Spanning approximately two fully fenced acres in Encinitas's Cardiff-by-the-Sea area, the Maggie Houlihan Memorial Dog Park occupies the southern section of the larger Encinitas Community Park complex on Santa Fe Drive. Three separately gated enclosures — one for large dogs, one for small breeds, and one designated for timid or first-time visitors — create controlled introduction environments, a zoned design that mirrors the graduated approach used by EarthWise Pet Cardiff in their in-store socialization areas across the same 92007 corridor. A dedicated show circle within the main enclosure provides a flat, open area suitable for group training exercises and community dog events, including the annual Cardiff Dog Days of Summer hosted in partnership with Cardiff 101 Main Street. Drinking fountains, waste-bag stations, and shaded benches line each zone, and the City closes the facility every Thursday between 1 and 3 for turf maintenance and drainage work. The park anchors a stretch of Santa Fe Drive that concentrates pet-focused services, with Santa Fe Animal Clinic providing veterinary care less than a mile from the off-leash zones. The large-dog enclosure covers the widest turf expanse — roughly one acre of irrigated grass reinforced with subsurface drainage infrastructure to maintain playable conditions through the wet season.