55Pristine, well kept yard. My dogs loved running up and down the hill playing ball while a bald eagle soared overhead. It doesnât get any better than that, and we will definitely be back!Peggy M.
Peggy M.
August 2022
Pristine, well kept yard. My dogs loved running up and down the hill playing ball while a bald eagle soared overhead. It doesnât get any better than that, and we will definitely be back!
55It was 18 degrees and a brisk west wind, but there was shelter from the wind by the stairs to the deck. Our two 30lb mini golden doodles had a great time tearing around the yard. There is a nice hill in the yard so they could get a workout going up and down. The untracked, pristine snow in the yard had lots of tracks when we left with two happy and tired puppies. Thanks so much for sharing your yard. Weâll be back!Barbara F.
Barbara F.
November 2022
It was 18 degrees and a brisk west wind, but there was shelter from the wind by the stairs to the deck. Our two 30lb mini golden doodles had a great time tearing around the yard. There is a nice hill in the yard so they could get a workout going up and down. The untracked, pristine snow in the yard had lots of tracks when we left with two happy and tired puppies. Thanks so much for sharing your yard. Weâll be back!
55Nel and her buddy Buzz always have a wonderful time visiting Sheri's Sniff Spot. The hill and the deep snow gave them a good workout. Clean and excellent as usual. Thank you so much.Barbara F.
Barbara F.
December 2022
Nel and her buddy Buzz always have a wonderful time visiting Sheri's Sniff Spot. The hill and the deep snow gave them a good workout. Clean and excellent as usual. Thank you so much.
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55We had such a great time romping the trails here! This place has everything and is guaranteed to tire the most inexhaustible of pups. Weâll be back for sure.Rachel F.
Rachel F.
April 2023
We had such a great time romping the trails here! This place has everything and is guaranteed to tire the most inexhaustible of pups. Weâll be back for sure.
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55The trails are in great shape after winter! The hosts do such a nice job maintaining the property, it is always tidy/clean when we visit. I enjoyed our peaceful walk in the woods & Bo loved all the smells! :) Love having a membership at this spot!Jenn H.
Jenn H.
April 2023
The trails are in great shape after winter! The hosts do such a nice job maintaining the property, it is always tidy/clean when we visit. I enjoyed our peaceful walk in the woods & Bo loved all the smells! :) Love having a membership at this spot!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55The hosts were responsive and welcoming. They provide a map of the place! I brought my 8 mo old Doberman and he believed this place to be (dog) heaven. Lots of room to run and sniff and explore and the pheasants were very exciting to him. My dog tends not to venture too far from me (unless he knows of a pheasant coop apparently) so when we were in the prairie area I wasnât too concerned that it looked like it went right up against a road way in the distance (I only saw one truck go by) but if this is a concern, maybe ask them, they are great!! My dog was knocked out the whole ride home.Lemon M.
Lemon M.
April 2023
The hosts were responsive and welcoming. They provide a map of the place! I brought my 8 mo old Doberman and he believed this place to be (dog) heaven. Lots of room to run and sniff and explore and the pheasants were very exciting to him. My dog tends not to venture too far from me (unless he knows of a pheasant coop apparently) so when we were in the prairie area I wasnât too concerned that it looked like it went right up against a road way in the distance (I only saw one truck go by) but if this is a concern, maybe ask them, they are great!! My dog was knocked out the whole ride home.
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Excellent place to bring your pup. It was so fun walking the trail and watching her fly up and down it when she got zoomies!I can tell a lot of care goes into taking care of the space as well. Thank you for sharing your space with the community!Alex J.
Alex J.
May 2023
Excellent place to bring your pup. It was so fun walking the trail and watching her fly up and down it when she got zoomies!I can tell a lot of care goes into taking care of the space as well. Thank you for sharing your space with the community!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55What a beautiful property! The dogs had the best afternoon running around and sniffing everything, perfect to wear them out for the day.
The property is clean and well maintained with plenty of trails to explore. We will definitely be back!Laura W.
Laura W.
May 2023
What a beautiful property! The dogs had the best afternoon running around and sniffing everything, perfect to wear them out for the day.
The property is clean and well maintained with plenty of trails to explore. We will definitely be back!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Axel and I enjoyed our visit -- we especially enjoyed rambling through the variety of terrain...hills, wooded trail, open prairie, etc. This is a really nice local option for off-leash exercise!Karna H.
Karna H.
May 2023
Axel and I enjoyed our visit -- we especially enjoyed rambling through the variety of terrain...hills, wooded trail, open prairie, etc. This is a really nice local option for off-leash exercise!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55My 3 dogs loved this spot. Fionn got to work on his offleash skills, while Arlo and Charlie sniffed all the places. The pheasant startled them when it flew off but the dogs were good in leaving it alone. Fionn can be very reactive with other dogs so it was nice not to worry about coming upon unknown dogs while out on a trail. We will be back!Shannon H.
Shannon H.
May 2023
My 3 dogs loved this spot. Fionn got to work on his offleash skills, while Arlo and Charlie sniffed all the places. The pheasant startled them when it flew off but the dogs were good in leaving it alone. Fionn can be very reactive with other dogs so it was nice not to worry about coming upon unknown dogs while out on a trail. We will be back!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Itâs not easy to tire out a 2 year old Aussie Shepherd but this was the perfect spot for it! Ella loved running the trails across the various terrain, through the stream and especially the pheasants. The trails were in great condition and Katie and her family are excellent hosts. We will definitely be back.Molly B.
Molly B.
May 2023
Itâs not easy to tire out a 2 year old Aussie Shepherd but this was the perfect spot for it! Ella loved running the trails across the various terrain, through the stream and especially the pheasants. The trails were in great condition and Katie and her family are excellent hosts. We will definitely be back.
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55We loved this as our first sniffspot guest experience! Buddy is dog reactive and it was super stress free to be able to explore all the area without having to be on-guard. He even got to roam off-leash, and loved it!Amanda V.
Amanda V.
May 2023
We loved this as our first sniffspot guest experience! Buddy is dog reactive and it was super stress free to be able to explore all the area without having to be on-guard. He even got to roam off-leash, and loved it!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Katieâs property is wonderful! Lots of areas, both woods and prairie with curated trails to romp around in! The dogs loved it!
I really appreciate that they provided bug spray right by where we park! Will definitely be back. Taylor W.
Taylor W.
June 2023
Katieâs property is wonderful! Lots of areas, both woods and prairie with curated trails to romp around in! The dogs loved it!
I really appreciate that they provided bug spray right by where we park! Will definitely be back.
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55It was excellent! We have 2 senior dogs who tired out much more quickly than expected. It was hilly without being too hard on them plus lots of sniffing areas. Katie met us as we arrived and gave a layout of the land then left us to it. We have been looking for a hiking sniff spot for a while. The other ones we have come across are largely mowed grass on prairies. But here we actually got some time in the woods.
One of our dogs is dog reactive and the other has some serious stranger danger. Taking them in public places and especially parks/ trails, etc can be a challenge. It is so stressful as we have to be on constant high alert. It was a big relief to us to finally find a place where we felt comfortable with them roaming around and not having to worry about any dogs or people coming up the trail.
We will definitely be back with our other dog and future fosters we bring home!Astrid H.
Astrid H.
June 2023
It was excellent! We have 2 senior dogs who tired out much more quickly than expected. It was hilly without being too hard on them plus lots of sniffing areas. Katie met us as we arrived and gave a layout of the land then left us to it. We have been looking for a hiking sniff spot for a while. The other ones we have come across are largely mowed grass on prairies. But here we actually got some time in the woods.
One of our dogs is dog reactive and the other has some serious stranger danger. Taking them in public places and especially parks/ trails, etc can be a challenge. It is so stressful as we have to be on constant high alert. It was a big relief to us to finally find a place where we felt comfortable with them roaming around and not having to worry about any dogs or people coming up the trail.
We will definitely be back with our other dog and future fosters we bring home!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Katie is so sweet and gave us a lay of the land right when we pulled up! The property is gorgeous and easy to walk around. Kya had so much fun sniffing around and running up and down the big hills. This was the perfect place to practice off leash skills on a beautiful morning! Erin F.
Erin F.
June 2023
Katie is so sweet and gave us a lay of the land right when we pulled up! The property is gorgeous and easy to walk around. Kya had so much fun sniffing around and running up and down the big hills. This was the perfect place to practice off leash skills on a beautiful morning!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Katie was an excellent host! Her property is amazing with trails winding through woods, stream and pasture. My pup loved it and I canât wait to be back!Kate S.
Kate S.
June 2023
Katie was an excellent host! Her property is amazing with trails winding through woods, stream and pasture. My pup loved it and I canât wait to be back!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55It was a lovely spot with both prairie and woods. The â rest areaâ with picnic tables and a hammock was a welcome spot on a hot day. I highly recommend this venue. Lorraine G.
Lorraine G.
June 2023
It was a lovely spot with both prairie and woods. The â rest areaâ with picnic tables and a hammock was a welcome spot on a hot day. I highly recommend this venue.
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55This has become our favorite place! The host Kate is so wonderful! She is very responsive and flexible and it is so appreciated! And she always gives an update if there is something new to be aware of when you book. I have a dog reactive dog, a human reactive dog, a senior and a young Heeler that loves to run run run and this place couldnât be more perfect! Having the fence keeps my Heeler safe and where he is supposed to be and it is so private you almost feel like you are in a fairy tale! Itâs perfect because I donât have to worry about my reactive dogs and they can just enjoy themselves. And my senior loves to just wander and smell all the smells. Very grateful for a place like this! Jennifer K.
Jennifer K.
June 2023
This has become our favorite place! The host Kate is so wonderful! She is very responsive and flexible and it is so appreciated! And she always gives an update if there is something new to be aware of when you book. I have a dog reactive dog, a human reactive dog, a senior and a young Heeler that loves to run run run and this place couldnât be more perfect! Having the fence keeps my Heeler safe and where he is supposed to be and it is so private you almost feel like you are in a fairy tale! Itâs perfect because I donât have to worry about my reactive dogs and they can just enjoy themselves. And my senior loves to just wander and smell all the smells. Very grateful for a place like this!
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Excellent trip. Varied terrain with trails winding around prairie, sloping down into the creek, and climbing into the forest. Mostly fenced besides the end of the driveway and where the creek exits the northern end of the property. We flushed a flock of deer who were in the creek at the northern end. We'll definitely be coming back, equiped with bear bells to give any deer some advance warning. We passed by the pheasant coop and couldn't see or hear anything inside. My dogs were slightly more interested but moved on easily.Hannah S.
Hannah S.
June 2023
Excellent trip. Varied terrain with trails winding around prairie, sloping down into the creek, and climbing into the forest. Mostly fenced besides the end of the driveway and where the creek exits the northern end of the property. We flushed a flock of deer who were in the creek at the northern end. We'll definitely be coming back, equiped with bear bells to give any deer some advance warning. We passed by the pheasant coop and couldn't see or hear anything inside. My dogs were slightly more interested but moved on easily.
Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun! | Sniffspot
55Katie and Peter are so sweet, and theyâve set up such a wonderful spot to hike, play fetch, etc. Their place is stunning and weâll be going back a million times.Megan W.
Megan W.
June 2023
Katie and Peter are so sweet, and theyâve set up such a wonderful spot to hike, play fetch, etc. Their place is stunning and weâll be going back a million times.
How do Waconia's private dog parks work?
Private rentals by the hour
Our hosts are locals that are renting their yards and private land to dog owners
Trust and safety first
Spots are designed for safety and both hosts and guests are reviewed after each visit
Designed for private play
Only the people and dogs in your booking are allowed in the spot during your visit
Reactive dogs welcome
Many of the spots we list are designed with sensitive dogs in mind
Become a Sniffpass holder!
Get discounts on all bookings at all spots by buying monthly credits! Learn more!
FAQ about our Waconia dog parks
Are dog parks good for dogs?
It is important for dogs to have off leash exercise to sniff and run. But the free and open nature of public dog parks has drawbacks. There could be aggressive dogs, disease transmission and cleanliness issues. For this reason, many dog behaviorists discourage visiting public dog parks and recommend Sniffspot's private dog parks. Sniffspot private dog parks only allow one guest to book at a time and are not open to the public, which solves many of these issues.
Are dog parks safe?
While public dog parks have a number of safety issues, such as aggressive dogs, disease transmission and general cleanliness, Sniffspot dog parks much safer than public dog parks. With Sniffspot all bookings are private for just you and dogs you bring with you and we require all dogs to be vaccinated (or have equivalent titers). All Sniffspot locations are vetted and reviewed by guests so you can find the perfect place for you and your dog. 96% of reviews on Sniffspot visits in the Waconia area are 5 stars.
How do I know if a dog park works for my dog?
You can filter Sniffspot dog parks by fencing and distractions. If your dog doesn't have good recall, you can visit one of our 146 fully fenced dog parks in the area. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, you can visit one of our 14 off leash areas where there are no dogs audible or visible nearby. You can also filter locations to avoid other domestic animals and people. We also recommend reading reviews and reaching out to the host with any questions.
Sniffspot has 146 fully fenced dog parks in or near Waconia. Browse all fully enclosed options.
Where are good dog hiking trails near Waconia?
The Waconia area has 6 Sniffspot locations with private trails for you and your dog to walk or hike. Dogs can generally be off leash on Sniffspot trails. The most popular trail is Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun!.
Are there dog agility courses for rent in Waconia?
Sniffspot has dog parks with agility equipment and/or dog obstacles in or near Waconia. The most popular agility option is Pepper's Backyard Paradise.
Where in Waconia can I find a pool for dog swimming?
Can I rent a field for my dog to run near Waconia?
There are 15 Sniffspot dog parks that offer fields in or near Waconia where dogs can be off leash. The most popular field is Poppy's Play Prairie: 15 acres of fun!.