Dog Friendly Swimming in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

People are always surprised when they see my seven-pound Yorkshire terrier, Napoleon, dive in the water for a swim. Yorkies, unlike spaniels and retrievers are not famous water loving dogs, but mine does not know that. When we lived in Norway, my Napoleon swam in any number of lakes and streams and even in the Oslo Fjord. When we moved back to the Pittsburgh area, we had to search for a new place for our little dog to swim. We discovered a few treasures. Here is my list of the best dog swimming areas in the Pittsburgh area.

Brady's Run Park

Brady's Run Park is a wonderful little park located in Patterson Township, Pennsylvania about half an hour from the Pittsburgh Airport. Brady's Run Park is an extremely dog-friendly park where a well-behaved dog can be off leash. While dogs are not allowed to swim in the main swimming area in the park, there are a number of nice streams and creeks throughout Brady's Run Park that are perfect places for your dog to swim. Brady's Run Park is my favorite place in Pittsburgh to take my dog for a swim.

Raccoon Creek State Park

Raccoon Creek State Park is the closest Pennsylvania state park to my home. Raccoon Creek is a large swimming area with a nice beach for swimming. I only take my dog to the beach area during the spring and fall when the beach is not open for public swimming. During the summer months, we prefer to let our dog swim in one of the many smaller streams in the area.

Montour Trails

The Montour Trails, which are located just minutes from the Pittsburgh area, are great walking and biking trails. There is also a nice stream, which is open for trout fishing in the spring. The stream is a perfect place for our dog to swim. The water is deep enough for dogs much larger than our little yorkie to swim also. The Montour Trails are a wonderful way to get some exercise and to allow your four-legged friend to cool off on a hot summer afternoon.

Community College of Beaver County

One of the hidden treasures that we discovered is the little creek that runs behind the campus of the Community College of Beaver County. The Community College of Beaver County is located in Center Township, Pennsylvania. Since this creek is just minutes from my home, I have enjoyed many swimming excursions to this creek with my dog. In the countless times I have visited the little creek I have never run into another person, which makes it an ideal spot to let my dog run and swim.

These are my favorite dog swimming spots in the Pittsburgh area. I hope your four-legged friend enjoys them as much as mine does.