Best Parks & Green Spaces for Dogs in Cardiff

A 130-acre arboretum and riverside park stretching north from Cardiff Castle along the River Taff, donated to the city by the Bute family in 1947. Dogs may run off-lead across the open lawns and the Taff Trail, except in the small designated formal gardens and inside the children's play areas. The park is one of the largest in the UK and rarely feels crowded even on summer Sundays.

The northern extension of Bute Park across the river, a vast open expanse of grass and tree-lined paths that is the unofficial main off-lead field of Cardiff. Quieter than Bute Park on weekdays, dominated by local dog walkers and joggers. The Bridge Café on the southern edge does excellent post-walk coffee and dogs are welcome on the outdoor benches.

A 130-acre Victorian park opened in 1894, organised around a 30-acre boating lake and the iconic Scott Memorial Lighthouse. The lake circuit is a 3.5 km lap that is one of the most popular dog walks in east Cardiff, with botanic gardens, wild meadow and rose garden sections. Dogs must be on a lead in the formal gardens but may be off-lead on the wild park and around the lake path.