My Favorite Dog Walk Spots In Bowling Green, KY
As dog owners, we know the difficulty of finding the ideal spot to have a relaxing walk with your dog. This is especially true if you have a dog that is reactive! Well, I’m here to give you my ranking of the best places to walk your dog in Bowling Green.
Michael O Buchanon Park (9222 Nashville Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42101)
Buchanon Park is my favorite walking spot! It is safe, has a very long gravel walking trail, and is a great spot for reactive dogs thanks to it’s large open spaces.
The park does not allow off-leash dogs, but you may see someone breaking the rules on occasion, so be mindful.
As an extra perk, Chaney’s Dairy Barn is right across the road so you can pop over for an ice cream after getting your steps in!
Phil Moore Park (7101 Scottsville Rd, Alvaton, KY 42122)
Phil Moore Park comes in a close second as one of my favorite walking spots. It is safe, has a very long grass walking trail (mowed regularly), and is another good spot to walk reactive dogs thanks to the large open spaces. Plus, there is public access to Drake’s Creek, providing an awesome chance to take your dog for a swim!
The main knock against Phil Moore Park is the higher occurrence of off-leash dogs, despite the park not permitting it. Generally, it is easy enough to avoid run-ins with the off-leash dogs since you can spot them from far away, but it can still be stressful to navigate.
Baker Arboretum and Downing Museum (4801 Morgantown Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42101)
This is Bowling Green’s true hidden gem walking spot! Not only can you and your dog take a walk through the gardens (no peeing or pooping please!) but there are also ample wooded and field trails to explore. While there are some tighter walking paths to navigate with a reactive dog, it’s totally doable.
I have also learned that IF you ask permission you may be permitted to do off-leash work with your dog in the wooded and field trails.
Lost River Cave and The Greenways (2818 Nashville Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42101)
While I love Lost River Cave due to it’s convenience and variety of places to explore, I do not generally recommend it for reactive dogs due to the number of tight walking paths. However, if your dog is comfortable passing people and other dogs definitely make this one of your regular spots!
During the heat of summer the shaded wood trails provide a cooler place to walk and during October they host their annual Scarecrow Trail, which makes for a fun novelty walk for your dog.
Off-leash walking is not permitted here, but I usually see at least one dog off-leash when I visit, so be mindful.
Kereiakes Park (1220 Fairview Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42103)
Kereiakes is probably Bowling Green’s most popular park, so there is usually a lot of activity here. However, it can be navigated with a reactive dog if you steer clear of the disc golf course trail and the cemetery trails.
While there isn’t anything particularly unique about this park, it is convenient to access, has great gravel walking paths and large green spaces, allowing dogs to explore freely.
Off-leash walking is not permitted, and I find that people do well about following this rule. The one place to be avoided are the cemetery trails as that is where I see the most dogs off-leash.
One extra note, this park has a very high squirrel population!
The Loops On Lover’s Lane (385 Lovers Ln, Bowling Green, KY 42103)
The Loops is very similar to Kereiakes in that there isn’t anything particularly special, but it’s convenient, has great paths, and large green space.
What places The Loops below Kereiakes for me is the higher occurrence of off-leash dogs. Towards the back fence line of the park you will almost always see multiple dogs off-leash, despite the park prohibiting it.
Even with this being the case, I still find this park to be totally usable by reactive dogs if you stay close to the front of the park as I rarely see off-leash dogs in that area.
Additionally, just like Kereiakes, The Loops has a very high squirrel population in the disc golf course area!
Ephram White Park (885 Mount Olivet Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42101)
This is probably the best park for walking a reactive dog. It is a huge space with little foot traffic. In fact, I’ve gone multiple times without seeing a single other person or dog!
However, due to the low volume of foot traffic there is a higher concern for safety. This is the only park on this list where I have been follow by a stranger. For this reason, I recommend keeping your car locked, your valuables concealed, and carrying personal protection when you walk here.
Off-leash work is not permitted here, but on occasion you will see someone break this rule. Thanks to the high visibility, it is typically easy to avoid these dogs.
Basil Griffin Park (2055 Three Springs Rd, Bowling Green, KY 42104)
Basil Griffin is a “just okay” spot to walk in my book. There aren’t really any designated walking trails, but it is open enough that you can walk a reactive dog comfortably.
Off-leash walking is not permitted here, but occasionally you will see someone break the rule.
The most challenging element to Basil Griffin is the huge waterfowl population. These birds have the run of the place so you will find lots of droppings and bird feed, which may mean special care needs to be take to keep your dog from eating it!
Romanza Johnson Park (1425 Mt Lebanon Church Rd, Alvaton, KY 42122)
I consider Romanza Johnson to be another one of Bowling Green’s hidden gem walking spots (although it’s technically not in Bowling Green Proper…). It would rank higher on my list, but it is a small park and the only activity of note is the public creek access.
Thanks to its low foot traffic you can totally navigate this smaller space with a reactive dog!
Honorable Mention: Jim Roberts Community Park (Filter Plant Rd, Franklin, KY 42134)
To round out my list is an honorable mention, simply due to it being located in Franklin, KY. Jim Roberts Park is actually one of my favorites, right up there with Michael O Buchanon! It has a very large amount of gravel and asphalt walking trails, has creek access, and high visibility for walking reactive dogs comfortably.
Off-leash work is not permitted here, and most people seem to be with the program. However, I have seen loose stray dogs around the park’s maintenance garages, so be mindful.
