Location: 960 Morehouse Highway, Fairfield, CT
Description: Lake Mohegan is not a dedicated dog park and the Town of Fairfield Conservation Department does not want it being portrayed as such. However, what can’t be ignored is that all of its trails and grounds are so dog friendly that we would be remiss in not including it in our list of “dog-friendly areas.” The best off-leash area for dogs are the trails that surround the lake and waterfall/creek called the Cascades on acreage donated by the G.E. Corporation. There are waste bins for doggie cleanups, but you need to supply your own bags. There are no designated watering areas, but most dogs don’t mind drinking out of the lake. Lake Mohegan and its surrounding open space comprise a total of 170.4 acres. The Fairfield Conservation Commission administers the open space property with its many hiking trails but the popular swimming area is managed by the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Commission.
Rules:
- All dogs must be leashed, or if unleashed, kept under the control of the person responsible for them at all times.
- All dogs must be leashed within one hundred feet (100-ft.) of a parking area or picnic area, or such other areas as may be designated by the Conservation Commission.
- All persons shall remain on designated trails as marked by the Conservation Commission.
- All persons walking dogs shall endeavor to remain on designated trails as marked by the Conservation Commission.
- Dogs and horses accompanied by a person responsible for them shall be permitted to enter any town beach only during the period from October 1 to March 31. At all other times dogs and horses are forbidden to enter any town beach, including the parking areas for such beach.
- No more than three (3) dogs may be walked by a person on any open space area.
Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk
Parking: Free parking on the park grounds
REVIEW BY DUSTY BLUE: This place blew my doggy mind! It’s the biggest place I’ve ever been. I loved rambling through all the trails with my owner, and it was fun to traipse near the lake and grab a drink. All of the dogs I saw were bigger ones but they were all very friendly, if not a little curious to see someone like me out in the wild. It would take me years to explore the whole place. I love it there!