Dogs, and their owners, are loving the expanded dog park at Strawberry Hill on Bainbridge Island that recently opened.

They love the large open area with little ground cover, along with the mulch and bark that minimizes mud by absorbing water and is gentler on dog’s paws than pavement or gravel.

Parkgoers observed that while the big dog area has expanded to 5 acres, most dogs still hang out near the entrance of the park — “probably because they’re excited to see other dogs,” one dog owner said. Some families stroll the grounds to encourage their dogs to explore.

The small dog run, adjacent to the big dog run, has yet to be cleared of ferns and debris.

Some dog owners came from as far as 30 miles away just to let their dog run around.

A poodle mix mid-romp in the new Strawberry Hill dog run.

Buster the keeshond, an ancient dog breed from Holland, surveys the park during a visit with his family.