Flaherty Dog Park offers separate fenced exercise areas for small and large dogs at J.B. Flaherty Park in Wake Forest. The town lists grass, shade, picnic tables, accessible entrances, water stations and waste stations inside the approximately three-acre facility.
Plan your visit
- Address: 1100 N. White Street, Wake Forest, NC 27587.
- Hours: Dawn to dusk daily, with a weekday cleaning and maintenance closure from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
- Monday maintenance: During grass-cutting season, additional Monday-morning closures may last until about noon. Check signs before entering.
- Admission: Free to the public.
- Dog areas: Separate fenced exercise areas for small and large dogs, with five-foot chain-link fencing and double-gated access.
- Water: The renovated facility includes an accessible human fountain, pet fountain and jug or bowl filler. Bring backup water during freezing weather or maintenance interruptions.
- Seating and shade: Picnic tables, shade trees and an accessible shade structure are available.
- Surface: Grass with hardwood chips in selected areas. Recent drainage work improved the site, but muddy patches can still follow wet weather.
Find the dog park entrance
Enter J.B. Flaherty Park from N. White Street and use the designated parking near the dog park and athletic facilities. Follow dog-park signs to the paved accessible entrance. Keep your dog on a leash no longer than six feet until you are inside the correct small- or large-dog enclosure, and use the separate self-closing entry and exit gates as posted.
Get directions to Flaherty Dog Park.
Fenced areas, water and wet-weather conditions
Both exercise areas provide open grass for running, picnic tables, shade and water access. Recent work added permanent fencing, improved drainage, repaired erosion and reconfigured shade areas. The large-dog side reopened in March 2026, but the town warned that newly seeded areas could remain muddy; current conditions still depend on weather and maintenance.
The ponds elsewhere in J.B. Flaherty Park are separate from the dog park, and town rules prohibit swimming in park ponds. Keep dogs leashed whenever you leave the designated off-leash enclosures.
Rules before you enter
Dogs must be at least six months old, current on required vaccinations and wearing current rabies and ID tags. Dogs in heat are prohibited. Owners must keep dogs within sight and voice control, remove aggressive dogs immediately, pick up waste and fill any hole their dog digs.
Children under 12 need adult supervision. Food, treats and bones are not allowed inside the fenced areas, and visitors must wear shoes. Smoking, strollers, bicycles, wagons and roller blades are prohibited inside the dog park, with an exception for mobility devices.
What park goers say
Visitors often praise the room to run, separate size areas, shade, water, picnic tables and convenient parking. Small-dog owners frequently mention feeling more comfortable with a dedicated enclosure, while morning visitors describe a quieter atmosphere than the busier afternoon periods.
Park goers also note that grass and newly repaired sections can become muddy after rain and that water availability may vary with the season. As at any social dog park, active supervision matters; visitors recommend leaving when play becomes too rough or a dog appears uncomfortable.
More options and updates
Compare other listings in the North Carolina dog park directory. Before leaving, check the official Flaherty Dog Park page for maintenance, closures and current conditions.
Last researched September 1, 2026. To report a correction to this listing, contact DogPark Near Me.