Tom Trapanese, of Lake Placid, sits with his dogs — Poppy, a 15-year-old chihuahua, and Gili, a 1-year-old chihuahua, pit bull and cattle dog mix — at the North Elba Show Grounds dog park on Monday, Aug. 14. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

LAKE PLACID — Tom Trapanese sat on a short aluminum bench at the back end of the North Elba Show Grounds Monday, Aug. 14 while his two dogs enjoyed sniffing around and playing inside a fenced-in area next to the Lake Placid Airport.

“My wife and I stumbled upon this toward the end of winter,” he said. “I really didn’t know it was a dog park.”

On Aug. 1, town of North Elba officials announced on their Facebook page that the dog park was open again.

“We were a little later than normal getting all the horse show tents picked up this year, so it kind of deterred people from getting back there to the area, with tractor-trailers in there and workers all around,” North Elba town Supervisor Derek Doty said on Monday.

This is the third season for the dog park, according to North Elba Park District Manager Butch Martin. The green fencing disappears for the two Lake Placid Horse Shows, which are held annually from late June to early July. Otherwise, it stays up throughout the year.

Amanda Birchenough-Morrell, of Saranac Lake, poses with her dog Angus, an 11-month-old English springer spaniel, at the North Elba Show Grounds dog park on Monday, Aug. 14. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“We have a bench for the people. We have a trash can, some poop bags, so it works out well,” Martin said. “It’s open now until June.”

The green mesh-like fencing encompasses an area 100 feet wide by 250 feet long. It’s a mix of dirt, gravel and grass, just like most of the tent pads for the horse shows.

“There was actually one horse tent that was inside there, and the horse tents are 60 by 180,” Martin said.

There’s plenty of room for multiple dogs to run around at the same time without leashes. All the while, their humans can take in views of the High Peaks, Whiteface Mountain, McKenzie Mountain, the Olympic Center and ski jumps in the distance. Plus, the 1980 Olympic cauldron is located at the show grounds, and there’s usually some activity on the Lake Placid Central School District’s athletic fields next door during the summer. It’s a busy place.

“It’s beautiful in the morning when people are back there,” Martin said. “I see Whiteface, and an occasional plane comes in. You just don’t see that very many places.”

Tom Trapanese walks in the North Elba Show Grounds dog park on Monday, Aug. 14 as his dogs — Poppy, a 15-year-old chihuahua, and Gili, a 1-year-old chihuahua, pit bull and cattle dog mix — play with Amanda Birchenough-Morrell’s dog Angus, an 11-month-old English springer spaniel. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

It’s kind of a dog park inside a dog park.

For decades, the North Elba Show Grounds has been one of the most popular places for locals and visitors to walk their dogs. The paved driveway around the tent pads is a 0.4-mile loop, and there are dirt driveways at the back end, where the show grounds meets the airport fence. There is also a trailhead for a forested horse trail at the back where people like to walk their dogs.

Yet the show grounds itself is not technically a dog park. People are required to keep their dogs on leashes, even though that doesn’t always happen.

“We’ve always let people go in the back there with their dogs,” Doty said, adding that there haven’t been problems with loose dogs in the past.

The fenced-in area gives people and their dogs more freedom and security.

Amanda Birchenough-Morrell, of Saranac Lake, plays with her dog Angus, an 11-month-old English springer spaniel, at the North Elba Show Grounds dog park on Monday, Aug. 14. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“I think it was more turned into an exercise area so they didn’t run back out into traffic,” Doty said. “We’ve got some work to do to, let’s say, make it more attractive, but at least it’s open again. We’d like to make it look more professional, but at least it lets people let their dogs loose and have at it.”

Trapanese and his dogs have enjoyed the freedom, security and scenery since discovering the dog park.

“I think it’s a really great idea,” he said. “Our new dog, we want him to meet as many dogs as he can.”

On Monday, Trapanese was throwing a ball around for his year-old dog Gili — a chihuahua, pit bull and cattle dog mix — while his 15-year-old chihuahua Poppy hung around.

“I’m from the Bronx, and we have dog parks, and I usually go down there,” said Trapanese, who currently lives in Lake Placid. “My wife and I were always saying, ‘Why don’t they have this in Lake Placid? It’s such a dog-friendly place.'”

Lake Placid News Editor Andy Flynn’s dog Arabella, a 5-year-old chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) explores the North Elba Show Grounds dog park in Lake Placid on Sunday, Aug. 13. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

In the Adirondacks, people usually take their dogs on trails for walks and runs. That helps with exercise, but unlike dog parks, backcountry trails aren’t designed for social activity.

“You can go on trails, but you can’t really sit and watch the dogs play and interact and maybe have a nice conversation with somebody and actually stay in one spot,” Trapanese said. “Someone’s always on the move. You’ve got to get out of the way for other hikers. So I think this is a fantastic idea.”

It’s the social aspect that draws Trapanese to North Elba’s dog park — for dogs and humans.

“Yesterday, I bumped into a nice couple with six dogs. Before I knew it, I was here for over an hour. Gili was finally playing with another dog. Nice conversation, nice people,” he said. “The day before that, I met some people from Saratoga. He made friends with a golden retriever. They were staying at the Golden Arrow. We exchanged numbers. It’s a great place for networking.”

Soon after Trapanese finished his interview with the Lake Placid News, Amanda Birchenough-Morrell of Saranac Lake walked up to the dog park with her leashed dog Angus, an 11-month-old English springer spaniel. Once inside the fenced-in area, she took off the leash, and Angus began playing with Gili and Poppy.

Lake Placid News Editor Andy Flynn’s dog Arabella, a 5-year-old chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) explores the North Elba Show Grounds dog park on Sunday, Aug. 13. (News photo — Andy Flynn)

“Our yard is pretty small, so this gives him a lot more room to run, especially when he was a young puppy last year,” she said.

Birchenough-Morrell and her husband stop at the dog park with Angus when they are visiting Lake Placid.

“It’s a great place to take him to socialize him with other dogs,” she said. “Especially as a young puppy, to let a dog socialize with other dogs and get accustomed to playing with other dogs has been a great help for us in our training with him, just to build confidence. Otherwise, he’s just home with us or he goes to work with my husband. Usually he’s on a leash if we take him in town. Out here, it’s nice to just let him go and figure it out as a dog.”

As Supervisor Doty said, the dog park needs work. For example, some people commented on the town’s Facebook page that the fencing should be secured with stakes between the metal posts because dogs have crawled underneath to meet dogs on the other side.

And while there is one bench, a trash can, poop bags, green fencing, a metal gate and a list of dog park rules, it’s pretty much out of sight, as most people visiting the North Elba Show Grounds don’t drive to the back end and the venue isn’t listed on the town’s website.

“Didn’t know we had a dog park,” Mary Kay McKenna Lawrence commented on the town’s Aug. 2 Facebook post showing a photo of the dog park.

Trapanese didn’t realize it was an actual dog park until his interview with the Lake Placid News.

“I noticed the signs, but it didn’t really click,” he said.

But he’s glad he found it.

“Look, I’m sitting down. I’m relaxing, and before you know it, some people are going to come,” he said. “It’s nice for me, and it’s nice to socialize the dog as well.”

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Dog park rules

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– Use park at your own risk.

– Owners are legally responsible for the behavior of their dog(s) at all times.

– Dogs must be leashed while entering and exiting the park.

– Dog waste must be cleaned up by their owners IMMEDIATELY.

– Owners must be within the dog park and supervising their dog with leash readily available.

– Dog handlers must be at least 16 years of age.

– Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times.

– Aggressive dogs must be removed immediately.

– Dogs should be under voice control.

The following are prohibited at the dog park: human and dog food/treats, glass containers, dogs in heat, sick dogs, aggressive dogs and puppies under 4 months old.

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Dog-friendly town

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Lake Placid is well-known as a dog-friendly town, an aspect the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort on Main Street highlights on its website. It lists the North Elba dog park along with other places around town for visitors to walk their dogs.

“Our pets are part of the family, and it’s hard to leave them at home while you go on vacation,” the website states. “Luckily, Lake Placid is a very pet friendly location, and people often joke that there’s more dogs than people!”

The Golden Arrow lists five locations where visitors can take their dogs for some exercise: the North Elba Show Grounds on state Route 73 near the ski jumps; the Peninsula Nature Trails, located off Peninsula Way; Mirror Lake; the Heaven Hill trail system, located at the end of Bear Cub Lane; and the John Brown Farm State Historic Site trail system on John Brown Road. Read more here.

While not listed on the Golden Arrow website, another popular dog-walking venue in Lake Placid is the Henry’s Woods trail system, located at the beginning of Bear Cub Lane.

The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism — on its lakeplacid.com website — also promotes Lake Placid as a dog-friendly destination for tourists.

“Whether you are looking for a remote camping trip full of adventure or a cozy hotel and a night out on the town, your pets can come along for the ride,” Savannah Doviak wrote in a July 1, 2018, blog entry at lakeplacid.com, offering some ideas “for the perfect pet friendly Lake Placid vacation.”

She suggests: Take a hike, go sightseeing, endless play at John Brown Farm and take a walk down Main Street. Read the post here.

“There is also a selection of pet friendly lodging options and even more camping spots,” Doviak wrote.

There is a page on lakeplacid.com that highlights pet-friendly lodging in the area:

“With miles of trails, splash-tastic lakes, and tons of cool treats, Lake Placid is a doggy dream come true!”

Lake Placid News Editor Andy Flynn’s dog Arabella, a 5-year-old chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) explores the North Elba Show Grounds dog park on Sunday, Aug. 13. (News photo — Andy Flynn)