Runway Dog Park is permanently closed. Milwaukee County Parks closed the Oak Creek dog exercise area indefinitely on November 1, 2022. The former park was on airport-owned land, and the Federal Aviation Administration determined that the land must be used for aviation-related purposes.
Closure status
Do not plan an off-leash visit to 1214 E. Rawson Avenue. Milwaukee County’s current project page still describes the closure as indefinite. Its latest dated update, from January 2025, says the County had not received capital funding for a replacement-site design and planned to apply again. A future replacement would be a different park and location.
Read Milwaukee County Parks’ Runway Dog Park closure and replacement updates.
Find a current dog park
Before driving to the former Runway site, use Milwaukee County’s current dog-park directory to choose an operating off-leash area and confirm its access rules, permit requirements and temporary notices.
Browse current Milwaukee County dog parks or compare other dog parks in Wisconsin.
Find the former dog park entrance
The address and map on this page identify the closed facility only. Milwaukee County’s archived April 2018 layout placed the former entrance and pay station off East Rawson Avenue, reached by a gravel access road. The map also recorded two parking areas, a small-dog enclosure and three former walking loops. It is a historical reference and should not be used as evidence that the property is open.
View the official historic Runway Dog Exercise Area map (PDF).
What park goers said before the closure
Past visitors most often remembered Runway for its unusually large open area and the long perimeter walk. Reviews also mentioned the separate small-dog enclosure and the distinctive sight and sound of aircraft overhead.
Some visitors warned that the grounds could become muddy, shade was limited and owners should bring water. Those comments describe past visits and do not represent current amenities or access because the dog park is closed.
Former layout and amenities
The County’s archived map described a 26.4-acre fenced dog exercise area with mowed and tall-grass sections, waste stations, a portable toilet, parking and loops of approximately one-quarter, one-half and three-quarters of a mile. These are historical details. The page’s amenity checklist has been cleared so closed facilities are not presented as available today.
Closure status and replacement information checked September 1, 2026 against Milwaukee County Parks. Confirm current County sources before travel because future replacement plans may change.