Sunday, September 21, 2008

Fayetteville's Lake Wilson, A Dog Park?

It's really great the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation has decided to make Lake Wilson a no-leash dog park. Unofficially, Lake Wilson is already a no-leash park. This hidden park is rarely visited. It's a bit difficult to get to and it has limited facilities (the toilet is any tree you can find). It's been a secret spot that a few dog owners have enjoyed. Lake Wilson is a small lake and the hike around it doesn't take long. It's a perfect spot for those whose dogs enjoy water.
While Lake Wilson has it's positives, it also has it's negatives. The hiking trails are at best hazardous and aren't for the casual walker. They are composed of rocks and boulders so you need to really keep on eye on where you walk. There are some problems with erosion, particularly at the northeastern slope. You must have good verbal control of your dog. The lake is surrounded by hills with rocks and forest and you can easily lose sight of your dog in seconds. You aren't going to be able to run after it. A perfect recall on your dog is a absolute must or you'll be searching for that dog for hours.
I don't know if the park will see more people with dogs. I guess if the people fishing start complaining then we'd know that it's being used more. Fayetteville still needs a dog park that people can let their dog run and not worry about it running off and getting lost. Dog owners need to join together and really push their Aldermen and Mayor to get a really good dog park that Fayetteville can be proud of.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

1.5 years since this post and the city has just added a sign with a map and dog park rules. Spillway repairs are planned for 2010. Still no where to urinate when ladies are present.

Valerie said...

They're never going to put in a restroom at the lake, just use the bushes like the rest of us.