Echo Lake Dog Park — Attraction in Mountainside

Just the best dog park! I''ve been to at least a dozen parks from north/central to central/southish Jersey and NOWHERE is better within that range! Waay more than enough space! Time out cage. A big and small dog section with woods to walk around outside the fence too! Most all people I've ever seen outside the fence leash their dogs! Most all of the ppl tend to their dogs. There's a regular park and play are for kids further down from the dog park..it's where you enter,depending which way you come from. We only had one fairly major incident in 4 yrs(male dog was the aggressor and quite vicious) drew blood..but she was fine afterward. Owner looked whacked out and did almost NOTHING! PPL came to our defense. As well as they did when some moron left the gate open and I couldn't catch up to her. They ran and herded her back to me..that was years ago..we moved and I've literally cried because there's nothing close to it here and down here? we had a HORRIFYING incident so bad I haven't been back to a dog park in almost 3 yrs! But that's here, closer to south jersey..again she wasn't the aggressor. Complain about dirt or mud? I'd take it ANY DAY to be be back at that park! Honna have to bite the bullet and travel back soon..girls pretty old now.. You have NO idea how substandard other parks are! Even just some of the ppl down here...are...

This dog park is good. Perhaps not great. It's large, and has both a large dog and small dog area which are separated by a chain link fence. It has poop bag stations which are not always 100% stocked, but often are. With wast bins besides. A water spigot with bowls in both areas - but not much beyond that. Ok, benches to sit on. It's always muddy, which is annoying. Beyond that, like any dog park - your dog-on-dog experience will be dependant on WHEN you go. If you go Saturday/Sunday/Holiday at 12 noon - you will likely see 100 dogs, with weekend warrior families. If you know, you know. I've seen scuffles and full on fights. If on the other hand you go at lunch on a weekday or at 7am on a Sunday for a quick visit - you will have maybe 10 dogs there for some exercise, with owners attending to their dogs. Your choice. All that being said - it is local to me, and inside a great park, and we like going here...

The renovation is complete. However it will be closed from 24Feb2025 to 03Mar2025. I like the ramp making it accessible for people on wheelchair or strollers. I like the water fountain station to limit wasting water.

The dog park is opened but it's not ready. there's a layer of straw. It's still winter so there's no grass yet. it is very muddy at the moment. I will wait until mid spring to come back.

I also like the fence between the small and large section is visible. I don't think the renovation fixed the drainage issue and grass issue which would make this dog park a elite 5...