Leaving your pup at home alone while the humans go out for some fun can sting. Those sad puppy eyes are irresistible! Luckily, there’s plenty of places in Lake Nona where four-legged family members are more than welcome. Here’s what a dog’s life looks like when they’re lucky enough to live in the neighborhood.
Boxi Park is fun for everyone, including your dog. The on-site off-leash dog park, Barxi Park, is fenced and all sizes of dog aged four months and older are welcome to play and run. Boxi Park, itself, is dog-friendly, but outside of Barxi Park, those cuties must be on a leash.
Lake Nona residents can enjoy some off-leash fun far from the backyard with plenty of new sights, sounds and sniffs — not to mention a bevy of other pups to play with — Lake Nona has several options for off-leash dog parks. For Laureate Park residents, the Mistral Drive Bark Park is excellent for off-leash exercise. There’s another off-leash park just down the road at Bovet Drive, too, if that’s closer to your Laureate Park home.
Just outside of Lake Nona, doggos and owners alike can find Moss Park and Young Pine Community Park – both with dog-friendly trails where leashed pups can get in touch with their wild side and explore new terrain in Florida’s fabulous scrub oak forests. At Young Pine, there’s a dock that’s perfect for a pet portrait.
The pet supply stores are dog-friendly, too. Pick up your pup’s favorite kibble at PetSmart and other pet supply spots in the area. For a more bespoke experience, Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming is a unique boutique that’s the perfect spot to treat your furbaby to a pupcake or let them pick out the next squeaky toy they’ll love to destroy.
Lake Nona’s restaurant scene is very dog-friendly. Eateries like Canvas Restaurant & Market, Foxtail, Island Fin, Bosphorus, Park Pizza & Brewing Co., Splashes Bistro and Veg’n Out are more than happy to serve you alongside your furry BFF out on their patios, provided your pooch is on-leash and mind their manners, of course.
Taking some time off for a staycation? Your dog can come, too, if you stay at the Residence Inn Orlando Lake Nona, a dog-friendly Lake Nona hotel. The apartment-style suites have fully equipped kitchens so your pup will feel right at home.
If you really can’t take Fido with you on an extended out-of-town trip, there’s Barknona Dog Hotel, the coolest place for man’s best friend to board while their owners are gone. The location features four different sizes of kennel, from 3×3 squares for the little pups to 8×10 for bigger doggos. Barknona also offers grooming services and shorter doggy daycare packages, too.
With awesome dog-friendly amenities like these just minutes from your Lake Nona home, it’s easy to see why Lake Nona is such a great place for dogs — and the humans that love them — to live.