While the crowds flocked to the beaches (and bars) this past Memorial Day, I sought out an adventure right here on Jersey City’s West Side. Admittedly, this (my first) trip to Lincoln Park was for business—this dog park is serious—but I snuck in some “me” time and relaxed with my lunch by the lake for a while. I even made some new friends!

Since I was traveling from the West Side Avenue light rail station, I biked through the park and climbed the steps just past the football field to cross U.S. Route 1/9 and get to the west side of the park, which has the dog run. It was only afterwards that I realized there is a driving bridge a little farther north that is much better suited to a bike. Travelers, be warned!

I followed the path to the opposite side of the park, and was happily surprised to find the largest (officially-sanctioned) dog run that I’ve ever come across. Although the run doesn’t have separate designated areas for large and small dogs, it’s spacious enough that a good number of dogs should have enough room to play without issue. (Note: some online descriptions of the run say that there are separate areas. There aren’t.)

Luckily, two regulars—Harley and Joker—showed up with their humans while I was visiting, so I got the scoop on the park’s highlights while scoring two adorable models for the day. Fun fact: Joker, rescued from a dog fighting ring, is in training to be a therapy dog. How cool is that?

The pups showed off their moves in the two (!) plastic pools that are set up in the dog run, complete with an adjacent hose to fill them up on hot days or to fill a water bowl. This feature would be especially welcome to someone like me, who doesn’t have a yard or hose at home and has to struggle to convince a pissed-off pooch to just stay in the tub already after an especially dirty play session.

Although only a handful of dogs showed up while I was there, I’d imagine that a dog run this big can draw a sizable crowd at times. Luckily, the park has a whopping six benches inside to accommodate lots of visitors. Even better, the benches are on opposite sides and under trees, so you’re guaranteed to find at least one place to sit in the shade regardless of the time of day. I was also really impressed by how incredibly clean and well-maintained the run was. The poop was definitely scooped!

Of course, the Lincoln Park run has all of the standard amenities that you’d expect to find in a Jersey City dog park, such as provided poop bags for those who forget their own. However, this park goes a step further with posted warnings for owners on how to prevent unpleasant encounters and (my favorite part) a fire hydrant installed specifically for your pet’s peeing pleasure. There were also plenty of sticks naturally lying around thanks to all of the trees.

Last but absolutely not least, this run has the best views of any dog park in Jersey City, hands down. Not only is it directly adjacent to a baseball field, but you can see both the Lincoln Highway Bridge and the Pulaski Skyway from inside the park. All in all, I give the Lincoln Park dog run a full 10/10 across the board. Check it out!