Costa Mesa Bark Park

We heard from other dog owner that there is a larger dog park in Costa Mesa. So we took our dog there. The small dog session is nicer with the grass. The big dog session is pretty much dirt. The water area is kind of dirty. I used my hand to force the refresh water in the sink. Once I did that, there were quite a few dogs coming for water.
I can see why people said that Irvine dog park is the best one.

the place is not that bad, but some people and dogs are ridiculous.
Really badly behavior and not training not trying to train their.
Be aware of Her dog that I updated!!! My dog covered with blood because of her dog.
Her dog barked to my dog with sharp tooth when we went into the park. And then the dog suddenly bit in my dogs face and thigh. My dog never barked and bited though.
She didn’t say sorry nay never felt sorry for my dog. what she did is cruelty to animals.

The park itself is substantially large and nice. At the time I went, they were still going through a remodeling of the small dog park so my smaller dog had a fenced-​in area in the large dog area to play in. A good amount of grass, considering the drought. There could be a better water fountain for the dogs though. The other issue is that the dog owners that frequent this place could be more considerate and pick up after their dogs’ messes, but a lot of them tend to ignore their dogs and either talk amongst themselves and sit on their butts the whole time, glue themselves to their phones, or find a corner to feed their incessant chain-​smoking habit (I’m not aware of any no smoking signs, but they should ban it in the park). There’s quite a bit that can be done to improve the experience a dog and its owner can have here, but a lot of it has to do with the owners themselves (pretty much like most other parks). I’ll more likely come back when there’s less people to deal with.

I previously gave this park 1 star because it looked extremely trashy. Since they started renovations the park has all new grass, seating areas and looks completely different. It’s very nice and I will happily be returning when it opens again!

Personally. I enjoy this park. I have a 3 year old rescue dog. So she has some daddy issues. This park is overall a safe park. It’s a big park with a lot of different types of dogs. Sometimes there will be a minuet clash. It happens. They are dogs. I have yet to see a dog die at this park and I am a would consider myself part chairman. Just saying…

The place is fine but the trashy people and their badly behaved dogs are a pain. When I’m playing fetch with my well behaved dog and I get a pitbull aggressively chasing after my dog with no owner in sight it’s pain. I can’t expect any better from west side Costa Mesa though.

Pretty nice park but most owners don’t pick up their dogs’ poop. Need to see where you are going.

My puppy absolutely loves this park! I started taking him here 2 weeks ago after he finally finished all his shots. I was afraid that he would be either too shy or too rough when playing around since he hasnt socialized with any dogs prior to coming here. I just figured that since he was friendly with humans, he would do well here. I am so glad that I decided to take him here because he does so well around other dogs! The park is clean and has 2 separate sections for large dogs and small dogs. I guess you can decide which side to go on if your dog is medium sized depending on its temperment.
The only upsetting thing about this park is that a few owners dont really keep an eye on their dogs. A husky puppy about a head taller than my shiba inu puppy charged at him and gave him a small scratch on his stomach. My puppy cried for a few seconds and continued playing with his new friends. The owner just picked up her husky and pretended like I didn’t see the incident. I’m happy it just just a scratch, but people should be more attentive especially when their dog is already showing minor signs of rough play towards a dog way smaller than its size in the SMALL dog section

I bring our Leela pup here all the time and she loves it! I like how it’s big enough for her to run around and get her ya-ya’s out. There’s water bowls and waste bags to use which is super helpful. Every once in awhile, you will get those dog owners who are more paranoid than their dogs — but overall, it’s a great place to bring your dog to run around off leash!

My dog loves coming here to play and run. The park is clean and there are doggie bag stations. The park has great hours, early morning and late evening. But they are closed on Wednesday. The other dog owners are friendly too!

Compared to the other dog parks in the area, I really really like this one.
Layout/​What to Expect
It’s a very good size, and has everything you could ever want in a dog park — grass, dirt, water troughs, places to sit and several bins throughout the park for dog poo, so you never have to walk far with a bag of poop in your hand, praying you bought strong enough bags so that none of it gets on you. Because that’s never happened to me. Ever. (insert blushing emoticon here)
The dirt is pretty hard packed, but be prepared to get your shoes dirty if you walk around the park a lot. I’ve never seen a dog fight, and the dog owners are pretty responsible about picking up after their pets (I’ve noticed since I do exercising laps around the park as my pup plays). They have sectioned off a portion of the park to grow new grass, and apparently they will be doing this sporadically so the dogs have some grass to roll around on. Pretty sweet.
Yappers
The only think I really really dislike about this place has nothing to do with the park itself. It has to do with the small yapping dogs that people bring into the BIG DOG park. Because you know what happens? The small dogs come in, thinking they are very large dogs, and run up to the big dogs barking and nipping at their heels. When the big dogs are sick of this, they turn and bark (not bite or nip, BARK) back at the little dogs, sending them scurrying back to mommy and daddy who proceed to yell at said big dog’s owner. Seriously? The small dog park is so close that it SHARES A FENCE with the big dog park, and is there for a reason. I’ve never seen a big dog in the small dog park, but the same rules apply.
That being said:
If you have a small dog, please go to the small dog park. That is all.
xoxo
Big Dog parent

Rating 4.5
I was hesitant to bring my boyfriend’s dog here but came anyways due to proximity. I read about lots of mud and poop. I actually don’t see that so I guess I picked a good day. :)
Entrance difficult to find. My android GPS took me near a playground and I saw no dog park. I had to ask a couple and check someone else’s Unilocal post.
ENTRANCE! Somewhere in between the tennis court and skateboard rink thingy. There’s like a small shop and it’s behind that. good luck guys.
Closed on Wednesdays for maintenance.
Very spacious. It’s 5:30pm on Tues and I see about the 10 dogs.
I see a large patch of artificial grass and I’m wondering if they’re going to expand it?
Water available. Poo bags available. Plenty of chairs & benches. Lots of lighting. Safe neighborhood.

WEAR YOUR NASTIEST TENNIES
The location is great and the park is definitely well maintained. As with anything else, the humans ruin it. The moment you step into the park, everwhere you go, you’re greeted by heaping piles of dog poop that owners don’t pick up. EVEN THOUGH THE PARK PROVIDES FREE BAGS!!! Courtesy, people!!!
On a side note, the dogs are really chill there.

I travel with my dog frequently and end up visiting a lot of dog parks. They are typically set up the same. This park is nice. Tons of shade and chairs for the humans to sit. It still has grass in most of the park which wi a rarity with dog parks. Overall, it was a nice experience. Max had fun. The humans aren’t as social as I have experienced in other parks, but that is fine. The recommendation I have is that there are not enough water bowls, so plan to bring your own.

It’s a good park to come to especially on Wednesdays when all the other OC Dog parks are closed. But went there last Wednesday 9/​16, and there’s a sign saying that it’s closed on Wednesdays now. So no dog parks to take my Huskies on Wednesdays. I wish the county and OC cities would have each of the dog parks close on different days so that our dogs would have a place to go everyday.
Bad planning on OC Cities.

Whenever I dog-​sit my parents’ terrier-​mix, I usually like taking him to the Bark Park. He lives with three cats, so this is an ideal place to let him socialize with fellow canines.
Bark Park is split into two separate areas: one area for small/​disabled/​older dogs, and another for large dogs. I do feel that the small dog side could use an expansion — it can get surprisingly crowded there at times. The big dogs have at least four times the space and I’ve noticed a lot of those dogs and their owners don’t congregate past the paved bench area near the entrance.
It’s lighted at night, which is great for people with day jobs or are averse to sunlight for whatever reason. Lots of benches and patio chairs for dog owners. Errant balls from the tennis court next door guarantee a steady supply of free toys. Most of the regular visitors are friendly and will keep their dogs in check. There’s a big water bowl attached to a device that will fill it automatically, and the city is really good at keeping the pickup bag dispensers full.
Ground area is mostly dirt and kinda smells, so you’ll probably want to bathe your dog once you leave. I was told by one of the longtime visitors to the park that there used to be a lot more grass. If our current water woes ever end, I hope this will be possible again.
The parking lot is a bit on the small side and is shared with Volcom’s skate park. This could be an issue on evenings and weekends, but I have not had a problem so far.

PROs
— On a summer weekday around 1pm, there was a good amount of little dogs running around. — There is 6 – 7 lawn chairs scattered around and a park bench.
— Dog bags are provided!!!
CONs
— Entrance is a bit confusing. Drive past the Orange County Fair grounds parking and park near the Tennis Store. The dog park entrance is right there.
— It’s a mix of dirt and grass. I prefer grassy dog parks so my dog isn’t so dirty. But my dog came home smelling fine.
NEUTRAL?
— Not sure if my dog was the hot dog of the day, but my dog was umm mounted by many different dogs throughout the day. Not sure if he was happy about it, but if I brought him back, he would still have fun.
I’d give this place a higher rating if it was only grass… but what can I expect during a California water drought –_–

I’m reading the reviews about «aggressive dogs» and I guess I do not understand the mentality. Dogs are dogs. It doesn’t bother me if other dogs get testy. As long as they are put in their place by their owners.
I have also seen dog owners being called snooty. I simply do not pay that much attention to call anyone snooty. I bring my dog and we run around with him on a leash (so he can get accustomed to being around other dogs), and I mind my business. Other dogs get testy with him but we keep running and they run off, or their owners immediately correct their dog and it is no big deal.
I love my dog, but I am not obsessed with his safety, because he should be able to take care of himself and me. That is why I got him. This fascination that every dog is going to love you like your dog loves you is baffling, or that you will like every dog in the park is silly.
It’s a dog park. It’s in a beautiful area of the country. What’s not to like?

I rarely travel with my wife on her daily excursion to one of our local dog parks but being as this was for a friends party I made an exception, besides this is one of a few parks my wife has been to that I hadn’t seen.
The Costa Mesa Bark Park is located near the OC Fairplex and features separate sides for small dogs (25# and under) and large dogs. The first thing you notice which is not uncommon is how much smaller the small dog side is from that of the large. I like the fact that they separate the sizes but definitely think that the small dogs are rarely given a fair enough size for them to run around and frolic with their furry friends. The park has several benches and a couple of picnic style tables to sit at which was nice and plenty of trees to use as shade to hide from the sun which on this day definitely came in handy as it was scorching and around 90 degrees.
The park itself is situated right behind a fenced in tennis court area so tennis balls are quite easy to come by if you didn’t bring any from the balls going over or in some cases under the fenced in area. The park has a fairly decent sized parking lot and should be ample for everyone and if not their is more parking nearby in the residential area near Tewinkle Park. One of the major flaws I found in the park is the lack of sufficient water areas for the dogs. They have a closed in water section built near one of the gates that everyone was congregating around and if you sat near the picnic tables you constantly had to walk back and forth to fill the bowl. I wish they had one of these areas on both sides as this would definitely make things easier overall.
Overall this seems like a relatively decent park but the upkeep was a bit lacking. The grass could definitely use some resodding and they should for sure look into expanding the small dog size. Not my favorite of the parks I have been to but definitely a decent one for sure. I would come back again if I happened to be in the area but we have better options closer to home.

I’m torn about this place. It’s nice to have a spot to take my doggie to so she can run and socialize with other dogs. There is plenty of shade and chairs in the small doggie area the there is a huge water well for the doggies, I’ve met and chatted with some very nice people here. I also enjoy meeting some of the other cute little doggies.
The not so good: the small doggie area is mostly dirt and dust and some of the other people here are complete idiots. I brought my little doggie here once and another male dog immediate ran over to hump her. She ran away from him and he kept chasing her down while the owner of the frisky dog just stood there texting on his phone. I mean, did this moron even bother to get his dog fixed?
Another time I was sitting chatting with some other people in the shade. One young kid came up, grabbed an empty plastic chair and started to take it into the large doggie area. Some big mouthed bully behind me got up out of his chair and YELLED to the kid «Hey…where are you taking that chair? That chair belongs to us… we pay for those chairs».
Yikes…let’s not get into fights at the dog park people.