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There's great place in Pierce County to let your canine friends run off a little energy at the Steilacoom Off-leash Dog Park. The dog park is large, securely fenced, and well maintained. Water is available, and there are a number of locations where owners can find plastic bags and trash cans, making it easy to clean up after their dogs (and nearly everyone is very good about doing so). There are dogs and owners using the park year-round, but one sunny day this fall, after a long stretch of rain, there were literally hundreds of dogs and owners enjoying the park without feeling crowded. There is a smaller, open field section dedicated specifically to small dogs. The other section for dogs of all sizes is expansive, and has a large grassy area in the middle, surrounded by walking trails, and areas of trees or blackberry brambles. My dog is partial to the blackberries in the summer and fall. The first time we took him out there he disappeared suddenly, even though we were very close-by. We found him under the blackberries picking a fruity treat for himself. My husband and I are not inclined to eat any fruit lower than those the largest dog could decide to mark as his territory! Generally speaking the dogs get along well. We've only seen a few problems such as: people eating inside the fenced park despite the signs warning not to, then wondering why the dogs keep jumping on them; a woman who told all approaching dogs that her dog didn't like to play; and the elderly couple out for a walk worried about dogs jumping into the gentleman who had just had surgery and was using a walker. Bottom line: don't picnic inside the dog area, bring your dog if it doesn't want to play, or take a walk inside unless you are able to withstand a few playful bumps. To support the dog park, you can join with a small donation through Park Dogs, or you can honor a canine friend by having their name engraved on a plaque. The dog park is just a small part of Steilacoom's wonderful park. There are baseball and soccer fields, a fun kid's play area, and lots of trails to walk, including one around a small lake. But for dogs and their people, the Steilacoom Off-leash Dog Park is the best place to go to let the dogs have a good romp.