay in their own section (maximum 18 inches at the shoulder), so you don’t have to worry about a lab accidentally bowling over a terrier during playtime. The terrain includes grassy mounds that dogs genuinely enjoy climbing and exploring, not just flat grass that gets boring after five minutes.

What makes it functional rather than just spacious: water stations so you’re not stuck wondering if your dog’s overheated, benches scattered around for you to actually sit on, and enough shade from trees that you don’t feel like you’re baking. Plastic bags and trash cans are throughout the park, which keeps things cleaner than a lot of off-leash areas I’ve visited. There’s parking that’s actually reasonable and a portable restroom on-site if you need it.

The schedule is straightforward—sunrise to sunset daily—but mark your calendar that the park closes Thursdays for maintenance. It’s worth planning around since you can’t just swing by on a whim that day. During your visit, stick to the posted rules so everyone else gets to have a good experience too.

Whether your dog is a serious ball-chaser or just needs space to sniff around and meet other dogs, you’ll find the room here. Bring water for yourself and your dog, and don’t expect elaborate features—it’s a working park, not a theme park. But that’s exactly what makes it useful for regular visits throughout the week.