Dog-Friendly Fort Collins: Trails, Patios, Parks & Services
Fort Collins is the lowest city on this site at 4,997 feet, with four fenced dog parks in town and the leash-only foothills of Horsetooth ten minutes west.
Fort Collins keeps its rules short. City Code Chapter 4 says dogs are not allowed off leash in parks except inside fenced, signed dog park areas, and the city built four of them. Spring Canyon Dog Park on West Horsetooth Road has three fenced areas and a water feature; Fossil Creek, Twin Silo and Soft Gold round out the set. Fines for a loose dog are not stated on the parks page, so check the city's current page.
Horsetooth and the foothills
The signature outing is Larimer County's Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, 2,711 acres rising from 5,430 to 7,255 feet. The county's rule is blunt: dogs must be leashed at all times, loose dogs may be impounded, and an entrance permit is required. The reservoir's South Bay and Inlet Bay campgrounds allow a leash up to 10 feet and keep dogs off the swim beaches. Dog access in the city's natural areas varies by site, so look each one up before you go. More options are under trails near Fort Collins.
Licenses, buses and beer
Every dog and cat four months and older needs an annual license, sold only through NOCO Humane: $17 altered, $60 intact. Transfort requires pets to ride in a fully contained, secured carrier. Old Town's breweries are unusually open indoors: New Belgium's Liquid Center admits dogs on a six-foot hand-held leash (not on tours), and Stodgy Brewing welcomes calm, leashed dogs inside and out. Odell is patio only.
- CountyLarimer County
- Elevation4,997 ft
- Population171,500 (Census 2025 estimate)
- Leash lawCity Code Chapter 4: dogs may be off leash in parks only inside fenced, signed dog park areas
- Dog licenseRequired for dogs and cats 4 months+ through NOCO Humane ($17/yr altered, $60 intact)
- Off-leash optionsSpring Canyon, Fossil Creek, Twin Silo and Soft Gold dog parks (all fenced); Horsetooth Mountain Open Space is leash-only
- TransitTransfort: pets must ride in a fully contained, secured carrier
Dog-friendly hikes near Fort Collins
- Horsetooth Rock LoopFort CollinsLeash required · 5 mi
- Horsetooth Falls LoopFort CollinsLeash required · 3.1 mi
- Arthur's Rock Trail – Lory State ParkFort CollinsLeash required · 3.6 mi
- Devil's Backbone Wild LoopFort CollinsLeash required; no dogs on the Rimrock Trail · 2.4 mi
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Questions people ask
Can my dog be off leash at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space?
No. Larimer County requires dogs on leash at all times throughout the open space and says loose dogs may be impounded. The same leash rule applies on the Horsetooth Rock trail and the reservoir campgrounds, where the leash may be up to 10 feet and dogs are not allowed on the swim beaches. An entrance permit is required for the open space.
Which Fort Collins dog park has water for dogs?
Spring Canyon Dog Park, inside Spring Canyon Community Park at 2626 W Horsetooth Rd, has three fenced areas and a water feature. Fossil Creek, Twin Silo and Soft Gold are fenced too but are listed without a water feature, so carry your own in summer.
Where do I buy a Fort Collins dog license?
Only through NOCO Humane (formerly Larimer Humane Society), online or by mail; the Larimer County Clerk no longer sells pet licenses. Dogs and cats four months and older need one every year: $17 altered, $60 intact, $17 for dogs under one year, and free for qualifying low-income residents 62 and over.
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