Where can you take a dog swimming in NoVA? (Arlington: day care, price)

[rltrdc]

As the title suggests, I'm looking for places to take a dog swimming in NoVA. I would love to hear places in ALL locations but am particularly interested in places near Springfield, Burke, Lorton, Alexandria.

I do know about Four Mile Run at Shirlington dog park. I did that once and my dog got the runs. I can't prove it was the water quality, I might try it once more.. but also it is pretty shallow and I want somewhere he can really swim.

I have heard you can at Burke Lake but technically it is against the rules.

A guy that works at a dog day care told me the Occaquan River in Woodbridge was one of the only non-polluted rivers in the area and he told me where to get in but I went to look for it and spent a lot of time looking and could not find where he was talking about. (he said down past the VRE station, but there are a lot of communities and golf courses there and it seemed to all be fenced off.. I'm not jumping fences).

Preferably, it would be allowed and not just "against the rules but overlooked".

How about Lake Mercer?

I think it is against rules at Accotink..

Where else? The potomac is pretty polluted, right? I think a place along the GW pkwy would be easy if the water was not too polluted..

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by rltrdc

Where else? The potomac is pretty polluted, right? I think a place along the GW pkwy would be easy if the water was not too polluted..

I'm just going to address this part because I don't know of anywhere to take a dog swimming.

I wouldn't suggest the Potomac because the current is so strong, your best friend could easily get swept away.

[ozzyngcsu]

While its not in your preferred area there is Silver Lake Park in Haymarket (probably about 30 minutes from Burke). We take our dog there every week and if you go to the side of the lake with the cemetery there are hardly ever any other people there, so its a good place to let your dog run around and swim.

[Carlingtonian]

I've been told that Upton Hill Park, on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, one day every September lets people bring their dogs to the pool for a big dog swim before they empty out the pool for the season.

Not sure what the rules are, but Roache's Run (off the southbound GW Parkway just before DCA) would be a great pond for this. I took my kayak there once. Very shallow on the south end, but the north side is deep enough--I'm guessing maybe 6-8 feet. There's usually at least someone fishing from the bank, so I would be careful about not annoying them if you try this.

[SanRemo]

There is a dog pool in Middleburg but again that is outside of your preferred area.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by SanRemo

There is a dog pool in Middleburg but again that is outside of your preferred area.

It's really an indoor animal physical therapy pool. It's not really for recreation, although it can be used that way. It is pricey, though.

[airjay75]

Olde Towne Pet Resort in Springfield has a pool for dog swimming. They turn on jets and the dog can swim in place. They have a web cam where you watch them swimming. I had my dog do it once. I want to say it's $20 for 20 minutes or something like that.

It's probably going to be tough to find anywhere in a park type of setting in Fairfax County where it wouldn't be illegal to have your dog off leash and swimming. I do see people occasionally doing it in Pohick Creek along the Cross County Trail, and I'm not terribly offended by it given the low traffic along the trail, but it is illegal.

[rltrdc]

Originally Posted by airjay75

Olde Towne Pet Resort in Springfield has a pool for dog swimming. They turn on jets and the dog can swim in place. They have a web cam where you watch them swimming. I had my dog do it once. I want to say it's $20 for 20 minutes or something like that.

I did this for my Lab's birthday, the guy in the pool was the one who told me to go by the Occoquan near the VRE but I couldn't find the entrance, might go back just for better instructions...

[gomason]

A really good place is the Prince William Forest Park off of 95. I regularly took my dog down there. Here's where I parked which is secluded so I could take my dog off her leash. There is a small stream that is just deep enough for a dog to swim but not too deep.

If you don't want to drive that far, Roache's Run or LBJ Grove off the GW Parkway would be your best bet.