National Dog Day is August 26, and if you’re anything like us, that’s basically a permission slip to plan an entire weekend around your dog’s opinion of a good afternoon. Kansas City is one of the most dog-friendly cities in the Midwest, and this guide rounds up the best of it: off-leash dog parks, walking trails, and patios where your dog is just as welcome as you are.
Consider this your excuse to take your own dog on a Kansas City tour before summer turns into fall. As with anything, please check the dog rules of any establishment or park to have the best experience.
Quick Answer: Where Should You Take Your Dog This Weekend?
- Want off-leash freedom?
Shawnee Mission Off-Leash Dog Park, Shawnee Mission Park, Stoll Park, Swope Park, Heritage Park, or Platte Landing Park in Parkville. - Want a membership dog park with drinks?
CITYDOGs KC in the Crossroads. - Want a long walk together?
Trolley Track Trail or Indian Creek Trail. - Want a patio dinner with your dog?
Char Bar, Casual Animal Brewing, or La Bodega. - Want coffee with your dog on a Saturday morning?
The Roasterie or Messenger Coffee.
Best Dog Parks in the Kansas City Metro
Shawnee Mission Off-Leash Dog Park
Inside Shawnee Mission Park in Shawnee, KS. One of the largest off-leash areas in the country, with a dog swim beach on the lake, wood chip and natural-surface trails through grassland and wooded areas, and paved parking. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Tuesdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. for maintenance).
Stoll Off-Leash Dog Park
Located within Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park in Overland Park, KS. The fully fenced dog park is a grassy and wooded area for your dog’s workout while you enjoy bench seating, paved pathways, and pet waste stations. Drinking water is available during the warm months.
Leawood Dog Park
Located in Leawood Park at 106th Street and Lee Boulevard in Leawood, KS, the dog park is open from sunrise to sunset except from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday mornings, when it closes for maintenance.
Swope Park Off-Leash Dog Park
Located inside Swope Park in Kansas City, MO, one of the city’s largest and most iconic parks. Wide-open natural terrain gives dogs real room to run.
Penn Valley Off-Leash Dog Park
A fenced, 2.7-acre park near downtown Kansas City, MO, with separate sections for large and small dogs, water fountains for both dogs and humans, and surrounding green space with walking paths.
Waggin’ Trail Dog Park
Located in North Kansas City, MO. The park features large- and small-dog areas, an agility course, a walking trail, benches, and two ADA-accessible water fountains.
Heritage Park Dog Off-Leash Area
Located in Olathe, KS. This fully fenced, 30-acre area features a pond for water play, solar-heated restrooms, and accessible parking.
CITYDOGs KC
2401 Summit St., Kansas City, MO 64108
Located in the Crossroads, this indoor-outdoor membership dog park features local craft beer, rotating food trucks, and a dedicated small-dog section. Registration and proof of vaccination are required before your first visit.
Platte Landing Park
Adjacent to English Landing Park in Parkville, MO, the park offers not one but two off-leash dog parks, depending on the size of your dog. Humans can enjoy the scenic trails and wetlands along the riverfront.
Favorite Places to Walk Your Dog Around KC
Trolley Track Trail
A gravel rail trail that connects the Plaza and Brookside neighborhoods to nearby businesses and parks. It is flat, shaded in sections, and an easy, reliable route if you just want a straightforward walk.
Indian Creek Trail
A paved trail system connecting Overland Park, Olathe, Leawood, and Kansas City, MO, with more than 25 miles of connected paved trail when you count the full network. It is popular with walkers, runners, and cyclists alike, and you’ll likely spot deer along the way.
Dog-Friendly Bars and Breweries
Casual Animal Brewing Co.
1725 McGee St., Kansas City, MO 64108
A plant-filled Crossroads taproom and one of the few breweries in town that lets dogs inside, not just on the patio.
Kansas City Bier Company
310 W. 79th St., Kansas City, MO 64114
Enjoy local German-style beer with your dog in the designated areas at this Waldo favorite. Worth knowing: Kansas City Bier Co. is also building a second location in Lenexa, KS, with its own off-leash dog park, expected to open in 2026.
Strange Days Brewing Co.
316 Oak St., Kansas City, MO 64106
Located in the River Market, with ample indoor and outdoor seating.
Border Brewing Company
512 E. 18th St., Kansas City, MO 64108
A Crossroads taproom with a spacious outdoor patio built for hanging out with friends and your dog.
Callsign Brewing
1340 Burlington St., North Kansas City, MO 64116
A veteran-owned brewery with a covered porch and a full kitchen.
BKS Artisan Ales
633 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, MO 64110 (Brookside)
1701 McGee St., Suite 400, Kansas City, MO 64108 (East Crossroads)
BKS Artisan Ales has two locations. The Brookside spot is open Wednesday through Sunday, while the Crossroads tasting room has later weekend hours.
Cinder Block Brewery
110 E. 18th Ave., North Kansas City, MO 64116
A cozy North Kansas City taproom where dogs are always welcome. It is open daily, with earlier hours Friday through Sunday.
Chicken N Pickle
1761 Burlington St., North Kansas City, MO 64116
5901 W. 135th St., Overland Park, KS 66223
Both locations welcome dogs at their outdoor, pet-friendly tables. Although dogs aren’t permitted on the pickleball courts, they can enjoy the yard games along with you.
Char Bar
4050 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Southern-style barbecue with an enclosed, heated, dog-friendly patio, so this one works in cooler months too.
La Bodega
703 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108, or 119th Street and Roe Avenue in Leawood
Spanish tapas and sangria on a dog-friendly sidewalk patio.
Harry’s Country Club
112 E. Missouri Ave., Kansas City, MO 64106
Dogs are welcome at the four outdoor tables at the front of the building. The back patio is dog-free, so grab a front table.
Rye KC
10551 Mission Road, Leawood, KS 66206
A Leawood favorite for homestyle classics, with patio seating for you and your pup.
District Pour House + Kitchen
7122 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114
Pub food and a strong beer list, with patio-only seating for dogs.
Southside Bar & Grille
1144 W. 103rd St., Kansas City, MO 64114
A casual neighborhood spot with dog-friendly outdoor seating, open at 11 a.m. daily.
Brewery Emperial
1829 Oak St., Kansas City, MO 64108
One of the larger beer gardens in the Crossroads, with a full food menu from an open-flame hearth.
Dog-Friendly Coffee Shops in KC
The Roasterie
A longtime Kansas City favorite known for allowing dogs on its outdoor patios across locations.
Messenger Coffee
A wide patio layout that comfortably fits dogs and their people during the morning rush.
Parkville Coffee
Dog-friendly outdoor seating in Parkville, which pairs nicely with a walk along the river.
Revocup Coffee Roasters
Leawood, KS
A locally owned cafe with a sidewalk patio that welcomes dogs.
Quick Answers to the Questions We Hear Most
What dog parks in Kansas City don’t require a membership?
Shawnee Mission Off-Leash Dog Park, Swope Park Off-Leash Dog Park, Stoll Off-Leash Dog Park, Penn Valley Off-Leash Dog Park, Waggin’ Trail Dog Park, and Heritage Park in Olathe are all free and open to the public.
Are there any breweries in KC where dogs can go inside, not just on the patio?
Casual Animal Brewing Co. in the Crossroads allows dogs inside the taproom, not just on the patio, which is unusual for Kansas City breweries.
What’s a good dog-friendly spot in North Kansas City?
Callsign Brewing, Cinder Block Brewery, and Chicken N Pickle are all dog-friendly and within a few minutes of each other in North Kansas City, making it easy to plan a whole afternoon in the area.
Is there a dog-friendly patio in Leawood?
Rye KC, La Bodega’s Leawood location, and Revocup Coffee Roasters all have dog-friendly outdoor seating in Leawood.
Bottom Line
Kansas City is genuinely one of the better cities in the country to be a dog owner, and it only takes a weekend to prove it to yourself. Pick a park in the morning, a trail in the afternoon, and a patio for dinner, and you’ll have covered more ground with your dog than most people do in a month.
If you’re searching for a home and want to be within walking distance of one of these spots, that’s exactly the kind of thing we can help you find.
Call us at 913.599.6363, or reach out anytime to start the conversation.
Because it’s more than just a house.
