Lynchburg Expands Blackwater Creek Dog Park, Moving It to Former Athletic Field

Benry, a golden retriever belonging to Lacie Donnelly, was already making new friends on opening day at Lynchburg's relocated Blackwater Creek Dog Park, which debuted March 21 at over 61,000 square feet, roughly one and a half times the size of the park it replaced.

The expansion was years in the making for a frustrating reason: the original site kept flooding. Repeated damage along Blackwater Creek eventually forced Lynchburg Parks and Recreation to abandon that location entirely and move the facility to a former athletic field within the park. Lynchburg Park Services Manager Howard Covey put it plainly: "We wanted to put back something that's not gonna get washed away every time it rains, so, took a little bit of time to figure all that out, but once we arrive at a plan, we were able to carry it out, and I think we've put back something that was better than what was here before."

The park was relocated after repeated flooding damaged its original site along Blackwater Creek, and Lynchburg Parks and Recreation moved it to a former athletic field to create a more durable space for pets and their owners. The result is a purpose-built off-leash area with new lighting, completed perimeter fencing, and water fountains sized for both dogs and the humans holding their leashes.

The redesigned park includes separate areas for small and large dogs, as well as agility features such as hoops and bars to keep animals active. A decorative fire hydrant adds a familiar, playful touch. For hyperenergetic dogs especially, the agility course gives high-drive breeds a focused outlet beyond simple zoomies. On opening day, Markus Stewart was already putting that energy to use, holding back Kaido, his Doberman pinscher, before launching a ball across the new grounds. Kaido later took a break at one of the new water stations.

The former location has been repurposed into Blackwater Retreat, a green space designed for relaxation, so the old flooded footprint isn't sitting idle.

The city paired the opening with a direct reminder on waste cleanup. "This is not only a law, but it also helps prevent the spread of diseases and parasites while protecting the water quality of Blackwater Creek," said Lynchburg Parks and Recreation, pointing patrons to the provided plastic bags and city waste containers on-site. With Blackwater Creek running adjacent to the park, that's not a throwaway reminder; runoff from an off-leash area directly affects the creek's water quality downstream.

The new dog park is part of Lynchburg's continuous efforts to improve outdoor recreation opportunities as well as creating a welcoming environment where its residents can connect with nature and one another. At 61,000 square feet on stable athletic-field ground, it's a considerably more permanent foundation for that goal than the repeatedly washed-out site it replaced.