If you have a dog and live – or find yourself – in Iowa City, you have to check out the Thornberry Off-Leash Dog Park.

Iowa City is a Big 10 Conference university town – home of the Hawkeyes, and these folks know how to do a dog park right!  Thornberry is located at the very end of Foster Road and Canton Street, and it’s the best dog park we’ve ever been to – so far.

This dog park is a fantastic 12 acres!  The amenities include:

• A huge fenced in area for large dogs.
• A smaller (but still large) fenced in area for the little guys and gals.
• A fenced in area for agility training.
• A fenced in area with a pond for water loving dogs.
• Running water (but turned off for winter).

The park was mostly grass with walking paths for humans and covered cabanas to get out of rain or direct sun while your dog plays. Also, the park provided eco-friendly disposal bags because all the poop goes down conveniently located pipes to underground cells where it breaks down and decomposes. Check out the photos!

Each dog must have a Thornberry tag on their collar to enter the park. The cost of the tag is $25 per year, with a $5 discount if your dog is spayed/neutered. They also offer day passes for $5 if you’re just passing through.