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Matt LeBeau

New Off-Leash Dog Laws for City of Boulder Open Space

Your dog’s GREEN “Voice and Sight Tag” will expire on December 31, 2014 and a new BLUE tag will be required for off-leash dog hiking in the new year. The City of Boulder program that allows dogs to be walked off-leash on designated open trails is going through a few changes. If you’d like to continue taking advantage of their awesome off-leash dog trails, here’s what you need to know.

1) You have to take a class.

Classes meet in Boulder and are offered every day (with lots of evening and weekend options!) It’s only an hour long and covers the expectations and requirements of the program as well as tips for having a successful off-leash experience with your dog.

Sign up here.

2) There are added fees for additional dogs and guardians.

The fee for one dog and one guardian is $13 for City of Boulder residents, and $33 for Boulder County residents. Additional dogs in your household can be registered for just $10/dog. Additional guardians must take the aforementioned class and pay a $5 fee.

3) Your dog must be vaccinated and registered.

  • You’ll have to submit your dog’s rabies vaccination records.
  • If you live in Boulder, you must register your dog with the city.
  • Boulder County residents who do not live in the City of Boulder do not have to be licensed to qualify for the program. (Most cities do require a license. While not required for the Voice & Sight Program, this would be a good time to make sure your dog’s license is up to date!)

4) You can register online!

Click here to register online.

Currently, requests are taking about 5 days to process, so expect to wait at least a week for your tag to arrive in the mail.

5) You have to follow the rules.

The motivation behind the updated program is to reduce conflicts between people, dogs and wildlife.

Here’s a sampling of the rules you will learn in class:

  • Your dog must always be within your sight and must immediately come when called
  • Your dog must not chase, charge, jump on or show any aggression towards people, wildlife, livestock or other dogs
  • Your dog must wear his Voice & Sight Tag
  • You must always carry a leash

Have more questions? The City of Boulder has all the details here!

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Matt LeBeau

Best Off-Leash Dog Hikes Around Boulder

Best Off-Leash Dog Hikes Near Boulder | The Happy Beast

We love hiking with Loki around Lafayette and Boulder, but we have even more fun on trails where he can off leash. Visit Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks website for dog regulations by area and to get information on the best off-leash dog hikes where you and your pup can both run free. You can also check out a full list of Boulder OSMP hiking trails or get other hiking/walking ideas on BringFido.com, which is a great resource for all kinds of pet-friendly travel and accommodations.

Finally, just a friendly remember that to be off-leash in Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks you need to have your current dog tags for the voice and sight control program. The program changed in 2015, and now requires a new tag each year. Check out their website for the latest info.

A few of our favorite off-leash dog hiking trails:

  • Gregory Canyon /Saddle Rock (City of Boulder link)
    Great trail with tons of water that starts at the creek and winds through mostly shady trees until the first steep climb. You can take the Amphitheater Trail for an even more uphill workout.
  • Mount Sanitas (City of Boulder link)
    A Boulder classic known by all. Take the Valley Trail or Dakota Ridge on the North side for a nice warm-up before the main hike or just charge the South side for a rockier, but shadier climb to the top. Just beware the crowds.
  • Enchanted Mesa (City of Boulder link)
    A nice, wide service road trail that can accommodate kid strollers as well as energy-filled dogs. A deceiving and consistent climb makes this trail a great choice for a good workout. And because the trail is wide enough for ranger trucks, Enchanted Mesa is also a perfect hiking trail for strollers, even a double-wide one like ours.
  • South Boulder Shanahan Ridge Loop (City of Boulder Info)
    We used to live in South Boulder so we may be biased, but this awesome loop trail is seldom crowded and always a dog-pleaser, including a couple of muddy ponds along the way. You can even use the North side of the loop for access to the trails up to Bear Peak.
  • Bobolink Trail (City of Boulder info)
    Right off Baseline Rd. on your way into Boulder, Bobolink is a flat trail that runs right along South Boulder Creek and has plenty of dog-friendly swimming spots. Dogs aren’t allowed south of the gate past South Boulder Road so we typically just turnaround when we get to that point and head back to the Baseline parking lot. Bobolink is a great choice when you’re looking for an easier hike, or don’t want to head all the way to the Flatirons.
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Do you have any favorites that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

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