Asheville's dog-park scene is in flux after Hurricane Helene flooded the French Broad riverfront in September 2024 and closed the two long-standing riverside dog parks. A temporary fenced park has stepped in while the city rebuilds a more flood-resilient riverfront over the coming years, and a county park west of town gives a reliable second option. Beyond the fenced parks, the city's leash law applies everywhere, so most walks are on the lead.
Aloft Asheville Downtown
★★★ 9.1
Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville Biltmore Village
★★★ 8.9
Kimpton Hotel Arras
★★★★ 9.2
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The city's stopgap after Helene destroyed its permanent riverside parks: a fenced, double-gated park with separate small-dog and large-dog sections, water stations, agility obstacles, shade and free parking. Not fancy, but real, free and open daily.
Off-leash zone: Whole park is fenced off-leash, split into small-dog and large-dog sides
💡 Open daily roughly 6:00-22:00; it is the main in-city off-leash option while the riverfront is rebuilt.
A well-kept county dog park in Candler, west of Asheville, with two fenced sections for small and large dogs, water stations, agility ramps and benches. Quieter than the in-city option and rarely crowded on weekday mornings.
Off-leash zone: Two fenced sections, small and large dogs
💡 Open daily 8:00-18:00, but the fenced dog area closes Mondays for maintenance, so plan around it.
A wooded city park with miles of trails and open fields, on-leash only, useful as a backup when the fenced dog parks are closed or busy. Space to roam on a long lead well away from off-leash chaos.
Off-leash zone: None; dogs must stay leashed
💡 Best used as a calm on-leash walk rather than an off-leash run; standard dawn-to-dusk park hours apply.
Our top-rated pet-friendly hotels, handpicked and verified.
Aloft Asheville Downtown
★★★ · 9.1/10
€139/night
Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville Biltmore Village
★★★ · 8.9/10
€149/night
Kimpton Hotel Arras
★★★★ · 9.2/10
€189/night