Beneath the Golden Ears Bridge is the place to be for dogs.
The Hammond dog park is open to dogs and their owners at 20015 Wharf Street, right below the Golden Ears Bridge in Maple Ridge.
The off-leash dog area has been a work in progress for several months. Maple Ridge worked with TransLink to establish an agreement to construct and operate the dog park under the bridge on the latter’s property.
Valoree Richmond, Maple Ridge manager of parks, planning and development, said that while the park is mostly complete, the city is working on a second phase of construction.
“At this point, everything is in place for fencing, pathways, vegetation, debris removal, and an entry pathway. One piece yet to come is signage and in a future phase we are looking to include 9-10 parking spaces.”
Richmond said the community has been using the park and feedback is positive. A resident suggested the location under the bridge and the city agreed it was a good idea.
Richmond explained the park features two separate fenced areas—one for small dogs and one for large dogs, as requested by dog owners in the area.
This is the fifth dog park in Maple Ridge.
“We feel we’ve got a nice coverage across our community,” Richmond said.
The Hammond dog park features a gravel pathway for pet owners to use while their dogs are playing.
“It’s by request by dog owners. We appreciate a variety of dog off-leash areas, whether that’s access to water or walk their dog, or an open field area, any variety of experiences for dogs and their owners.”
Four other off-leash dog parks are at Albion Fairgrounds, Maple Ridge Upper Park, Jerry Sulina Park and Westview Park.
