Kent County Dog Park Opens

aerial view of Kent Co. Dog Park (photo from Wahlfield Construction)

from Kent County Parks

The new Kent County, Michigan, 10-acre, fully fenced, off-leash dog park will open Friday, July 24, 2026. A grand opening celebration is planned for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wahlfield Park - North, located at 7117 M-37 in Comstock Park.

A facility of this size dedicated to dog recreation is highly unusual. Ben Swayze, director of the Kent County Parks Department, said, “Wahlfield Dog Park fills a need we've heard from the community for years.”

The park is completely enclosed and features
• a swimming pond with jumping dock (for dogs only)
• a 1-acre area for small dogs
• a 2-acre open activity field
• crushed stone walking trails through natural areas
• a four-season family restroom with a dog wash station

The park hours will be from 7 am until sunset.

Dogs must be spayed/neutered to use the facility. Complete rules can be found at the link below.

See Kent County Parks


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Kent County Will Open 10-Acre Dog Park, Spring 2026

Wahlfield Park under construction (photo from Kent County website)

a news release of Kent County , with added material

Already one of our most popular destinations for hiking and mountain biking, we’re thrilled to be adding our first enclosed dog park at Wahlfield Park. This 10-acre park will feature a one-acre small dog area, a two-acre open activity field, crushed stone walking trails through natural areas, and a one-acre swimming pond with a dog beach and jumping dock.

The park will also include a four-season family-style restroom with a dog wash station, as well as an additional restroom to serve hikers and mountain bikers. Construction is underway, and we’re planning a grand opening in late spring 2026.

Wahlfield Park is named after Fritz and Marlene Wahlfield, who donated the original 50 acres for the park in 1983. Fritz was a longtime Kent County Commissioner and parks supporter, and his son, Fritz Wahlfield Jr., and grandson, Fritz Wahlfield III, continue the family tradition of giving back to the community. Wahlfield Construction is building the two restrooms and has contributed over $200,000 in in-kind work and coordinated donations to the project. In addition, Fritz Jr. and his wife Liz have made a generous personal contribution. A big thank you to the Wahlfield family and Wahlfield Construction for helping make this incredible project a reality!

There are already hiking and mountain biking trails which are open for skiing in the winter.

The first link below shows a conceptual map of the project.

Wahlfield Park is located at 6811 Alpine Avenue, Alpine Township, MI 49321. This is north of Grand Rapids along M-37.

See map of proposed changes
See Wahlfield Park

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