Harry Griffen Park — Attraction in La Mesa

We loved taking our pup Zoey to the dog park here for 7 years. Sadly she passed away 2 and a half months ago but we went right out and rescued another pup (Lucy Lu) and now SHE enjoys going here! There are separate areas for big and little dogs which is perfect bc Zoey was half lab and half pit bull so she could play with the larger breeds but Lucy Lu is about 20 lbs smaller (lab/terrier mix) and likes the side with the little pups much better! Both sides have ample seating available and there are shady areas as well as sunny ones to sit in while your dogs run around! The dog park also provides water bowls and fresh water for your pups and there’s always a tennis ball or two to throw to your doggies and their furry friends. We’ve only had one or two negative encounters but that was not bc of the park itself but bc a couple owners didn’t watch their pups closely enough or brought them to the wrong side where they got in altercations. The park itself is huge and we always see people having picnics and the park looks well maintained from what we see driving to the back area where the dog park section is. Also even on the busiest days there’s always ample parking which is...

My family and I have enjoyed the cool brezze that funnels through the park of the surounding homes. Their is plenty of grassy areas for a picnic. We like the dog park and used it quite often over the years and this is where my concern lies. RECENTLY EXSTENDED MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY HAVE BEEN INTRUDED ON BY LARGE DOGS OFF LEASH AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS AND THEIR OWNERS NOT PAYING ANY ATTENTION OR EVEN APOLOGIZING. This might not seem like much to most people but if you have had a bad exspierences with dogs not on leash like my our grandmother you would understand why she had a panic attack during her last visited and we had to take her to the hospital to calm down and she will not come back to the park. THERE IS A SIGN AT THE ENTRANCE THAT ALL DOGS MUST BE ON LEASE AT ALL TIMES OF COURSE NOT WHILE IN THE DOG RUNS THEMSELVES. Please keep your dogs on leash and away from other parties, if it continues I won't hesitate to call animal control.

Thanks be responsible and respect the city...

This park is large, GORGEOUS, and extremely well maintained. There is a playground, dirt trails, a horseshoe pit, an amphitheatre, multitudes of covered and uncovered picnic tables, and even an enclosed dog park with separate sections where dogs can play off leash.

I love walking my (leashed) dogs here, but only at less busy times because my dogs aren't super fond of meeting other dogs and nobody listens to the leash laws/nobody enforces them. Outside of the enclosed dog park is supposedly "on leash only" (there are signs posted at every entrance) but you'll see far more dogs off leash than on and rarely do owners have any control of these dogs. This park would easily be a 5 star if anyone actually enforced the...