New Eastern Iowa Dog Park to Include a One-Acre Pond

Cedar Rapids is changing its dog park permits starting on January 1, as it also prepares to work on the second off-leash dog park in Cedar Rapids itself.

Let's start with what I think is a great change in the permits for dog parks. Starting at the beginning of 2024, the permits will be good for the calendar year and will come with a dog tag that must be on the dog anytime they're at a city dog park. The color of the dog tag will change each year.

The total cost of a permit is $40 if you have the tag mailed to you. If you prefer to pick up the dog tag, the cost is $38. Tags can be picked up at the City Services Center or Northwest Recreation Center. Permits are good at both the Cheyenne Off-Leash Dog Park in Cedar Rapids and K-9 Acres in Marion. They can be purchased here.

As an existing permit holder, here's the information we received from Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation:

Cedar Rapids' second dog park will include ten acres of the former Jones Golf Course. As you can see below, it will be near Tait Cummins Memorial Park.

The image below shows where the dog park, driveway from C St., culvert, and parking lot will be built.

The final design of the dog park shows it will cover a total of 13.8 acres, the same size as Cheyenne, but larger than K-9 Acres (11.0 acres) in Marion.

Jones Park Dog Park (image below) will have a 1.2-acre training zone, a 6-acre large dog area with a trail, a 2.1-acre small dog zone, and a 4.2-acre area that includes access to a 1-acre pond. There will also be a .3-acre area available for rent.

Here's more of what can be expected at the Jones Park Dog Park.

Construction on the Jones Park Dog Park is expected to start in 2024. This summer, the city said they hoped to finish it next year.

It will be the fourth dog park in the metro area. The Dave Wright Family Dog Park is located at 711 Kainz Dr. in Hiawatha. It is part of Hiawatha Parks and Recreation and is not part of the Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation dog parks mentioned earlier in this story. More details on the Hiawatha dog park are available here.