Top pet-friendly parks in the Finger Lakes for your dog’s next walk

As the weather warms up heading into spring, many people and their dogs may be looking for ways to get out of the house. If your dog is bored of playing in the backyard, Ontario County has you covered with beautiful, pet-friendly parks.

Here are four pet-friendly parks you and your furry friend should check out:

Boughton Park

Boughton Park is located within East Bloomfield and is jointly owned by the towns of Victor, East Bloomfield and West Bloomfield. This park covers 330 acres and features ponds, trails and wooded areas.

The park is only open to Victor, East Bloomfield and West Bloomfield residents and can only be accessed with a permit. These permits are free for residents and can be issued by the town clerks from each of the three towns. East Bloomfield Town Clerk Margaret M. Gochenaur said that dogs are allowed at the park as long as they are leashed. East Bloomfield has a leash law so dogs are not permitted to roam free and owners are expected to have control of them at all times, she said.

Boughton Park can be accessed through two entrances:

• 7388 Boughton Road in Victor, Ontario County.
• Or, through Stirnie Road in East Bloomfield, Ontario County, a half-mile south of Town Line Road.

Kershaw Park

Kershaw Park is 9 acres along the north shores of Canandaigua Lake in Canandaigua, Ontario County. It includes sidewalks on both sides of Lakeshore Drive, paths along the lake, a public beach area, a bath house, a public dock, a playground, picnic tables, gazebos, and benches.

Leashed dogs are allowed at Kershaw Park, but they are not allowed to access the public beach area or the bathhouse. The Canandaigua City ordinance states that dog owners must be responsible for cleaning up after their dogs at Kershaw Park and all other city parks.

Kershaw Park is at 155 Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua.

Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill

Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill, named after the newspaper publisher Frank Gannett, consists of 410 acres of open lands and woods. The park includes beautiful scenery, hiking and biking trails, a playground, three softball diamonds, a fishing pond, and picnic sites. Leashed dogs are welcome at the park.

The park is at 6475 Gannett Hill Park Drive in Naples.

Canandaigua Canine Campus

The Canandaigua Canine Campus is a city-owned and managed membership dog park. It is approximately two acres of fenced-in land, safe for dogs to roam off-leash. The park consists of secure access gates, separate fenced play yards for small and large dogs, water stations, benches, and a pet memorial rock garden.

Registration is required to access this dog park. To register your dog, visit the City Clerk's Office at City Hall, 2 N. Main St. For more information about registration for the Canandaigua Canine Campus, visit https://www.canandaiguanewyork.gov/226/Dog-Park.

The dog park is at 97 Buffalo St. in Canandaigua.

— Madison Scott is a journalist with the Democrat and Chronicle who edited our Weld Street Project and also did reporting for it. She has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at MDScott@gannett.com.