Where to take your dog in Missoula: only the best dog park ever!

Dogs enjoying the beach along the Clark Fork River.

If you are in Missoula with your dog I am very jealous, because that city has the best dog park I have visited.

Called Jacobs Island off-leash dog park, it is indeed an island in the Clark Fork River, tucked below the University of Montana campus.

At first it looks like standard fare: a fenced entrance with a small area to unleash your dog before you walk into a flat grassy area where the animals can greet and play while their owners watch and talk.

And while many people might not need more than that from their dog parks, my dog loves nothing more than to run and sniff through nature’s nooks and crannies, wet or dry. And this park has oodles of both.

It is bordered by water on both sides, so there are no fences past the entrance. If you keep walking beyond the grass, your dog is free to explore the long stretch of beach along the river to the west, or more water to the east.

Then in the middle, there is a long stretch of sandy dirt filled with those delicious nooks and crannies like bushes, trees and even logs to crawl under or jump over. My dog and I could have stayed there all day.
But if either of you still need more exercise after that, you can head down the railroad tracks and enjoy the K Williams Natural Trail Area, or meet up with the trail to the “M” overlooking the campus. The “M” trail is narrow and very popular, but the climb is a great workout and offers stunning views.