Whistler dog leash rules and off-leash areas

Where can dogs be off leash in Whistler, and what are the leash rules?

Whistler, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

In Whistler, a dog in a public place must be on a leash (2 metres at most) or under the direct care and control of a competent person. Off-leash is allowed only in designated areas: Alpha Lake Park (Arfa Park), Bayly Park, Rainbow Park (Barking Bay) and Lost Lake Park (Canine Cove).

Key facts

Leash rule	A dog may not run at large. In a public place it must be on a leash or otherwise under the direct care and control of a competent person. Off-leash is allowed only in designated off-leash areas, where the owner carries a leash, keeps the dog in view and under control, and leashes it at once if it shows aggression.Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019, s. 2 "running at large"; ss. 40, 43; Dogs in Whistler, Leash regulations · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording a dog in a public place; that is not secured on a leash or otherwise under the direct care and control of a competent person No owner shall allow or suffer their dog to be running at large in the RMOW. An owner of a dog may allow their dog to be off-leash in a designated off-leash provided that the owner: immediately leashes the dog if it displays any aggressive behaviour. Dogs must be leashed in Whistler, except in designated off-leash parks and designated seasonal off-leash areas.
Maximum leash length	2 metres at most. Aggressive and vicious dogs: leash of 1 metre at most when off the owner's property.Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019, s. 2 "leash"; ss. 21(a), 33(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording no longer than 2 metres, attached to the collar or harness of a dog a leash that is a maximum length of 1 metre when the dog is not on the owner’s property
Off-leash areas	Designated off-leash areas: Alpha Lake Park (Arfa Park), Bayly Park, Rainbow Park (Barking Bay), Lost Lake Park (Canine Cove). Mixed-use: Spruce Grove Park and Meadow Park fields when the fields are not in use. In winter, some groomed Valley Trail sections also allow off-leash dogs. See the Dogs in Whistler page.Dogs in Whistler, Designated off-leash areas · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Whistler has four parks with designated off-leash areas: Spruce Grove Park: Dogs are permitted off-leash when the ball fields are not in use. Meadow Park: Dogs off-leash are permitted inside the field areas when the fields are not in use. In the winter, the Valley Trail is groomed for multi-use activities as snow amounts allow in the following sections, with off-leash dogs permitted from:
Places dogs are not allowed	The City's Dogs in Whistler page says dogs are not allowed on public beaches, in playgrounds or water parks, or on Lost Lake beach. The Animal Responsibility Bylaw (s. 41) itself bans dogs only from park areas designated 'no dogs permitted'.Dogs in Whistler, Leash regulations; Designated off-leash areas; Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019, s. 41 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Dogs are not permitted on public beaches for public health reasons and are not permitted in playgrounds and water parks for safety reasons. They are not permitted on Lost Lake beach. No owner of a dog shall allow the dog to be within a park in a designated "no dogs permitted" area.
Cleaning up	Whenever a dog is off the owner's premises, the owner must immediately remove its feces and dispose of them in a sanitary manner. In off-leash areas, remove and dispose of feces immediately. Put waste in a garbage can.Sources differ: The Dogs in Whistler page says the fine is $100, but the Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw schedule sets $150 (within 14 days) or $200 for s. 45, and $150/$200 for s. 43(d) in an off-leash area. The bylaw schedule is followed.Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019, ss. 43(d), 45; Dogs in Whistler, Picking up after dogs; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2174, 2018, Schedule A, Schedule A, Animal Responsibility · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Every owner shall, at all times when his or her dog is off the premises of the owner, immediately remove or cause to be removed any feces deposited by the dog and dispose of the feces in a sanitary manner. immediately removes feces and disposes of it appropriately; and Failure to do so could result in a fine of $100. Fail to remove animal feces 45 $150 $200 Yes
Fine, dog at large or off leash	Dog at large, including a dog off leash in a public place (s. 40): bylaw notice $200 if paid within 14 days, otherwise $250; municipal ticket $250. In an off-leash area: no leash carried (s. 43(a)) $75/$100, ticket $100; not leashing an aggressive dog (s. 43(e)) $150/$250, ticket $250.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2174, 2018, Schedule A, Schedule A, Animal Responsibility; Municipal Ticket Information System Implementation Bylaw No. 1719, 2005, Schedule B2; Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019, ss. 2, 40, 43 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Animal at large 40 $200 $250 Yes Fail to leash dog 43 (e) $150 $250 Yes Failure to have leash 43 (a) $75 $100 Yes Dog at large 40 $250 Fail to leash dog 43 (e) $250 No owner shall allow or suffer their dog to be running at large in the RMOW. immediately leashes the dog if it displays any aggressive behaviour.
Bylaw	Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019, Title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording ANIMAL RESPONSIBILITY BYLAW NO. 2218, 2019

How it works

Under the Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, a dog may not run at large in Whistler. In a public place it must be on a leash no longer than 2 metres, or otherwise under the direct care and control of a competent person. In an off-leash area you must carry a leash, keep the dog in view and under control, and leash it at once if it shows aggression.

Steps

Keep your dog leashed everywhere except a designated off-leash area.
Off-leash areas are Alpha Lake Park (Arfa Park), Bayly Park, Rainbow Park (Barking Bay) and Lost Lake Park (Canine Cove).
Spruce Grove Park and the Meadow Park fields are mixed-use and allow off-leash dogs when the fields are not in use. In winter, some groomed Valley Trail sections also allow it; see the Dogs in Whistler page.
Pick up and dispose of your dog's feces immediately, off your own property and in off-leash areas. Put it in a garbage can.

Good to know

Aggressive and vicious dogs must be on a leash of 1 metre or less off the owner's property.
The Municipality's Dogs in Whistler page says dogs are not allowed on public beaches, in playgrounds or water parks, or on Lost Lake beach. The bylaw itself bans dogs only from park areas designated "no dogs permitted", so confirm with Bylaw Services.
Bylaw notice for a dog at large, including off leash in a public place: $200 if paid within 14 days, otherwise $250. A municipal ticket is $250.
In an off-leash area, not carrying a leash is $75 or $100 (ticket $100). Not leashing an aggressive dog is $150 or $250 (ticket $250).
Not picking up feces: the web page says $100, but the bylaw notice schedule sets $150 if paid within 14 days, otherwise $200.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Pemberton · Squamish · Lions Bay · Anmore · District of North Vancouver · Bowen Island

Dog leash rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Dogs in Whistler, Resort Municipality of Whistler (read 2026-11-06)
Animal Responsibility Bylaw No. 2218, 2019 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2174, 2018, Schedule A (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Municipal Ticket Information System Implementation Bylaw No. 1719, 2005 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.