At Oakwood Management, we know pets are family. Many of our communities feature on-site bark parks, pet washing stations, and easy access to some of the best off-leash areas in Central Ohio. But for those days when you and your pup want to explore beyond your own backyard, Central Ohio is surrounded by incredible public dog parks just minutes from our communities.

So grab the leash (and maybe a few treats) — here are the best dog parks near Oakwood apartment and townhome communities across Columbus and beyond.

Dog Parks by Area

 

 

Dublin & Hilliard Area

Darree Fields Dog Park (Dublin)

Spacious, clean, and divided for large and small dogs, Nando’s Dog Park at Darree Fields offers agility equipment, shaded benches, and plenty of open room to roam. It’s the kind of place where golden retrievers sprint for tennis balls while owners chat over coffee under the shade. Browse reviews here and see snapshots of happy pups making the most of this popular Dublin spot.

Just down the road, Asherton of Dublin offers the perfect blend of comfort and convenience for pet owners. This pet-friendly community features open green space, walking paths, and roomy floor plans. From morning walks to weekend park visits, Asherton makes it easy to enjoy an active, pet-friendly lifestyle in Dublin.

Heritage Trail Dog Park (Hilliard)

Right off the scenic Heritage Trail, this dog park features double-gated areas, agility obstacles, splash and sprinkle water pads, and plenty of room to run. It’s perfect for dogs who love a long walk followed by some off-leash playtime. You’ll spot everything from joggers with German shepherds to corgis cooling off in the splash pads — a true slice of Columbus community life.

Just five minutes away, The Charles at Riggins Run makes life with your pup effortless. Your dog doesn’t know the word ‘amenities’ — but they’ll love every inch of the trails, bark parks, and open green space. You can even elevate your own routine with top-tier amenities like a rock climbing wall, yoga studio, and virtual golf simulator — all designed for a balanced lifestyle for both you and your four-legged companion. Nearby, Kensington at Riggins Run combines modern comfort and a neighborhood feel. Residents can also indulge in resort-style amenities like a striking violet-lit indoor pool complete with mounted TVs, electric car charging stations, and stylish community lounge. Life at Oakwood isn’t just about convenience — it’s about creating space for moments that matter, from morning walks to evening play.

Westerville & Polaris Area

Brooksedge Dog Park (Westerville)

Three fenced zones, shaded seating, agility stations with tennis balls available, and nearby trails make Brooksedge one of the city’s most popular dog destinations. Conveniently located in Westerville, this spacious dog park offers a clean, safe, and social environment for local pet owners looking for the best off-leash parks near Columbus apartments. In Westerville, community is everything — and Brooksedge is where new dog friendships are made daily.

Close by, Ravines at Westar offers a refined retreat surrounded by wooded trails and tranquil views. This upscale community features resort-style perks like ultraviolet saltwater heated pools, a pet bathing boutique, and a private theater room — creating an experience that feels more like a getaway than an apartment home. With Brooksedge Dog Park just minutes away, residents enjoy the perfect balance of luxury living and outdoor adventure.

Alum Creek Dog Park (Lewis Center/Polaris Area)

Just a short drive from several Oakwood communities, Friends of Alum Creek Dog Park combines lakeside beauty with plenty of room to roam. Whether your pup wants to splash in the water or make new friends on dry land, this park delivers a true outdoor escape close to home. With fenced play areas and a lakeside beach for water-loving pups, Alum Creek Dog Park is a true summer favorite.

Residents at nearby The Pointe at Polaris can enjoy a modern live–work–play lifestyle at the heart of one of Columbus’s most vibrant districts. Walkable access to shopping, dining, and entertainment makes everyday life effortless, while upscale amenities like the yoga studio, retro-style game room, and cozy firepit lounge bring a resort-inspired touch to daily living. 

New Albany Area

Rocky Fork Metro Park Dog Park

This 2.5-acre fenced park includes an agility course, splash-friendly water features, and shaded wooded trails — making it a peaceful spot to let your dog play, explore, and cool off on warm days. It’s clean, well-maintained, and loved by locals for its wide-open layout and scenic surroundings.

Just a short drive away, Albany Woods offers a peaceful retreat surrounded by open green space and scenic walking paths that make every day feel connected to nature. This pet-friendly community features spacious floor plans, a resort-style pool, and beautifully maintained grounds that are perfect for morning walks or evening strolls with your pup. Blending suburban tranquility with easy access to New Albany’s best parks and trails, Albany Woods is ideal for residents who value comfort, convenience, and an active outdoor lifestyle. 

Downtown/Columbus Area

Scioto Audubon Metro Park Dog Park

Just minutes from downtown, Scioto Audubon Metro Park Dog Park offers the perfect mix of city energy and green-space escape. This expansive off-leash park features separate play areas for large and small dogs, agility obstacles, shaded seating, and access to scenic riverfront trails — all with skyline views of Columbus in the background. It’s a favorite weekend stop for urban dog owners looking to unwind without leaving the city.

A short walk away, Highpoint on Columbus Commons puts residents right in the heart of downtown living with pet-friendly apartments, a rooftop pool, and breathtaking views of the Commons below. With restaurants, parks, and entertainment just steps from your door — and Scioto Audubon Dog Park a quick stroll away — Highpoint offers the ultimate balance of modern convenience and pet-friendly adventure.

Oakwood Communities with On-Site Bark Parks

We’ve already mentioned several Oakwood communities that feature on-site dog parks, pet-washing stations, trails, and even pet boutiques — but they’re far from the only ones. Nearly all of the Oakwood Management communities across Central Ohio are designed with pets in mind, offering everything from fenced bark parks to walking paths and outdoor green space. At Oakwood, every day’s a good day for a walk. Discover a place where you and your pup can live, play, and feel right at home.

Find Your Pet-Friendly Apartment Today

From lakeside playdates and shaded woodland trails to downtown strolls and cozy neighborhood parks, life with your dog gets even better at an Oakwood community. Each location is thoughtfully designed to keep you close to the best dog parks and pet-friendly amenities in Central Ohio. Explore Oakwood’s full collection of pet-friendly apartments in Central Ohio and find a home where both you and your pup can truly thrive.

The post Best Dog Parks Near Oakwood Apartment and Townhome Communities in Columbus, Ohio appeared first on Oakwood Management Blog.

At Oakwood, we believe in the power of pets to bring joy, companionship, and love into our lives. That’s why we’re offering a fantastic opportunity for our residents this June.

Waived Pet Fees for Adopted Pets

For June, if you adopt a pet from any shelter, we will waive the one-time pet fee! This means you can welcome a new furry friend into your home without any initial cost. Adopting a pet not only gives an animal a loving home but also fills your life with unconditional love and happiness.

How to Take Advantage of This Offer

1. Visit a Shelter: Head to any local shelter and find your perfect companion. 

2. Adopt Your Pet: Complete the adoption process and receive your adoption papers.

3. Submit Your Papers: Bring your adoption papers to our leasing staff.

4. Enjoy Your Waived Pet Fee: Once we verify the adoption, the one-time pet fee will be waived.

Our Partnership with Franklin County Dog Shelter

In addition to waiving pet fees, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Franklin County Dog Shelter. For every dog adopted from their shelter in June, we will donate 3 pounds of dog food. This partnership aims to support the shelter's mission of caring for dogs in need and finding them forever homes.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to giving back and making a positive impact in our community. Together, we can help find loving homes for these wonderful dogs and ensure they have the resources they need." Jordan Gnoose, Oakwood CARES Coordinator.

Important Reminders

Over 60 Oakwood communities welcome pets. Please remember that all pets must still meet our community’s pet requirements, including weight and breed restrictions. Be sure to review our pet guidelines to ensure your new furry friend complies with our policies. If you have any questions about these guidelines, feel free to contact our office.

We look forward to seeing many new furry faces around Oakwood! If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

Let's make this June a month of love, wagging tails, and happy homes!

The post Exciting News for Oakwood Residents: Waived Pet Fees and a Special Partnership! appeared first on Oakwood Management Blog.

There is nothing quite like the love of a pet, and the love of a rescued pet is particularly unconditional. If you’re looking to add to your family with a furry friend, you can find an affordable and loving pet by visiting a shelter or rescue. Having a pet is a lifelong commitment, but comes with some serious perks, since living with pets has proven to have health benefits like decreased blood pressure and better mood. To help you find your new pet, we picked out five Central Ohio pet rescues that are filled with cats, dogs, and more looking for the perfect homes!

Colony Cats Adoption Center. If you’re a novice when it comes to owning pets, you may want to start with cat ownership. Cats are well-known for being able to take care of themselves, as they don’t require extensive training or daily walks, but can also provide the same affection as a dog. Colony Cats is located in Dublin and serves as a rescue for mostly cats, with a few dog rescues (and even a pot-bellied pig!), with the mission to curb the overpopulation of cats. You can meet the cats and kittens in their unique cage-free cat adoption center, giving you a real-life feel for how the cat will be in your home.

Pets Without Parents. Located in Clintonville, Pets Without Parents is a no-kill, all-breed shelter for both cats and dogs. Pets Without Parents is a great option for both those with more experience with rescuing pets as well as those who may need some guidance through the process. The team at Pets without Parents does thorough checks of personal references and landlord rules, and they strive to ensure each new pet owner knows what they should expect with their adoption. The shelter has a smaller selection of animals, allowing each potential adopter to get to know the personality of who they may be bringing into their family.

CHA Animal Shelter. CHA Animal Shelter is located in Northeast Columbus and serves as a safe shelter for cats and dogs on their way to finding their forever homes. The shelter also focuses on community education and outreach, supporting efforts to increase spay and neuters to curb pet populations. By limiting the growth of the pet populations, animal shelters are able to find more homes for the pets that already need them. CHA Animal Shelter has a diverse selection of cats and dogs looking for homes.

Columbus Humane. Formerly the Capital Area Humane Society, Columbus Humane serves as the humane society for Franklin County, investigating issues of animal neglect and cruelty. They go beyond that, though, with a mission to place pets in homes (they average 210 pets in their care!) and to free all animals of suffering. You can find dogs and cats at this shelter, but you can also find more unique animals, as they receive all stray animals in the country that are not dogs. If your apartment community has particularly strict rules about dogs and cats, Columbus Humane is a great place to find small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits. These little guys add light to your life without the expenses and training required for a dog or cat.

Cozy Cat Cottage Adoption Center. Since 1998, Cozy Cat Cottage Adoption Center has served Central Ohio cats and kittens through its Powell location. The center has placed over 10,000 cats and kittens in their forever homes through its years of work! Additionally, Cozy Cat Cottage works with local communities in Trap-Neuter-Release programs for feral cats, where wild felines are spayed and neutered before being returned to their environments in an effort to curb the feral cat population.

Before adding a furry friend to your family, be sure to check with your leasing office to learn more about breed and weight restrictions as well as associated pet fees. All Oakwood communities are pet-friendly, but restrictions vary by location.

The post Five Local Pet Rescues We Love appeared first on Oakwood Management Blog.

Most people would agree that they consider their pets to be a part of the family, with their dogs serving as their best friend and confidant and their cats serving as a qualified nap partner and sassy roommate. It’s no surprise, then, that the pets of Columbus are catered to by their respective fur moms and dads, with plenty of pet-friendly entertainment options available all around the city. We collected a few of our favorite special treats for our pets below – so you can surprise your four-legged friend with something special!

Emi Pet Mobile Luxury Grooming. Cats and dogs alike feel their best when they’re clean and looking their best, but sometimes it’s stressful to take your pet to a groomer. Luckily for Columbus pet owners, Emi Pet comes to you! Emi Pet is a Central Ohio-based luxury pet boutique, with locations in the Short North and Powell and a Grand Salon grooming center in New Albany. To make the salon experience more accessible, Emi Pet started a mobile grooming van that features adjustable tubs, massaging shower heads, electric grooming tables, and all the equipment needed to groom cats and dogs of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. The best part? You won’t have to struggle to get your pet into the bath!

Brewdog Hotel. Scottish Craft beer company Brewdog chose Columbus as its United States hub, and it brought its dog-friendly attitude overseas with it. Many patios in Columbus are now pet-friendly, but the Brewdog Brewery in Canal Winchester takes it a step further. The spacious patio encourages its patrons to bring friendly pups to grab a drink with them. The dogs can explore a dog park and plenty of cool spaces to play. The extensive campus even features the DogHouse, which is a hotel offering many beer-related experiences and pet-friendly rooms. Located a little farther out from Columbus’ city center, the DogHouse can be a relaxing weekend getaway for you and your four-legged friend to grab some fresh air.

All Paws Retreat. Let’s face it, some days it can be hard to be a dog parent. Long hours at work or school can have you feeling guilty about leaving your four-legged bestie alone at home, too. All Paws Retreat offers the best kind of “daycare” your pup could want, all located right around the corner from downtown Oakwood properties River and Rich and Highpoint on Columbus Commons. The dog boarding facility offers multiple packages depending on how much time away from home your pup needs, and you can still check on them with live webcams and picture updates. In addition to boarding, the Retreat offers training, grooming, and nutrition programs, so your dog will be truly living his best life while he makes new friends at All Paws.

Pet Wants. Do you know how long your dog’s food has sat on a pet store or warehouse shelf before it got to your home? That question bothered the founders of Pet Wants, who dug deeper into the ingredients in their pets’ food and were shocked at the long shelf life and artificial products in it. Pet Wants is a local natural dog and cat food company that produces all natural dry foods and treats, delivered to your door. All foods are formulated without sugar, corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors, animal byproducts, and fillers. You only want the healthiest for your body, and your pets deserve that same level of healthy living – Pet Wants delivers that right to your door!

CollarDoos. Once your pup is well-groomed and well-fed, you may want to show him off on your Instagram – but how will you show off his personality? CollarDoos has the perfect solution, offering a variety of bowties, bandanas, and flower accessories to add to your pet’s collar to show off their spunk! The company also creates beautiful matching leash and collar sets, making sure your pup will always be the talk of the dog park. CollarDoos is owned by a Columbus-based family, so in addition to making your dog look adorable in all your pictures, you’re also supporting a local small business with your purchase.

All Oakwood communities are pet-friendly (although breed and weight restrictions may vary), so we do our best to pamper our pet residents and we love to get to know them! What pet perks do you love the most?

The post Pamper Your Pet: Local Luxury Pet Perks appeared first on Oakwood Management Blog.