A Date With Doggo - The Best Places to Walk Your Dog In Tulsa
A Date With Doggo - The Best Places to Walk Your Dog In Tulsa
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
Dear Henry,
One of the saving graces I discovered in the city, shortly after moving Ziggy, our ninety-pound Malinois mix, from an acre in Northwest Arkansas to a six-hundred-square-foot apartment in Tulsa—was the sheer abundance of places to walk a dog.
The adjustment was hard on both of us. Ziggy went from endless outdoor freedom to shared walls and leashes, and I went from familiar rhythms to learning a new city while already physically uncomfortable. Daily walks became less about exercise and more about sanity. For Ziggy, they were essential. For me, they were grounding.
Tulsa, thankfully, delivers.
While there are many excellent parks and trails in the area, I eventually narrowed things down to the places we return to again and again, the routes that are reliable, welcoming, and genuinely enjoyable when you’re walking with a large, curious dog. These are our five favorites.
LaFortune Park
5202 S Hudson Ave
LaFortune Park is a fantastic place for a city walk. The paved path forms a full five-kilometer (3.2-mile) loop around a golf course and includes playgrounds, tennis courts, and even croquet fields, the first I’ve ever seen in real life.
It’s exceptionally well set up for dog walking, with plenty of trash cans, waste-bag stations, restrooms, and water fountains. It’s easy, pleasant, and dependable, one of those places that quietly makes life better.
67th Street & Elwood Avenue
I’ve mentioned Turkey Mountain before, and it remains a favorite. The trails feel like a genuine nature sanctuary, especially on weekdays, and it’s easy to log four or more miles on the yellow and pink trails.
Facilities are limited to the parking area, so plan to carry water for both you and your dog and pack out waste. But if you need trees, elevation changes, and space to breathe, this is the place.
River Parks Trail
11th Street to 101st Street along Riverside Drive
The River Parks Trail runs eleven miles along the Arkansas River and is as social as it is scenic. There’s green space, playgrounds, restrooms, and no shortage of people and other dogs.
For us, it’s always a slow walk. Ziggy finds everything fascinating here, so progress is leisurely and joyful. If your dog is a professional sniffer, allow extra time.
Liberty Parkway Trail
95th Street & Garnett Road (plus multiple access points)
Liberty Parkway is a well-maintained 9.5-mile paved trail that runs alongside the Creek Turnpike. It’s easy walking and rarely crowded, especially compared to River Parks.
Trash cans and facilities are more widely spaced, so bring water and plan ahead, but if you want quiet consistency, this trail delivers.
Haikey Creek Park
11327 S Garnett Rd
Haikey Park is a one-mile loop along Haikey Creek, winding through a peaceful park-like setting that includes disc-golf holes. It’s a shorter walk, but looping twice makes a perfect outing.
The park is well stocked with trash facilities and is usually uncrowded on weekdays, an ideal low-pressure option when energy is limited but movement is still necessary.
These walks have made Tulsa feel livable. They’ve kept Ziggy happy, kept me moving, and given us both a way to learn the city together, one step at a time.
Enjoy your walks. And give your dog an extra pat from us.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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