Croton Dog Park

The park today

The dog park is a fenced-in enclosure with a dog agility course inside Black Rock Park, which sits along the banks of the Croton River off Quaker Bridge Road (the surrounding park also offers picnicking, fishing and bocce courts). Entry requires a village-issued dog park permit — free, but limited to village residents who hold a Recreation Photo ID and have licensed their dog with the village; school-district residents outside the village are not eligible. In season (April 1 to September 30) it is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Elsewhere in Black Rock Park, dogs must stay on a leash of six feet or less. Note: this is not a Hudson waterfront site — it is on the Croton River, east of the village center; the only other village park that admits dogs is Croton Landing Park (leashed, on the paved RiverWalk path only).

History

The Village of Croton-on-Hudson's dog park — officially Black Rock Dog Park — is the designated area of Black Rock Park where licensed dogs may run off leash, an exception to the village rule that otherwise bars dogs from village parks, fields and school properties. It was operating by 2019, when neighbors' complaints put its future on the village board's agenda: trustees weighed closing or relocating it, and federal funding constraints on the parkland were part of the discussion.

At an August 31, 2020 work session the board decided the dog park would stay at Black Rock, rejecting a proposal to move it to Croton Landing on the Hudson waterfront. Hours were then a recurring issue: a restricted weekday schedule set in 2020 gave way in 2021 to seasonal hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays in the April-September season), and in June 2021 the board rejected a further change to access hours. The village issues free annual dog park permits to residents; permits for the 2022 season onward have been available online. The dog park's original opening date could not be verified from available sources.

Visiting

Hours

April 1 to September 30: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Off-season hours are not published.

Fees

Free, but a village dog park permit is required for entry. Applicants must be village residents with a valid Recreation Photo ID card and a village dog license; apply online or through the Village Clerk (allow 7-10 days). School-district residents outside the village are not eligible.

Parking

Parking at Black Rock Park, off Quaker Bridge Road.

Getting there

Inside Black Rock Park on Quaker Bridge Road, along the Croton River east of the village center — not on the Hudson waterfront.

Rules

Permit holders only; dogs must be licensed by the village and owners must follow the posted Black Rock Dog Park Rules and Regulations. Off-leash activity is allowed only inside the designated fenced area; in the rest of Black Rock Park dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet (Village Code ch. 168). Owners must remove all waste. A Recreation Photo ID is required for Black Rock Park generally.

Accessibility

Links

• How Can I Register for the Dog Park? (Village Clerk FAQ)
• Village Parks, Trails & Open Space (Black Rock Park entry)
• Reminders for Dog Owners (village leash/dog park rules)
• Village Code Ch. 108, Dogs (eCode360)