Ellison Park
447 acres of trails, creek, and meadows for leashed dog walks
About this park
A sprawling Monroe County park along Irondequoit Creek with miles of wooded trail, open meadows, and a disc golf course. Dogs are welcome leashed throughout, and the size means you can find an empty stretch most days. Sections near the creek flood after heavy rain, so trail conditions vary by season.
Amenities
Ellison Park reviews
What visitors consistently sayThe trail network is the standout: enough mileage that even busy weekend mornings rarely feel crowded, with creek crossings, woods, and meadow stretches in the same loop. Disc golf and playgrounds keep the rest of the family busy.
A wide mix of trail walkers, runners, disc golfers, and birders. Dog walkers tend to stick to the wooded loops where the crowd thins quickly past the parking lots.
Best for
Before you go
Check recent weather before heading out; creekside trails flood and stay muddy for days after big rain. Leash required park-wide. Multiple entrances make it easy to start near a quieter trailhead on weekends.
Frequently asked
- Is Ellison Park off-leash?
- No. Leashes are required across all 447 acres; the fenced off-leash area is Ellison Dog Park, a separate gated enclosure on the same grounds that needs a Monroe County fob card.
- Does it get muddy?
- Yes. The low ground near Irondequoit Creek floods after heavy rain and stays soft for days, so check the forecast before committing to a creekside loop.
- Is there water or a restroom?
- There are restrooms on the grounds, but nothing set up for dogs to drink from. Carry your own water for anything longer than a short loop.
- Where should you park?
- Several entrances have their own lots, which is the simple fix for weekend crowds: start from a quieter trailhead instead of the main one.
- Is it a good option for a reactive dog?
- Yes, if you time it. The trail network is long enough that walkers report near-empty stretches early in the morning and on weekdays, which makes passing other dogs easy to manage.
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