Dog-friendly Sammamish starts with the trails. The Plateau has hundreds of acres of forest and preserve within a short drive of most neighborhoods, and on a dry Saturday morning the trailhead lots are full of people with a leash in one hand and a coffee in the other. What surprises new owners is that the rules change depending on who manages the ground under your feet: the City of Sammamish, King County, or Washington State Parks.

This guide covers where your dog can run off leash, how long the leash has to be on each kind of trail, where dogs are not allowed at all, and what licensing and neighborhood rules apply once you own a home here. Every rule below was checked with the managing agency in September 2026. Rules and hours change, so the posted signs at each park always take priority.

Off-Leash Parks in Dog-Friendly Sammamish

The City's off-leash dog park is at Beaver Lake Park. The park has two sides: the lake side at 25201 SE 24th Street and the athletic field side at 2526 244th Avenue SE. The dog park is on the athletic field side, behind the ball fields.

When it opened in May 2008, the Seattle Times reported a 3-acre fenced site with separate areas for dogs over and under 30 pounds, a gated concrete entry where owners clip and unclip leashes, benches, and a trail through meadow and woods. The City's current page lists park hours of 6:30 a.m. to dusk from April through September and 7:30 a.m. to dusk from October through March, with the parking lot gates open from 8 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset. Check the posted rules at the gate for size areas, vaccinations and the number of dogs per handler, since the City's park code requires owners to follow them.

The other large off-leash option nearby sits outside the city. King County's Marymoor Park off-leash area in Redmond covers 40 acres, is open 8 a.m. to dusk, and has the Sammamish River running through it, so dogs can swim. Parking at Marymoor requires a paid pass. King County's parks rules say Marymoor is the only place in its park system where dogs may be off leash.

Leash Rules on Dog-Friendly Sammamish Trails

Three agencies manage most of the green space on and around the Plateau, and each sets its own leash length. The short version: 16 feet on City land, 8 feet on county and state land.

• City of Sammamish parks and trails. The City's park rules require a leash no longer than 16 feet, with the dog under control at all times. Dogs are not permitted on swimming beaches, athletic fields, picnic shelter areas or play areas, with an exception for service animals. The City updated its parks code, Title 7A, in July 2021, and leash and pet waste violations are civil offenses.
• King County parks and trails. The county's parks rules require a leash no longer than 8 feet. That covers Soaring Eagle Regional Park on the east side of the city and the East Lake Sammamish Trail along the lake.
• Washington State Parks. WAC 352-32-060 requires a leash no longer than 8 feet, keeps pets off designated swimming beaches, and requires owners to bag waste and put it in a garbage can. A violation is an infraction. This applies at Lake Sammamish State Park, which also requires a Discover Pass to park.

If you are not sure who manages a trail, the sign at the trailhead usually names the agency. When in doubt, the 8-foot leash satisfies all three.

Leashed Walks Around Dog-Friendly Sammamish

Day to day, most dog walking here happens on leash, on trails. A few places worth knowing:

• Soaring Eagle Regional Park. King County lists 790 acres of forest and wetland with 12 miles of multi-use trails, and names dog walking as an allowed use. The main entrance is at the end of East Main Drive, off 228th Avenue SE and SE 8th Street, with a south entrance off Trossachs Boulevard. Trails are shared with mountain bikers and horses, so keep dogs close on narrow sections.
• Evans Creek Preserve. The City's 213-acre preserve on the north end has 3.5 miles of pedestrian-only loop trails, which means no bikes or horses to pass. Parking is at the lower lot on 224th Avenue NE or the upper lot on Sahalee Way NE. City leash rules apply.
• East Lake Sammamish Trail. A flat, paved county trail along the east shore of the lake, suited to long walks. It is also a commuter route for cyclists, so a short leash matters here.
• Lake Sammamish State Park. Just over the line in Issaquah, with trails and lake views. Dogs are welcome on leash but not in the designated swim areas.

For the full list of Plateau parks and what each one offers people, see our Sammamish parks and trails guide.

Dog-Friendly Sammamish Rules at Home: Licensing and Neighbors

Sammamish does not write its own animal control code. Under SMC 11.05.010, the City adopts King County's animal control code by reference, and the City is one of 25 cities served by Regional Animal Services of King County. For a new owner, that means three practical things.

1. License the dog. King County's pet license page says all dogs and cats 8 weeks and older in its service area need a license. The fee is $30 a year for a spayed or neutered pet and $60 for an unaltered one. The county lists the fine for an unlicensed pet at $125 for an altered dog or cat and $250 for an unaltered one.
2. Keep the dog on your property or on a leash. The code as adopted in Sammamish makes a dog running at large in the City a nuisance, and defines "at large" as off the owner's property and not under the owner's control by leash. A fenced yard or a leash covers it.
3. Mind the noise and the neighbors' yards. The same section treats barking or howling that disturbs a person or neighborhood to an unreasonable degree as a nuisance, along with an animal entering someone else's property without permission.

HOA Pet Rules in Dog-Friendly Sammamish Neighborhoods

Many Sammamish homes sit in a homeowners association, and the association's recorded covenants (CC&Rs) and rules can add to the City and county rules above. Pet provisions vary by community. Some associations address the number of pets, leashing in common areas, or waste in shared spaces, and many regulate fences, which matters if your plan is to fence the yard for the dog.

Read the CC&Rs and current rules before you make an offer, not after closing. Our guide to buying a home in Sammamish with an HOA explains where to find those documents and what to look for in them.

Finding a Dog-Friendly Sammamish Home

The house itself matters as much as the parks. When dog owners tour homes with us, these are the questions that usually come up:

• The yard. Is it fenced, and is the fence in good repair? If not, is the lot flat enough to fence without a large project? Sloped Plateau lots can make that harder than it looks.
• The walk. How far is the nearest trailhead or leash-friendly park, and can you reach it on sidewalks or a trail rather than a busy arterial?
• The dog park drive. How far is Beaver Lake Park from the front door? It sits in the southern part of the city, which is closer for some neighborhoods than others.
• The floors and the mud. A mudroom or an entry from the garage earns its keep from October to April.

Our complete Sammamish neighborhood guide covers how each part of the Plateau lives day to day, and our guide to living in Sammamish covers schools, parks and community life. If you are moving from out of the area, start with our Sammamish relocation guide.

This article summarizes rules published by the City of Sammamish, King County and Washington State Parks as of September 2026. Hours, fees and rules change, and the signs posted at each park govern. For licensing questions, contact Regional Animal Services of King County.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dog-Friendly Sammamish