Named "Best Dog Park" by North Shore magazine, this special place is one of four designated areas in the Lake County Forest Preserves where dogs can run and play off-leash. This 30-acre are just for dogs features fields and wooded areas, and a large pond for swimming and retrieving games. It is fenced on three sides with access to the Des Plaines River Trail.
If accessing the Des Plaines River Trail, remember that once you leave the Dog Exercise Area, you must leash your dog and stay on the trail at all times. Please note, dogs are not allowed in Independence Grove Forest Preserve. Please stay to the Des Plaines River Trail if hiking south from the Dog Exercise Area.
A permit is required to access this Dog Exercise Area. Annual or daily permits are available. The annual permit allows access to all four Lake County Forest Preserve Dog Exercise Areas. Daily permits can be purchased at a self-pay station located in the parking lot at each Dog Exercise Area.
Hours
Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. or sunset, whichever is later.
From April through October, this Dog Exercise Area is closed until 11 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month to allow for trail mowing and other maintenance projects. This approach reduces any potential safety issues by separating visitors and dogs from use of mowers and other heavy equipment. |
