Wilmington's best dog parks, from Empie's twin sand runs to shaded coastal nature loops.

Dogs must be leashed in Wilmington and New Hanover County public spaces except inside designated off-leash enclosures. The fenced off-leash runs are concentrated at Empie Park (two sand sides), Long Leaf Park, Long Leaf Dog Park, and Ogden Park. At the nature parks, including Smith Creek, Halyburton, Wade, and Hanover Pines, a leash is required the entire loop.

There is no per-visit entry fee at any of the published parks. Standard county dog licensing and current rabies vaccination are the only legal requirements.

The fenced runs at Empie and Long Leaf do not check vaccination records at the gate, but the requirement is posted and owners are expected to comply. DHPP and bordetella are standard asks at local boarding and daycare facilities; bringing a vaccination record on a first visit to any supervised setting is a reasonable precaution.

July and August are hot and heavy with humidity, so early morning before 9am is the only comfortable window for a hard run. Hurricane season runs June through November, when storms can close trails or flood low boardwalks for a day or two. The upside of the coastal sand is drainage: the runs at Empie and Long Leaf shed water fast and rarely stay muddy, while paved loops like Smith Creek and Wade are usable almost year-round. Winters are mild, with most parks open and lightly used.

The north side around Ogden and Murrayville leans toward the bigger county parks, anchored by Ogden Park's two-mile loop and the lakeside trail at Smith Creek. South of downtown, off Carolina Beach Road and S 17th Street, Halyburton Park and Hanover Pines cover the quiet woodland walks. Downtown itself runs small and leashed, with Bicentennial and Tower the convenient quick stops.