Dog friendly places in Florida
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Bring your dog with you next time you go out!
We live in Orlando, where we can easily dine outside at restaurants with our dog, and go to Fleet Peeples dog park~ the best dog park in Orlando! We love to go to Fort De Soto, near St. Petersburg, to one of the best dog beaches in Florida, and to Fort Myers Beach's dog beach~ also one of the best!
This page is to help other dog lovers hang out with their fury friends more often! I'm going to share our doggy experiences of the places we have been to in the Orlando area, Fort De Soto/ St. Petersburg area, Fort Myers Beach/ Sanibel area, and Flagler Beach. I will update as we go more places! One of these days I'm hoping we make it to Jupiter/Juno dog beach and really hoping to take a vacation in dog friendly Cape San Blas!!
We love off leash dog beaches! If you're reading this and know of any, we would greatly appreciate it if you could share them in the comments at the bottom of this page! Share any thing else you'd like to add :)Thanks!!
Fleet Peeples dog park ~ Orlando, Fl
Off leash dog park in Baldwin Park/Orlando/Winter Park, Fl
Fleet Peeples is the best dog park in Orlando!!
Fleet Peeples is definitely the best dog park in the area. There is even a sign upon entering the park that says it's one of the top 10 dog parks in the U.S.! The park is HUGE! It's probably at least 5-10x larger than any dog park in the area! Once you have been to this one, every other park around seems ridiculously small, and barren!
It is FREE again! There was a short period in time where they were trying to charge to get in, but that's over :)
Our favorite part of Fleet Peeples is the forest!! We all love to walk through it! We get a kick out of watching Mukha run ahead and hunt and flush out prey, and we can't wait til she runs back to us to check to make sure we're still following her lead! She LOVES it! She is doing what she's supposed to be doing, and her whole being shines from it!
Miss sparkly eyes hunting squirrels in the forest at Fleet Peeples dog park!
Fleet Peeples is on Lake Baldwin, so there's a lake to swim in with 2 sandy beaches to run and shake out on! There's plenty of shady areas from old live oak trees that some dogs can climb up! Lots of water fountains for dogs, dog wash stations, poop bags, etc.. The park is fenced all around except for the lake side, and parking and getting in to the park is easy!
This park is perfect for humans too! There are many benches and picnic tables spaced about and huge covered areas for large parties, bbq's, and even decent bathrooms!!
Location of Fleet Peeples dog park:.
View map
Fleet Peeples is really close to dog friendly Baldwin Park. There are dog shops and lots of dog events throughout the year. Dogs are allowed outside at all the restaurants.
Baldwin Bark & Meow Supply, a pet store in Baldwin Park, sometimes has "Yappy hour"~ Free dog beer for dogs and wine for people.
Mukha having fun in the forest at Fleet Peeples dog park!
Link to more Fleet Peeples dog park pix!
Click on the pic to view the gallery :)
Other dog parks ~ Orlando, Fl
Off leash dog parks in the Orlando area
We have been to the dog park in Sanford, and to Barber dog park in Orlando. Sanford was ok.. Barber, imo, was unbearable! It's the size of large backyard, there are no trees, and it is too close to the airport! Two planes flew over while we were there that seemed like they were 20 feet (or less!) above us! That just seems crazy and unhealthy to me. I suppose though, if you don't have a yard for your dog and the park is close to you, it's better than nothing. But I would strongly suggest driving a little farther to Fleet Peeples. It is so worth it! Your dog will love you even more.
Now for some good news!
For years, lots of people have told us about this dog park in downtown Orlando on Summerlin off of Anderson. We looked for it a few times but never found it. We were also weary about it because it's not fenced in.
One day we were eating with Mukha at Mills Market and decided to go on a little walk afterward. We walked around a lake (Lake Davis) for a bit and then we saw a few dogs running around in a little park! I knew it was the park everyone had been talking about and was so excited that we finally found it but I still didn't know what to do about the leash/no fence issue..
As soon as we walked up and met some dogs I knew I could let her off the leash and she would be fine. It's really relaxing, everyone seems friendly and there isn't traffic.. there is just some vibe about the place~ the dogs just stay and play and don't run away :)
It's at Cherokee Park, and I believe it's an unofficial dog park. There is no info about it on the iterwebs ;) Unless it's Urban Wetland, but that seems to be a few blocks over and is also an unofficial dog park that we haven't been to.
I marked the spot on the map to this Mystery Dog Park :) Click on it if you want to play around with it in Google maps.
Dog friendly restaurants~ Orlando, Fl
Any place with oudoors seating?
Here are some areas of Orlando that have a more abundant selection of dog friendly restaurants with outdoors dining:
Downtown Orlando/ Thornton Park
Sodo (South~downtown)
Edgewater Dr/ College Park
Baldwin Park
Park Ave in Winter Park
Burton's bar ~ Orlando, Fl
Dogs are allowed inside!!!
Thornton park in Orlando is dog friendly, dogs are allowed outside at most (or all) of the restaurants. But Burton's allows dogs inside the bar!! It's the best bar ever!!
The Falcon ~ Orlando, Fl
Another bar that allows dogs inside!! On the same block as Burtons bar! ^^
The sign says it all!
Lake Eola Farmer's Market~ Orlando, Fl
Downtown Orlando, Fl
Sundays 10am~ 4pm
Fort De Soto dog beach~ Tierra Verde, Fl
Fun off leash dog beach near St. Petersburg, Fl
Fort De Soto dog beach scape!
Fort De Soto dog beach is a beautiful white sandy beach with clear water. It's on a key on the west coast of Florida, south of St. Petersburg. It has been rated #1 beach in the world ;)
Fort De Soto is one of our favorite dog beaches! We always have a good time there! The water is shallow for a long distance out and there aren't a lot of waves, so everyone can just play in the water at ease. The waves that do occur every once in a while are from barges traveling way out in the ocean. We have been several times and see dolphins almost every time! They're a little too far away to swim with, but it's still awesome!
The beach used to be free, but in Jan 2012 they started charging 5$ a car. Worth the 5$, but the first time we went we had to wait in this huge 20+ minute line, the second time there were just a couple of cars and no wait so hopefully they have the line issue under control now! It probably just depends on who's working the booth..
Here is the exact location of Fort De Soto dog beach:.
View map
Mukhs is a rebel !!
Backpack beach chairs!
A must have!
Tommy Bahama Backpack Cooler Chair with Storage Pouch and Towel Bar 300 LBS Capacity-red
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Dog friendly restaurants~ St. Pete/ Ft. De Soto area
Fort De Soto/ St. Petersburg/ Treasure Island/ Madeira Beach, Fl
I think that most of the restaurants in this area with al fresco dining are dog friendly, but here is a little list of some we've actually been to ;)
Summer 2010:.
A really dog friendly place to eat at is Bamboo Beach Bar & Grill in Madeira Beach. They gave Mukha a big bucket of cold water and I think she even got some cookies too :) We were all allowed to sit in the covered outside area.
View map
Dogs are allowed to eat outside at Ricky T's in Treasure Island..
View map
~
Some of the info below could have changed since 4 years ago, but..
As of July 2007:.
Dogs are allowed to eat outside at Tokyo Bay, a Japanese restaurant that's basically straight up the road 7 miles from Fort De Soto dog beach. The outside eating area is in the back on a deck overlooking a lake. It's a great place to eat before your long or short drive home from the beach! It's open 5-10pm Sun-Thurs, 5-10:30pm Fri &Sat, closed Monday
Map for Tokyo Bay:.
View map
As of June 2007:.
Dogs are allowed outside at 'Valentinos' in St. Petersburg.
Valentinos map:.
View map
April 2007:.
For some reason, there is a short season in St. Petersburg when dogs are not allowed to eat outside at the restaurants. April 8th is one of the days of that season. We ordered food at 'Moon Under Water' (usually dog friendly) and ate in our car. There is a little park with awesome banyan trees across the street. It's downtown by the pier.
Moon Under Water:.
View map
Link to more Fort De Soto dog beach pix!
Click the pic to go to the gallery!
Fort Myers dog beach~ Fort Myers Beach, Fl
Off leash dog beach in Fort Myers Beach/ Bonita Springs, Fl
All beaches in Fort Myers Beach are dog friendly as long as the dog is on a leash. But if you want your dog to run, play and have fun, there is one amazing off leash dog beach in south Fort Myers Beach/ north Bonita Springs!
We really love this beach! It's a sandbar, so the water is very shallow for quite a distance. The water is really calm too. It's a great place for just keeping cool without having to swim or fight waves. If you want to swim, just wade out a little bit!
This is probably my favorite beach of all, or possibly tied with Fort De Soto. One thing that's better about this place, especially if you're a sun lover like me, is that the beach is facing west. The sun is more direct and you get to see beautiful sunsets! While Fort De Soto is also on the west coast of Florida, it's actually an island and the beach is on the south side/ facing south. Fort De Soto is bigger, and the water is deeper though.. they're just both amazing dog beaches!!
*You have to walk through some really slippery water to get from your car to the beach. At least that's how it was when we went, maybe the tide was just high. Be careful!
Go to Fun things to do with your dog in Fort Myers Beach & Sanibel, Florida for more info, maps, and photos on the dog beach, and dog friendly kayaking and eating in Fort Myers Beach/ Sanibel area!!
Kayak with your dog ~ Sanibel Island, Fl
At Tarpon Bay Exploreres, Inc in Sanibel, Fl
I am so glad we found this place! We went to Sanibel with our dog not knowing what we were going to do and ended up going on a kayaking adventure with Mukha in Tarpon Bay!
Tarpon Bay Explorers is mega dog friendly!! They were so delighted to have Mukha there!
Go to Fun things to do with your dog in Fort Myers Beach & Sanibel, Florida for more info, maps, and photos on the dog beach, and dog friendly kayaking and eating in Fort Myers Beach/ Sanibel area!!
Dog friendly restaurants~ Fort Myers Beach, Fl
More like dog unfriendly restaurants :(
Plaka~ a Greek restaurant
Tuckaway Bagel & Wafel~ for a European breakfast
Lighthouse Resort~ a tiki bar
That is it! You can always order take out though and eat with your dog whereever you want ;)
Go to Fun things to do with your dog in Fort Myers Beach & Sanibel, Florida for more info, maps, and photos on the dog beach, and dog friendly kayaking and eating in Fort Myers Beach/ Sanibel area!!
An awesome dog friendly place to stay~ Fort Myers Beach, Fl
A Beach'n Place in Fort Myers Beach, Fl
A luxurious beach bungalow a block from the beach! A few miles from Fort Myers Beach dog beach and Sanibel Island.Go to Fun things to do with your dog in Fort Myers Beach & Sanibel, Florida for more info, maps, and photos on the dog beach, and dog friendly kayaking and eating in Fort Myers Beach/ Sanibel area!!
Stuff you need for the dog beach! :)
Flagler dog beach~ Flagler Beach, Fl
Off leash dog beach in Flagler Beach, Fl
Mukha snatching her ball before the next waves come crashing in at Flagler beach.
Flagler beach is an orange beach with coarse sand. If's on the east coast of Florida, north of Daytona. Dogs are allowed off leash anywhere north of N. 10th St and south of S. 10th St. on A1A. Two really large areas, I don't even know where they stop! The beach is on the side of the road. You just walk down some steps and there you are.
This beach is great if you just want to go hang out on the beach with your dog. Sometimes the waves and undertow are so violent you can hardly get in. Other times it is fine. When it's bad, the ocean will eat all of the dog toys you throw in it!
The last time we tried to eat with Mukha at a restaurant in Flagler (like 4 years ago), it was at The Golden Lion Cafe and they would only let her eat there if we tied her up on the other side of the rail by our table where she would be sitting out on the sidewalk. We didn't want to do that, so we didn't eat there. It's probably best to just bring your own drinks and snacks in a cooler, or try to get take out.
We used to go here a lot with our other dogs, and with Mukha, because it was the only place we knew about. Also, the restaurants used to allow dogs to eat with you outside.. Now we like Fort De Soto and Fort Myers Beach way better!!
Map for Flagler Beach
View map
Dogs are allowed on the beach north of N.10th St. and south of S.10th St.!
Link to more Flagler dog beach pix!
Click the pic to view more
Wekiva Island~ Wekiva Springs, Fl
Drink, swim, canoe with your dog at Wekiva Island!
View map
Winter Dog Day at Bok Tower Gardens (and Summer Dog Day too!)~ Lake Wales, Fl
Lake Wales, Fl
Dogs are NOT usually allowed at Bok Tower Gardens except for 2 special days a year~ Winter Dog Day and Summer Dog Day! We went for the first time ever to the winter one on Jan. 14 2012. This place is so beautiful and amazing! Even in the winter! I can't wait to see what it's like in the summer!! Look out for the next dog day on their calendar page!
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Where do you take your dog for fun?
Share your experiences! Comment and questions welcome.
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RuralFloridaLiving
May 13, 2012 @ 2:02 pm | delete
- We took our dog to Tampa for the Gasparilla Festival - She had a ball!
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PuppiesUnleashed
Apr 17, 2012 @ 5:22 pm | delete
- Nice. I really like how you show your weimaraner enjoying all the attractions you talked about. Great touch. Thanks.
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Close2Art
Dec 16, 2011 @ 7:05 pm | delete
- wow you've got some really great photos here and lots of great useful info for doggy fun, Blessed!!!
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BeyondRoses
Dec 15, 2011 @ 1:18 pm | delete
- Mukh could be in an ad for dog friendly places in Florida. Her *smile in "Fleet Peeples is the best dog park in Orlando!!" says it all. Lots of good info for people who want to take their dog with them. Mukh is delightful!
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Titia
Dec 14, 2011 @ 6:09 pm | delete
- Hi, great lens for dog lovers in the area of Orlando Florida, really enjoyed the pictures of your beautiful Weimaraner.
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anji
Dec 8, 2011 @ 7:21 pm | delete
- thanks everyone!
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Fitzcharming Sep 6, 2010 @ 8:57 pm | delete
- I'm a Floridian and dog lover. I appreciate knowing where to take my beasts now. Your dog is hilarious and I can tell you are a dog person too. Your lens is blessed by a squid angel.
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anji
Dec 15, 2011 @ 12:18 pm | delete
- Awesome! I added some new places ;)
Yes Mukha is extremely hilarious, I am sooo lucky to have her in my life!!
Thanks for the blessing!!
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kellysue730
Oct 5, 2009 @ 1:26 pm | delete
- Hi there! I'm planning a trip to ormond beah/daytona beach.. i have been there before but not vry familiar to the area. I was wondering if you could tell me the closest dog-friendly places to that area.. I plan on staying at the La quinta inn and was hoping you would know of the closest dog-friendly places to the hotel. If you could email me at kellysue730@hotmail.com that would be awesome!!! Thank you so much!
P.S. Your work is awesome!! i love the painting of the 2 dogs playing tug of war!
Hope to hear from you soon!!!
thanks again
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thedailytranscriber
Dec 21, 2008 @ 11:31 pm | delete
- Great information and wonderful photos!
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thedailytranscriber
Dec 21, 2008 @ 11:31 pm | delete
- Great information and wonderful photos!
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FrankChapman Apr 13, 2008 @ 2:17 pm | delete
- Thanks Anji.
Most resturants in St Petersburg with outside dinining allow dogs. We also have two nice dog parks in town Cresent Lake and Vinoy Park. I am enjoying your pictures, your dog has a great expressions and you have a good eye.
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funface
Jan 1, 2008 @ 8:17 pm | delete
- Thanks Anji, This is Great!
It's hard to find good places to take your four legged friends!
PS Tokyo Bay had great sushi, and they were really nice to our dog!
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I really need to buy this book!!
A book all about dog friendly places in Florida!!
Fido's Florida: A Dog-Friendly Guide to the Sunshine State (Dog-Friendly Series)
Amazon Price: $10.78 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $18.95
Used Price: $8.58
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Links!
- Dog friendly things to do in Fort Myers Beach/ Sanibel area!!
- awesome dog beach, dog friendly kayaking, where to stay and eat!
- http://www.tarponbayexplorers.com/
- Website for Tarpon Bay Explorers, Inc in Sanibel, Florida
- A Beach'n Place
- A great place to stay with your dog in Fort Myers Beach, Florida
- Friends of Fleet Peeples Park
- A non profit organization that is pro Fleet Peeples off leash dog park! :)
- http://www.gopetfriendly.com/
- Plan a road trip with your dog and find out all the dog friendly spots that are along the way of your travels! Sometimes the dots on the map are inaccurate, so you might have to do a little research to find out exact locations for places :)
- Fort Sesoto dog beach pix
- Fort De Soto dog beach gallery
- Fleet Peeples dog park pix
- Fleet Peeples dog park gallery
- Flagler dog beach pix
- Flagler dog beach gallery
- Teach your dog to say I love yooou!
- Mukha says 'Ilove you', teach your dog to say it too!
- weimaranerpainting.com
- A gallery of paintings and photographs by me!
- Weimaraner art
- Some of my paintings and photographs.
- More mukha fun!
- More fun pictures of Mukha...she is such a fun, funny little girl!
- Weimaraner extreme!
- Mukha, Rolyn and Chanhi on flickr
- weimalove
- Mukha's blog
- My darkroom
- I develop my black and white photographs in my own darkroom! More info and pics to come!
Book your next dog friendly Florida vacation right here!
by anji
we are anji & mukha! we love to play and run free at beaches and parks :)
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