If you have a high-energy dog like myself, or just need to get some exercise and socialization for your dog, here are a couple places to take them in Kansas City!
1. Shawnee Mission Dog Park
This is FREE to take your dog to enjoy some social time with others. Each time I have gone it is fairly busy with plenty of pups for your dog to play with. There is a main sidewalk down the park that leads to a small beach area for the dogs to swim in the lake. That is my dogs personal favorite, he will play fetch in the lake for hours if we let him! There are also some dirt trails off the main path that you can take for a more secluded walk with your dog. It is an off-leash dog park, so once you enter the fenced area the dogs are all roaming and running around free.
2. Bar-K
This dog park is downtown and does cost money to get in with your pup. There are day passes or you can purchase a membership if you think you will be frequently taking your dog there. I have only been once with my dog but it was definitely a good time! The dogs are separated by weight when entering, so that the small and large dogs are not playing together. There is a bar and restaurant for you to order drinks and food while your dog runs around. They have play structures for dogs to climb over and plenty of tennis balls laying around for fetch.
3. Other Off-Leash Dog Parks
Some other options that are FREE include Heritage Park, Thomas S Stoll Memorial Park, and Kill Creek Streamway Park. I personally have not taken my dog to these but they will be on my to-do list for this summer!
I have always had a great experience taking my dog to a dog park, he wears himself out and leaves extremely happy and tired!