Brutus Dog Park

Brutus Dog Park opened in September 2012 inside River Street Park, close to the Muskegon River and the Riverwalk trail system. The fully enclosed park splits into separate areas for large and small dogs, so owners can let their pets off leash without worrying about size mismatches turning play time into a problem. A grassroots group called Friends of the Brutus Dog Park raised more than $29,000 to build the park, organizing the community around a shared goal before the city ever broke ground. That same group still runs an active Facebook page where dog owners share photos and connect with other regulars. Visitors walking the Riverwalk or exploring downtown Big Rapids with a dog in tow can treat Brutus Dog Park as a natural stop, since it sits close enough to the trail system to fold into an afternoon outdoors. Dog owners return to Brutus Dog Park because it's fully fenced, giving pets room to run without a leash while staying contained within River Street Park's boundaries. For questions about the park or River Street Park more broadly, the Big Rapids Parks and Recreation office at 226 North Michigan Avenue can help, reachable by phone for anyone planning a visit.