Irvine Central Bark Dog Park

THE BEST PARK IN THE OC. Some dog owners are so funny. I’ve read through some of the reviews and there are people that think dog parks should be quiet, spotless, & and a place to meditate! Though this place isn’t «spotless» name another dog park that is. I bet you can’t. This is the most kept up park we’ve visited. Dog parks are meant to help socialize your dog… so at times it will be loud, sometimes crazy, but that is life. we love this place.
We have a 5 month old labradoodle. The first maybe 10 times we brought our puppy here he was 4 months and scared of the little dogs. He would stay on the benches and run away from any dogs that tried to interact with him. Since then he’s learned how to play and socialize with other dogs. We’ve met some awesome people that have the same experience here.
My advice to people who may not like this place is to be persistent, have an open mind, and be mindful that this place is beneficial for you and your dog. We’ve been to the Newport, Costa Mesa, and Huntington Beach dog parks. All those rank below the Irvine Bark Park (IMO). Thanks for reading and have fun at the park!

This was way bigger than I thought! Although my two dogs are kind of lazy and antisocial so it’s not like they used all the space to their benefit.
It’s clean and I like the separation between large and small dogs. However, someone brought in their chihuahua to the large dog yard, and he got extremely overwhelmed and snappy when a few of the large dogs went over to sniff him. Like hello, it’s separated for a reason.
Great off-​leash area for the dogs to run around, especially if you don’t have a yard or live in an off-​leash-​friendly community.

It’s in a really random location, just remember that but other than that I love this dog park!
Drive slowly when you are driving on Oak Canyon, you will see a small sign that says Irvine Central Bark Dog Park, about maybe half a mile from the intersection of Sand Canyon and Oak Canyon. There is plenty of parking and the park opens late! Till 10 at night with stadium lighting so it is very well lit.
Out of all the dog parks that I have been to (Brea and Fullerton), Irvine so far has the nicest dog park. First of all, there is grass here! You have no idea how much I love seeing dog parks with grass, I get that with the state being in its fourth year of drought, grass is hard to maintain hence why I am so happy this park has grass. Like I mentioned before it opens early and late, 6:30 am to 10 pm. Seriously, the best hours! I heard other people mentioning that if you get here at 6:30 in the morning, there are a bunch of bunnies out and about. Maybe I should consider bringing my dog here in the morning, she would have a field day chasing the bunnies. They also have poop bags all around for people to pick up after their dogs. Most people here are pretty good about picking up after their dogs. I still watch where I step but have not seen any poop lying around. They also have water stations for the dogs too! They also have tables, benches, trees and plenty of shelter for the humans. They have a double gate entrance and a separate exit and enter section!
Standard dog park things, but I think what I like most about this park is the people that go here. Maybe it is because I purposely try to go at times that are not as busy hence less chance of running into the irresponsible dog owner that frequent dog parks. I like going either in the early morning or late evening, weekends included. My first time at this dog park was 8 am on Saturday morning, there were plenty dogs and their owners there and everyone was very polite and watchful of their dogs. I came a second time around 7 pm at night and same scenario, still plenty of dogs and people were very polite and watchful of their dogs. After visiting several different dog parks at different times, I noticed that the worst times to go, in my opinion at least, in terms of crowd, is in the afternoons. When everyone gets off work and decides to take their dog to the dog park before dinner.
The Irvine Dog park does separate big and little dogs but the sections are not completely separated. The dogs can still see each other since they are only separated by a chain link fence. The small dog side is significantly smaller than the large dog section. I do wish the park was a little bigger, so my dog can run a bit more and I do not have to worry about her colliding into another dog or a structure.

+ Good sized facility
+ Separate area for large and small dogs
+ Free drinking water area
— Limited parking sometimes
— Facility isn’t always the cleanest
— Benches are sometimes dirty
— Many owners don’t clean up after their pets (watch where you step!)
— Muddy in some areas
I don’t go to too many dog parks, so my basis for comparison isn’t very reliable. I’m not extremely wowed with this place, but it also isn’t that bad. That’s why the 3 star «A-​OK» rating.
The facility is located behind a waste disposal area (where you recycle paint, electronics, etc). There is very limited parking so on weekends you are sometimes forced to park on the main street.
I wouldn’t say the facility is very clean since there are a lot of pee stains everywhere. Is the city expected to keep the place clean with power washing on a regular basis? I’m not sure, but you can definitely smell urine on posts, trash receptacles, etc.
The fenced area for large dogs and small dogs is a great size for both. I wish the grass was a little better kept, but I suppose there’s only so much you can do when you have hundreds of dogs/​people walking/​running on it all the time. Some areas are muddy and some dumb owners don’t pick up after their pets so you have to watch where you walk. You might find a dirty tennis ball here or there if you are willing to use that to play with your dog.
Most dog owners and dogs are pretty friendly based on the few times I’ve been here. The mean dogs are watched closely and snatched up quickly by their owners if they are aggressive so that is good.

The best dog park in OC! We have a sassy little chihuahua that doesn’t particularly like dog parks, but she loves central bark. It’s a well maintained space that always has a number of small dogs to play with (the big dogs are separate and have a ton of land to run on). My husband and I enjoy the dog park as well — we usually meet lots of friendly locals. We go weekly and all look forward to it!

This is the nicest dog park ive been too near the Tustin area. Lots of grass and space for the big dog area. Plenty of tennis balls around and shaded areas for the humans. Now if i can only get my dog to be less socially awkward

We started taking our three dogs here twice a week about a month ago. The park is separated into a small and large dog side. We have two larger dogs, a German shepherd and a feral hound mix, and a smaller dog, a shiba inu. We keep all three of our dogs on the large side because they don’t like to be separated. My small dog gets along well with the other dogs. I’ve only had one incident when she got scared and got a little aggressive. I had to pick her up immediately because the owner was not paying attention. On the days that we have gone, the dogs and owners have been friendly. My dogs always have a great time.

So this is place is called the dog bark park. My poms are still pups and they were barking at this english man who brought in two big dogs to the small dog area. And he warned me saying that i should make them stop barking at him and train them because its ANNOYING. Wtf who are you to say that and why the hell would you bring your big dogs into the small area anyways?

This is the first dog park that I ever took my dog. I thought it was just an OK. A large lot behind a waste process center with two sessions divided and with a lot of dog running around. A couple of dirty balls on the ground and a couple of water bowls around.
The best dog park in OC? I don’t think so.

My dog Peaches loves this park. Her tail doesn’t stop wagging the whole time we’re there. I bring her here six days a week, like most of the people I know there. Our dogs are happy and well exercised. I generally come in the late afternoon and evening. (The place is lit at night and is open until 10 p.m.)
There’s plenty of free parking. If the lot fills, the street parking is also free.
On the big dog side, there are two faucets for watering your dog. On the small dog side, there’s one. There are dog bowls there, but it’s probably best to bring your own because the bowls can get pretty grungy.
There are also poop bag dispensers all over the park.
There’s plenty of seating if you need to rest.
The place is usually maintained pretty well, though sometimes some big patches in the grass open up. My dog gets pretty dirty rolling around in those patches. But it’s all part doggy fun.
My two negatives are: 1) I think the place should be open seven days a week, like the Mission Viejo park; 2) I think the parks department is a little too quick to close the park on wet days. Dogs love playing in wet weather. And if I get dirty, so what? It’s not like the place gets dangerous when it’s wet. It just gets … wet.
Some of the negative reviews here seem off base to me.
First, if you can’t stand barking, maybe a place called «Central Bark» wasn’t really the right choice for you in the first place.
Second, yes, some owners are irresponsible and don’t clean up after their dogs. Some honestly just don’t notice when it happens. Maybe you’ve done that yourself and don’t even realize it. Just bag up some karma poop once in a while instead of shaking your head and leaving it on the ground, and all will be better. Really, considering the quantity of dogs here, it’s amazing it’s as clean as it is.
Third, about aggressive dogs, I think aggression is something a lot of nervous people project onto dogs. A lot of dogs make noise when they play. Huskies are vocal; shepherd mixes are pretty vocal. But they’re usually just playing or just trying to see where they fit in the pecking order. Some are just temporarily freaked out by the hyper dogs around them. Give them a chance. You’re only seeing a few seconds of a dog’s existence and shouldn’t judge the dog based on that. Occasionally dogs do get in fights. Stay near your dog and watch for the signs and be ready to jump in if it happens.
Fourth, yes, sometimes the owners are annoying. The park is big though, and you are free to move to another part where you don’t have to listen to the gossip. You also might try coming at a different time of day. Maybe you’ll run into a more compatible group of people and/​or dogs. (Yeah, I’ve been there when the chemistry was way off. You can tell pretty quickly if the atmosphere is going bad. Just pick up and leave and come back later.)
There are at least two Facebook groups for this park: Irvine Dog Park Regulars and Central Bark After Dark. You can get to know the people who come.

Small dog section is perfect for my 16lb dog! I like taking him to the dog beach or other dog parks but he tries to fit in with the big dogs and they sometimes accidentally trample him/​play too rough. I am completely worry free when he plays in the small dog section.
The park is really clean and well lit for evening plays.

I went to this dog park for the very first time, & it’s the first dog park I’ve ever been to. I’ve always avoided dog parks because you just never know what will happen in an uncontrolled environment. My first experience was great, it took awhile for my pup to warm up but he had a blast.
However, even though I had a great first experience, dog parks are not for everyone. I am an overprotective pup mommy, & I would much rather have my pup play with dogs I trust or at daycare centers where they have trained staff members to watch for inappropriate dog play.
But, if you are a dog park fan, I would definitely give a green light to this place. The people I’ve met were very nice & they all seem to be regulars.

Absolutely love this dog park — we try to take our dog here at least twice a week. It’s kept very clean (closed every Wednesday for cleaning) and I’ve found that the people who bring their dogs there are generally very responsible owners and watch their dogs closely. Our dog always has so much fun when he goes!

The park is pretty well maintained. I’ve seen plenty parks with dust for grass, and look pretty event less. I enjoy taking my Apollo here, as much as he enjoys it

Umm… I don’t know what the hamster I just walked into. I’m used to clean, serene and quiet dog parks. The energy here is just off. Plenty of dominant, yappy fur buddies that isn’t trained properly by their masters. Lol. I don’t even know what to say. This place is a circus. We will not be returning. I didn’t give be this place a one bc I like how they’re trying to add grass in here.

I wish I had a good experience here, but out of the 5 times I’ve been here, the cops were called twice for a dispute between two owners. And then another time, my dog found a severed rabbits head and decided it was a treat she did not want to give back.
Other 2 experiences were only meh because peanut isn’t really find anyone she connected with at this park.

I love coming to this park. It’s almost always clean… just sometimes it’s not. There’s always random toys around and dog bowls with running water. Huge yard for small and large breeds alike. It’s pretty easy to find. Parking can be a pain, but there’s street parking. The only issue I have is when owners aren’t paying enough attention to their fur babies. Huge fight broke out last time I was here and it took awhile for the owners to do anything. There are some rude owners… pedigree dogs that can’t breath the mutt air… but that’s very seldom. I’ve usually had no problems with the owners or their babies. My two dogs love coming here. We can be here for 45 mins and my big dog is just wore out for the rest of the day. Not much in improvement… there’s usually plenty of seating but more wouldn’t hurt.

The Irvine Central Bark may, just be the ideal dog park. Free Doggie Bags, Stadium lighting and Shaded Seating. The dog owners are responsible, the dogs are friendly with owners that you meet as a unit with their dog.
It’s a great park, but i can’t quite justify a 5 star. I give it a 4 star, but to a lot of you it will be a 5. Check it out for yourselfs.

On a never ending quest to tire out my pup, I normally frequent the HB and Costa Mesa dog parks so he can exercise and run around with his friends as long as his little heart desires (or up to 2 hours, whatever comes first lol). I was in the Irvine area yesterday having brunch with my friends and our fur babies nearby so I thought we’d check out this dog park before heading back home.
Out of the dog parks that I’ve been to, this one is the nicest. It has a large grass area for the dogs and nice clean benches under the shade for owners. Tons of tennis balls all over the grass. Water and poop bags are readily available. Most of the people are nice and friendly, ready to talk about their doggies. I wish I lived closer or I would be here all the time! It was really clean for a dog park and all of the seats were in great condition compared to the HB dog park where everything is covered in dirt or dust. My little Woody gives it two paws up! :)

Open until 10, lots of tennis balls to play with the dogs, and the owners and the dogs are very friendly.
What I like specifically, is that there’s a drinking fountain for the doggies, so I can refill the bowls that they have there for the doggies, so that my pup doesn’t end up drinking stale water :)
The area for small dogs is about ¼ of that for the big dogs, which is nice, so that I can keep an eye on the little creature, while the big dogs get to run further :)