wellness
Waco Parks Combine Dog Walks With Group Fitness Classes
Waco parks now pair leashed trails with group workouts as residents combine daily dog walks with structured exercise sessions.
How we reported this
Waco dog owners logged 2,800 visits to city-maintained off-leash areas during the first week of July 2026, according to Parks and Recreation Department tallies.
The rise tracks a broader local push toward outdoor wellness that gained speed after 2024 city budget increases for trail lighting and water stations. Residents cite shorter commutes to green space and the chance to meet neighbors as reasons they now treat park time as scheduled fitness rather than casual strolls.
Cameron Park and Riverbend Loop draw steady crowds
Cameron Park along University Parks Drive offers a 1.8-mile paved loop where trainers from the Waco Striders running club lead 45-minute interval sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 a.m. Dog owners must keep pets on six-foot leashes during classes, then move to the fenced 3-acre off-leash zone near the Brazos River overlook. Two blocks east, the Riverbend Loop at 2000 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard added a separate 0.6-mile agility course last spring that allows dogs and owners to alternate between human push-up stations and canine weave poles.
Both sites fall under the Waco Parks and Recreation permit system, which issues annual dog tags for $25 and requires current rabies records. The department schedules monthly “Pack and Move” events that combine 30-minute yoga flows with supervised play, limited to 40 human-dog pairs.
Numbers show sustained interest
Permit sales reached 4,150 tags by June 30, up 22 percent from the same date in 2025, department records indicate. Average group class attendance at Cameron Park sits at 28 participants per session, while Riverbend Loop reports 19 on weekday mornings. The city added two new water fountains and one shaded bench per acre in both parks during the 2025 fiscal year.
Interested residents can register for the next Pack and Move session through the Waco Parks website or at the Cameron Park ranger station before 5 p.m. on the day prior. First-time visitors should bring water for themselves and their dogs plus a waste bag, as bins fill quickly on busy mornings.