Timber Creek Park - nine acres of woods for your dog

Most dog parks around here are a fenced rectangle of dirt with one sad bench. Timber Creek Park has nine acres of fenced woods. Your dog gets trails, trees, leaves to sniff and room to actually run, and you get a walk in the woods without worrying about the leash. If you've got a dog with more energy than your backyard can handle, this is the place.

It's a county park, so it belongs to all of us, and it's tucked between Lindenwold and Gloucester Township where a lot of people drive right past it.

What you're walking into

Camden County lists Timber Creek Park at 128 acres, split between Lindenwold and Gloucester Township, bounded by Chews Landing Road and Somerdale Road. The north branch of Big Timber Creek runs along one side of the property, which is where the park gets its name and most of its shade.

The dog park is the headliner. The county describes it as nine acres fenced in the woods, and it sits at the corner of Chews Landing Road and Taylor Avenue in Blackwood. A dog-walking company that wrote up a visit in September 2025 called it "a mini-hike designed for dogs," with twisting trails, plenty of shade, and little hills and logs to scramble over. That matches what you'd expect from nine acres of trees.

Outside the fence there's plenty for the people too. The county lists a paved accessible walking track that's just under half a mile around, natural trails, cross-country trails, two pavilions, an outdoor amphitheater, water fountains and indoor restrooms with a covered pavilion. Real bathrooms at a park in November is not a small thing.

Getting there and parking

Put "Timber Creek Park, Chews Landing Road" in your phone and you'll get close. The dog park entrance is at Chews Landing Road and Taylor Avenue, on the Blackwood side, and the county lists parking at the park. Weekend mornings are the busy time, so if your dog does better with fewer dogs around, try a weekday or later in the afternoon.

The county's page doesn't list a fee or a sign-up for the dog park, so as far as the county says, you just show up.

How the dog park works

The fenced area is big enough that you'll lose sight of your dog behind the trees, so make sure your dog actually comes when called before you unclip. The same 2025 write-up said they saw what looked like 50 or more dogs in the enclosure on their visit and it still never felt crowded. It's also a good place to practice recall, because there's a lot going on and the fence has your back.

A few things I'd do every time:

Bring water and a towel. It's the woods, so your dog will come back muddier than you'd like, especially after rain.

Bring bags and use them. Nine acres sounds like a lot until everybody stops picking up.

Keep your dog leashed on the trails outside the fence. Not every dog you pass out there is friendly, and not every person wants a muddy greeting.

Give the fence a once-over when you get there. Back in June 2017 the county had to close the dog park for about a day after a fallen tree took out a section of fencing. They had it fixed the next morning, but in a park full of trees it's worth a look after a storm.

About the pond

There's a pond in the park, outside the fenced area, and dogs love it. Before your dog goes in, look for posted signs. The 2025 write-up said they found posted warnings about blue-green algae in the water on their September 2025 visit, and those blooms can make dogs sick. If there's a sign up, skip the swim and let them roll in the leaves instead.

The cross-country trails

If you're out there on a fall weekday afternoon and a pack of teenagers comes flying past, that's why the trails are there. Timber Creek Park is a cross-country venue, and the Camden County high school cross-country championships have been held here every October from 2022 through 2025, according to the meet listings on MileSplit. Results on Racecast go back to 2015, and the usual race distance there is 5,000 meters. Step aside, cheer a little, and keep the dog on a short leash, because a dog who thinks a cross-country race is a chase game is going to have the best day of his life and you're going to have the worst.

The short version

Drive to Chews Landing Road and Taylor Avenue, let your dog loose in nine fenced acres of woods, check the pond signs before anybody swims, and use the real bathrooms on the way out. It's the best dog morning in the county, and your couch will thank you for the tired dog you bring home.