The Valley · dog park
Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park
6.5 fenced acres — one large run and two small-dog runs. The valley's main event. Closed Fridays 6-11am.
The facts
| Address | 17550 Victory Blvd, Encino, CA 91406 |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | Encino / Lake Balboa |
| Fenced | Yes — fully enclosed |
| Small-dog area | Yes, separate yard |
| Surface | dirt + grass |
A mix of packed dirt and grass, so there's usually a softer patch to retreat to.
Is it a fit for your dog?
- Recall still a work in progress? This yard is fenced, so it's a reasonable place to build confidence.
- Under 25 lb? Use the small-dog side by default. It's there for a reason.
- Reactive or newly adopted? A group yard is the hardest possible setting. A decompression walk beacon is usually the better first step.
- Puppy? Wait for the full vaccination series, then come at an off-peak hour.
Before you go
Walk the fence line first
Two minutes around the perimeter tells you whether the gate latches, where the gaps are, and whether the crowd inside is a fit for your dog today.
Watch from outside for a minute
If the energy looks like a mosh pit and your dog is a sniffer, come back later. Leaving without going in is a completely legitimate outcome.
Unclip inside the airlock, not before
A leashed dog surrounded by loose dogs is the single most common way a good visit turns bad. Get through both gates, then unclip.
Bring water and your own bags
Assume the park has neither. A collapsible bowl lives in the car for a reason.
Stay off your phone
You are the supervision. Most incidents are visible ten seconds before they happen, to someone who's watching.
Leave before it sours
End on a good note while your dog is still having fun. Tired dogs get snappy, and the last five minutes are what they remember.
Who's actually going to be here?
Nobody has posted a beacon at Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park yet — be the first. A beacon says when you're heading over and lets neighbors with compatible dogs join you. It's free, it expires by itself, and nobody can turn you down.