Best Turf Covered Dog Park in the DMV
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February 2025
We are happy to report that the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA), after several years of partnership with Westgrove P.A.C.K., has agreed to allow Westgrove to remain a turf dog park! Maintaining a turf surface in a dog park with as much traffic as we have at Westgrove is a daunting task—especially considering the dog waste, heat, and dry summers we have had. Fairfax County Park Authority does not cover the additional cost of maintaining turf. Annual plantings are only made possible through the generous donations of our members and caretakers. Aerating, soil amendment, seeding, mowing, and other turf maintenance operations are all paid for by Westgrove P.A.C.K. with funds donated by the users of the park and are done by a private contractor according to procedures that have been developed in close consultation with FCPA. |
©James Ketola/Happy Paws Photography
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Because the dog park is in the watershed for Dyke Marsh, the Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay, we take great care to observe all local, state, and federal regulations to protect the surrounding environment and the health of our dogs, while avoiding fertilizer and pesticides that may cause issues to our pets and the watershed.
There are no plans to replace the turf with stone dust and FCPA and P.A.C.K. are working cooperatively to maintain the turf, and this will be testing small sample patches of a 12-month turf variety with the hope of extending our green season into the winter months.
We have a ground cover variety, oval-leafed knotweed (Polygonum arenastrum) established in the south end, which thrives in hot summer weather. It holds up well to foot and paw traffic, is drought tolerant, and needs minimal maintenance during the season. In consultation with FCPA, we performed an additional aeration in late June to mitigate the soil compaction resulting from foot and paw traffic during the season.
Unfortunately, our turf dies off in late-September when the weather starts to get cool and leaves us with bare earth (or mud) until April. Maintaining that ground cover typically requires annual turf renewal operations every spring including 8-10 weeks of complete rest during which the south (big) end of the park is completely closed.
The Board of Westgrove P.A.C.K. would like to thank our Caretakers for supporting these efforts. We would not have a turf dog park without your generous support. If you would like to get more involved in supporting our turf maintenance and improvement efforts, please contact the P.A.C.K.
There are no plans to replace the turf with stone dust and FCPA and P.A.C.K. are working cooperatively to maintain the turf, and this will be testing small sample patches of a 12-month turf variety with the hope of extending our green season into the winter months.
We have a ground cover variety, oval-leafed knotweed (Polygonum arenastrum) established in the south end, which thrives in hot summer weather. It holds up well to foot and paw traffic, is drought tolerant, and needs minimal maintenance during the season. In consultation with FCPA, we performed an additional aeration in late June to mitigate the soil compaction resulting from foot and paw traffic during the season.
Unfortunately, our turf dies off in late-September when the weather starts to get cool and leaves us with bare earth (or mud) until April. Maintaining that ground cover typically requires annual turf renewal operations every spring including 8-10 weeks of complete rest during which the south (big) end of the park is completely closed.
The Board of Westgrove P.A.C.K. would like to thank our Caretakers for supporting these efforts. We would not have a turf dog park without your generous support. If you would like to get more involved in supporting our turf maintenance and improvement efforts, please contact the P.A.C.K.
Northern Virginia Magazine has recognized Westgrove Dog Park as the "Best Dog Park in Northern Virginia" for 2024 and 2023. Thank you ALL for your generous nominations and awards.