What does $35 buy at Paw Point if you apply this week? More than the calendar suggests. Paw Point memberships run January 1 through December 31, with no proration for a partial year. Its join page also has a rule just for this month: "New Applications for membership received in the month of October of the current membership year will be held for processing until November 1st." The membership is then valid for the rest of the current year and the whole following year. An application that arrives in October 2026 is good through December 31, 2027.
So fall is the right time to join the fenced one-acre play-and-swim area at the tip of Lake Roland's peninsula. The holdup is usually a second license that Paw Point requires, which runs on its own year and can take longer to get than the membership itself.
Why Paw Point is getting attention
On September 15, 2026, the Lake Roland Nature Council posted that Paw Point had been recognized in Baltimore Magazine's 2026 Best of Baltimore awards. The magazine's own 2026 Readers' Poll results for pets name Paw Point as one of two finalists in the Dog Park category, alongside Quiet Waters Park. Bark Social took the top spot. Paw Point was the only finalist that is a members-only enclosure inside a county park run partly by volunteers.
That setup explains how membership works. Baltimore County manages and maintains Lake Roland. The Lake Roland Nature Council partners with the county and helps run Paw Point memberships. A volunteer Paw Point Committee processes applications, enforces the rules, handles maintenance and cleanups, and organizes member events. Paw Point's join page says membership fees and donations are its main sources of funding. Current members get renewal reminder emails every October, but members who have unsubscribed from park emails won't get them.
Two license years that don't line up
To join Paw Point, each dog needs proof of a current rabies vaccination and a city or county license. For Riderwood households, that means a Baltimore County license, and the county runs its license year on a different schedule.
| Baltimore County dog license | Paw Point membership | |
|---|---|---|
| License year | July 1 to June 30 | January 1 to December 31 |
| When to renew | May 1 to July 31, before penalty fees | Accepted on or after November 1 for the following year |
| Cost | $7 altered; $17 unaltered, or $11 if the owner is over 60 | $35, tags for up to two dogs |
| Timing quirk | Penalty rates after August 1 | No proration; new October applications are held to November 1 and cover the next year too |
Here's what that means right now. A county license that wasn't renewed this summer expired June 30, 2026. Renewing it today costs the penalty rate: $12.25 for an altered dog, $29.75 for an unaltered dog if the owner is under 60, or $19.25 if the owner is over 60. A license bought this fall still runs only to June 30, 2027. That is six months before a 2027 Paw Point membership ends, so the license comes due again partway through the year.
Getting the license can also take a while. Paw Point's join page warns that county license processing by mail "can take up to 10 weeks." For faster processing, it suggests applying in person at any Baltimore County full-service library. Ten weeks from early October runs into mid-December, well past the November sign-up days. The county also takes applications online if you have an electronic copy of the rabies certificate.
How the November gate days work
Paw Point's calendar lists two sessions where you can "Register or Renew your Paw Point Membership in person at the entry gate of Paw Point." They are Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 15, 2026. The join page describes these walk-up days as a yearly event. Bring a completed application and cash or a check, and you leave with your tag and a new gate code. Outside those days, the page says no walk-in registrations are accepted.
The other routes are slower. You can mail a check made out to the Lake Roland Nature Council at 1000 Lakeside Drive, or drop the application in the park mailbox next to the main park bridge in front of the dam. Volunteers can take up to two weeks to process it, plus mail time, and the tag and code come back by mail. Paw Point doesn't accept online applications or payments, and it doesn't offer trial or temporary memberships. Renewing members fill out the full form again so their license and rabies tag numbers are up to date.
As of early October, the join page still links the 2026 application, and no 2027 fee has been posted. The $35 figure is the current listed price.
Here's a checklist for October:
- Find your dog's rabies certificate. To renew online with the county, you'll need an electronic copy to upload. Without one, you'll have to apply by mail or in person.
- Check that your county license is current. If it isn't, renew online or in person rather than by mail.
- Count your dogs. One $35 membership covers two dogs, a third or fourth dog needs a second application and fee, and one person may bring only two dogs into the enclosure at a time.
- Mail your Paw Point application this month, or bring it to the gate on November 7 or November 15.
The rules that catch people at the gate
Paw Point's rules go well beyond "clean up after your dog." These rules from the 2026 application are the ones most likely to affect a household with children, more than one dog, or a small dog:
- No children under 12. Members who bring a younger child lose their membership right away, and an adult must come with anyone aged 12 to 18.
- No puppies under four months, and no dogs in heat.
- Dogs must be on a leash going in and coming out. Retractable leashes and prong, spike, or choke collars aren't allowed.
- You can't hold a dog at chest height for long, except to briefly separate dogs in a scuffle.
- Dogs can't be carried in chest harnesses, backpacks, handbags, or strollers.
- No bones, rawhides, or squeaky toys. Balls, frisbees, and small training treats are fine.
- No human food, alcohol, smoking, vaping, or glass.
- You can't share the gate code or hold the gate open for anyone else.
Paw Point opens at sunrise, and members must leave 15 minutes before Lake Roland's posted closing time. Outside the fence, dogs must stay on a leash everywhere in the park. Park Rangers do spot checks and can cite non-members found inside, so wear the tag. A lost Paw Point tag costs $10 to replace by mail.
The swim area closes as the season turns. The join page says water access is closed in winter and whenever Park Rangers see a safety problem. Even in season, it opens only when water quality is good and the area is clear of storm debris. The Baltimore County Health Department tests the water at five sites in Lake Roland, and after a failed test the swim area stays closed until a sample passes. Current swim status is posted on the Paw Point Facebook page and at the bottom of the Paw Point and Lake Roland websites. A new member whose October application is processed on November 1 is joining near the end of the swim season.
Getting there from Riderwood
The main park entrance is at 1000 Lakeside Drive. The park has three parking lots, including the MTA lot, and a pedestrian bridge from Lakeside Drive to the main peninsula. If you take the Light Rail, the Falls Road station connects to the park by a boardwalk from the back of its parking lot. The county trail map lists the boardwalk at 0.3 mile. The MTA stop list has no Riderwood station. Lutherville is the next stop north of Falls Road.
There's also a trail into the park from the neighborhood side. The Blue, or L'Hirondelle, Trail starts at the sharp bend on L'Hirondelle Club Road just past the tennis courts. It circles a meadow and continues into the park to meet the Red Trail. The source doesn't mention a public parking area at that trailhead.
The fall calendar around the dog park
Paw Point opened in late 2011, the same year Baltimore County formally reopened Lake Roland to the public on October 14. Nearly fifteen years on, the dog park is still run entirely by volunteers. These dates fall between now and the November sign-ups:
- Saturday, October 10: The Ruxton-Riderwood-Lake Roland Area Improvement Association's Second Saturday Cleanup. The association says no special skills are needed.
- Wednesday, October 21: The Lake Roland Nature Council's monthly board meeting on Zoom. The council says everyone is welcome.
- Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 15: In-person Paw Point registration and renewal at the entry gate.
- Saturday, November 14: Dam Jam at Lake Roland, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Baltimore County lists it as free. The county's listing doesn't say whether dogs are welcome at the festival.
Paw Point's join page says the group needs board members, committee members, and volunteers with all kinds of skills. You can sign up on the membership application or email [email protected]. If you're filing an application this fall, checking the volunteer box is a good way to get to know the people who run the park.
Many households near Lake Roland count Paw Point as part of daily life, and for some it shapes the next move. If you're thinking about downsizing nearby, or you'd like to know what your current home is worth before you decide, The Hofmann Home Group is happy to talk it through, starting with a free valuation. Get My Home Valuation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.