Paul Ruster Park
Two members-only fenced yards, an agility course, and trails that drop down to a fishing pond
About this park
Paul Ruster Park is an east-side Indy Parks property with two fenced dog yards (one with an agility course), a sledding hill, a stocked fishing pond, and wooded trails connecting it all. The dog park requires the standard Indy Parks annual pass, but the trails and pond are open to anyone on leash.
Amenities
Paul Ruster Park reviews
What visitors consistently sayReviewers love the variety at Paul Ruster: a real agility course inside the fenced yard, plus a forested trail loop and a pond that doesn't feel like a typical dog-park footprint. The sledding hill as a winter draw comes up more than once.
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Before you go
The dog-park access requires an annual Indy Parks pass; there's no on-site day-pass kiosk, so out-of-town visitors should plan to use the leashed trails instead. The hilly trail loop has some grade, fine for most dogs but worth a walking stick if the ground is wet.
Frequently asked
- Is a pass required for the dog park?
- Yes. The fenced yards need an annual Indy Parks pass, and one visitor found there is no way to buy a single-day pass at the gate.
- Is there an agility course?
- Yes. One of the two fenced yards has an agility setup, which reviewers call out as unusual for a city dog park.
- Can dogs use the trails without a pass?
- Yes. The wooded trails, the pond, and the open field are open to anyone with a leashed dog; only the fenced yards are gated.
- How hard are the trails?
- Moderate. A couple of hills give the loop some grade, and one reviewer suggests a walking stick if the ground is wet.
- What else is at Paul Ruster Park?
- A sledding hill that becomes the winter draw, a stocked fishing pond, a playground, and picnic shelters ranging from a large one by the lot to a small one hidden in the woods.
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