BOULDER CITY – Boulder City is a well-established “dog friendly” community. We love our dogs here! New leash requirements were adopted by City Council last month to enhance public safety for dogs and their owners throughout the City. Boulder City Ordinance 1872 goes into effect tomorrow, December 4, 2025.
Dog owners must keep their dogs on a leash in all public areas, unless they are in a designated off-leash area, as approved by City Council. Click here for a Leash Law Overview flyer. Dogs are never permitted in Hemenway Park (due to wildlife), on the golf courses, on fenced sports fields or sport courts, on the splash pad, on playgrounds, or at the pool.
Designated off-leash areas include:
- Two fenced dog parks at Veterans Memorial Park (with water, shade, seating, and trails, with a total play area of nearly 4.5 acres);
- North Escalante Park (near City Hall);
- Linear Park, along the drainage channel north of Boulder City Parkway between Ville & Lake Mountain Drive;
- Designated outlying Desert Areas.
Dogs are allowed off-leash in Wilbur Square during designated hours: 5:00-8:00 a.m. & 3:00-6:00 p.m. (Wilbur Square is scheduled to be closed for irrigation repairs from January 2026 through March 2026.)
City Council started looking at updating the ordinance in 2023. “Changes to the City’s off-leash dog regulations have been a topic of much public discussion over the past few years, and we appreciate the significant community input we received in developing a solution,” said City Manager Ned Thomas. “The new regulations seek to balance the need for safety in our parks and other public areas while also providing the opportunity for dog owners to have their dogs off-leash in limited areas.”
Dogs off-leash in the above designated areas must be under voice command and in eyesight of someone 18 years or older at all times. That person is responsible for cleaning up animal waste, for their pet’s behavior, or any damages to facilities. See the full list of rules for designated off-leash areas at www.bcnv.org/dogpark.
Everywhere else, dogs must be kept on a leash. This includes parks, sidewalks, walking paths, trails, the Desert Conservation Area and the Eldorado Dry Lake. Anyone who has concerns about an off-leash dog can contact the Boulder City Police Department non-emergency number at 311.
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