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Animal Rescues in Roseville

Roseville sits between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and its off-leash area is a joint city-and-county arrangement built around soft trails rather than an open paddock.

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Off-leash and on-leash in Roseville

Woodview is Roseville’s off-leash area, and it’s shaped differently from most. Rather than a single fenced field, the city describes two soft trail areas off Larpenteur Avenue just east of Dale Street — one section completely fenced, the other about five acres of open space where dogs run free. It’s run jointly by the City of Roseville and Ramsey County.

Soft trails through woods make for a different outing than an open paddock. Dogs that like to potter and sniff do well; dogs that want a hundred metres of flat ground to sprint on may prefer Battle Creek, which is the county’s biggest.

Ramsey County notes that all its dog parks have designated small dog areas for dogs under 30 pounds. The county doesn’t publish per-park acreage, hours or fees, so check with Ramsey County Parks if any of that decides your trip.

Reservoir Woods

Roseville’s other asset is Reservoir Woods, 115 acres — hilly, with pines, wetlands, prairie grass and savanna, and some of the highest ground in the city. There’s an odd bit of history underneath it: the site was once home to a 30-million-gallon underground water reservoir operated by Saint Paul.

The city has focused there on restoring eroding soft trails and pulling out invasive plants rather than developing it, which is why it feels less manicured than a typical suburban park. Good winter walking, hilly enough to tire a dog out on a leash.

Sitting between two cities

Roseville’s real advantage is position. The three other Ramsey County off-leash parks — Battle Creek in Maplewood, Bald Eagle-Otter Lakes in White Bear Township, Rice Creek in Shoreview — are all a short drive, so you can vary where you go without committing to one park’s crowd or surface.

The same logic applies to adopting. Essentially every Twin Cities rescue will adopt to a Roseville household regardless of where the organization itself is registered, so search by what you’re looking for rather than by city. Browse the full directory or all Minnesota listings. We’re an independent directory with no affiliation to the organizations here.

Frequently asked questions

What's Woodview actually like?
Two soft-trail areas off Larpenteur Avenue just east of Dale Street, rather than one big field. One section is completely fenced; the other is around five acres of open space where dogs run free. It's a cooperative project between the City of Roseville and Ramsey County, and it suits a walk-and-sniff dog better than a flat-out sprinter.
Is there a small dog area?
Ramsey County states that all of its dog parks have designated small dog areas for dogs under 30 pounds. The county's page doesn't publish per-park detail beyond that, so if the small-dog section is the reason you're going, confirm with Ramsey County Parks first.
What are the other Ramsey County dog parks?
Three more, all within a reasonable drive of Roseville — Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood, Bald Eagle-Otter Lakes Regional Park in White Bear Township, and the Rice Creek Regional Trail Corridor in Shoreview. Sitting where it does, Roseville is close to all of them.

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