Barton Park is super close to our home, so we go there a lot. It has a hefty day-use fee of now $7.00, but you can buy an annual pass online, worth it.
Fun fact, between houses, when we lived in our conversion bus for 2 months, we stayed at Barton as much as we could. It was about as close as I could get to work, and the camp host was awesome. Excellent space in the center of the campground for dogs to run (on leash), and it's a short walk, but you can get to the water from the campgrounds as well.
This is a river float starting point, so it can be terribly crowded in the summer in the mornings and afternoons. Evenings and mornings are a good bet to be less busy. We've floated the river a lot here on the cataraft, good fishing, and a nice way to enjoy a spring or fall day.
We generally park at the nearest end of the day-use area, and walk straight toward the river. There are beaten-down pathways that people take, so you'll figure it out. There are some good fishing holes, and if you don't see fishermen there, you can let the dogs swim. Near the boat ramp you're going to get a lot more people and fishermen, but calmer water too, so it's easier for dogs that aren't strong swimmers. This is nearly impossible during the day on hot summer weekends due to the river floater traffic.
Overall, we likely wouldn't come here as much if it weren't close to the house, but it's a nice little spot to explore, camp, and swim in the right conditions.
PROS
Good weekend spot You can spend a weekend here swimming, exploring and camping, and pretty much see everything in your day and a half.
Decent swimming access If your dog is good at sticking close to shore, there are numerous spots for your dogs to swim.
People don't seem to mind dogs here as long as they're well-behaved.
Chill Water The boat ramp area has pretty mellow water around it, so if your dog isn't a strong swimmer, they can do well there.
WATCH OUT
Off leash dogs This is not an off-leash park, but you will tend to run into off-leash dogs when you're out near the fishing holes. People don't seem to mind as long as the dogs are well-behaved, but if your dog is reactive, stick to the boat ramp area that's more regulated.
Busy in the summer This park is RIDICULOUSLY busy on hot summer days. Like, unable to get in busy. Don't plan on coming here on a whim during the day on a hot weekend in the summer. Campers always have rights to get in, but that's about it.
Water conditions change during different seasons This is a river, so when the water is running high, this is not always a good spot to swim, especially along the fishing banks. The banks disappear.
Unmarked Paths I noted that you can walk here, but there aren't a lot of 'official' trails in the park, it's mostly along the river where people have trampled down the grass/vegetation to create trails.
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