Best part of Horner Park is this place for the dogs. Horner Dog Friendly Area is located in the…read moresouthern part of this large park on the north side. It has many amenities that are beneficial to dogs and their owners as well. For sure it makes good use of its land area. There's a fountain for filling bowls and pools. About an acre in area, so it's not a big area. Its surface is covered in wood chips. This is a benefit to pets because it provides extra cushion, plus it protects their paws from hot temperatures. A few things about it are common. It has separate areas for small and big dogs. Best thing here is the water play area. This sprinkles water and owners can fill up pools for dogs to paddle and go swimming. Has a lot to like about it. It's close to the entrance on Irving Park Road. There's benches so owners can relax while their dogs run around and bark at things.

Probably the best gated dog park in town - there's a big and small dog park. This park usually has…read moredogs there! It's one of the few dog parks in the area that isn't all asphalt - the mulch/dirt combo keeps the dog pee smell away. During the winter though, it is quite icy and mush. Next to the park there is also a great field for off leash trained dogs as well as a walking path. Street parking is easy to find but there is also a free parking lot!

Came to this park to walk the dog. Hamlin Dog Park is obviously located in Hamlin Park. It…read morespecifically is located next to the tennis courts in the southwest part of this. A small area but enough room to run around. This also has poop bags and a fountain. A pretty basic ass area. It's small and there not that much to it. There's a fenced area for dogs to run around and that's about all they have it seems. One thing is that it's close to the tennis courts. These make it convenient to those looking to do something else while hanging out with a dog or some other kind of pet. For sure a good place to bring a dog. It's pretty clean, without poop everywhere. This has lots of baseball but this is where to go for walking dogs or whoever.

It's a nice day today and my pup is four months old; I wanted him to play with some new dogs before…read moreit gets cold outside. The people that were there today were extremely nice which is a plus. It's nice to be able to communicate with people who aren't rude. The park was ok, a bit dirty; I didn't like the gravel, especially the area in the back where a mud-pitt forms. People say it's a well kept park,(it does look nice from the pictures posted, especially with all the dogs) so come spring I'll probably give this park another chance. Maybe it's just a bad experience at the end of the year. I had to travel about 15-20 to get here, no dog parks in my area, so if you're like me, maybe you can check out the portage park dog park. It's a nice area and the dog park is half gravel half turf. Not as big though but its pretty close to it; nice big square area. Nice drinking fountain and bags to pick up waste. People there are friendly also.

Portage Park has become one of my go-to spots to stay active. I jog here pretty regularly, and the…read morepaths are smooth, open, and easy to loop depending on how long I want to run. Early mornings especially are peaceful -- fresh air, open space, and just a solid environment to clear your head. I also play pickleball here, and the courts always have a good energy. They can get active, but I've never had any issues. People are respectful, games rotate smoothly, and it feels like a positive community vibe rather than chaotic. The park is well kept, clean, and just overall reliable. I've been coming here consistently for runs and games and have genuinely never had a problem. It's one of those neighborhood spots you're glad to have nearby.

Come play sports or just chill in this big park in the neighborhood named after it. In this popular…read moregreen space are numerous athletic fields and a playground among other stuff. Portage Park is big enough to go on a pretty long nature walk. Also it's popular for photography and other events. The park has a massive Olympic size swimming pool that has hosted competitions and trials. Best thing about this area is this beautiful green space that's the center of the community. It's got something for everyone. The athletic facilities and fields are the most well known. So many to choose from. These include five baseball fields, two football or soccer fields, and six tennis courts just among the stuff you can find outdoors. Has two fieldhouses. Of course there's also the swimming pool. This has hosted the Pan American Games and also the 1972 Olympic Trials. Also there's an indoor one that's heated. There's an interactive water play area popular in summer. A lot of after school and youth programs are offered. These include gymnastics and woodcraft. Boxing is also a popular program offered here. There's been many who went on to the Olympics and professional careers after being taught. Some come to this park just to get outside. There's a bike path and nature walk if wanting to get easier exercise without using balls and stuff. Good park for all kinds of activities. It's located on Irving Park Road. The CTA station is a ways away, but buses go along this street pretty often, even on weekends.

Brought the dog to this park in Ravenswood to run around. It has a lot of space and good views of…read morethe North Shore Channel. River Park is known for the dog friendly area in the middle of this. Good amenities included. They have pools when it gets hot for summer among the many fun options. A pretty clean and spacious area. It's got a lot of room to go play. This is fully fenced and has a concrete surface. No worries about getting muddy. Of course, this can get hot so be careful about that. Also this has a sandbox if your dog has to roll around. There's fountains to fill bowls, and pools are filled when it's summer. Cool place for dogs in a cool area. It's located on Francisco east of the North Shore Channel. This is a good place for playing around or going walking.

In comparison to the many wonderful dog parks in the city, this one is kinda... lacking. I would…read morebring your dog here if you really have no other area in which he/she may run around off-leash. Like another reviewer mentioned, it's approximately the size of your average city backyard and is entirely paved, save for the pit full of gravel with what looks like a... storage shed? in the middle. Other doggie amenities include a water fountain and a sprinkler with a few plastic kiddie pools in the summer. There is an abundance of tennis balls, just in case you forgot yours. The small size of this place makes it feel crowded when there are more than 4 dogs here. The best times to come (if you're looking for minimal dog interaction) are on weekdays before 4pm and early in the morning on weekends. Honestly, you might just take your dog along the path that winds through this park and Legion park to the north; it's way more scenic and definitely less crowded. Street parking is available along Francisco and Foster, and there are a few parking spots across from the Galter LifeCenter.

Dedicating my 500th review this this beauty!!! We visit Horner Park frequently. They have a little…read morebit of everything: baseball/softball fields, playgrounds, walking paths, tennis + pickleball courts, basketball courts, and more! There's even a dedicated dog park, but dogs are welcome throughout the whole park. We love that there is a large parking lot which (usually) makes it pretty easy to snag a spot. There is so much open space to lounge, have a picnic, or have your 1.5 year old run around and burn off some energy. The big oak trees make it easy to find a shady spot on sunny days. It's our to-go spot for the whole family when we want to get out of the house without having to go too far. Starting in June, they have a farmers market on Saturday mornings. We are so excited for that!

Horner Park Natural Area has several paths riverside. There is the low end and upper end. Trees,…read morewild plants and flowers abound. Some area for low key fishing.

I took a walk through Humboldt Park on my last day in Chicago trying to walk away the stress and…read moreanxiety of a crazy year. A good walk can cure a lot. It was the first time on my trip I was able to really take a breath. I only had 3 days in this beautiful city, and much of this was spent filming myself eating. I hate filming myself eating in restaurants as it just feels so invasive, but I love the creative process of writing, editing, and highlighting good local businesses. Sometimes I wish I could just write and not do videos as my soul is in the writing, but it's not the 1980s anymore. I have a "what am I doing with my life" at least once a day, but then I always bring it back to that J.Cole lyric from 2009: "Nobody to blame but myself cause I asked for this..." Real. Humboldt Park is lowkey in need of some TLC, but it also gives it character. The grass is overgrown and there's a good amount of litter on the grounds, but almost in an endearing way. It felt gritty. A park for locals as opposed to tourists. I really connected with it. It's been open since 1877, and I can't help but wonder what it could say if it could talk. It's seen so much. An abundance of history in these 207 acres... I love Chicago. IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo

Very nice park! Beautiful with all the leaves changing in the fall, and nice to run around the…read morewater.

In celebration of Earth Month, wanting to say this is definitely mine and my dog's favorite park…read more He knows the way by heart and is excited to drop by every time. I'm not sure who runs the park, but I do notice a few people who take care of it and keep it running for us. Overall, its a great place for my dog to socialize. The regulars are a nice group who you can chat with.

What's going on with Puptown lately? When I started coming here a couple of years ago, it was full…read moreof dogs and really attentive owners. Recently, it's maintained the amount of dogs, but the attentiveness of the owners has seriously decreased. I have left multiple times because I felt that dogs were being aggressive and their owners were either not paying attention, or were not picking up on the signs of their dogs' aggression. I have a fairly large dog (56 lbs), so I'm not just freaking out whenever any dog approaches my tiny pup. My dog is pretty submissive, and not at all aggressive, so it's really unfortunate that we're forced to leave because irresponsible owners let their dogs bully her. This is, obviously, not all owners. Let's get Puptown back on track people! If you're dog STARTS behaving aggressively, pull them away to settle down. It can't be good for you, your dog, the dog that gets hurt, or the hurt dog's owner if something goes down. You can't go to a dog park, sit down, and expect other people to regulate the situation. I'm not getting in the middle of a dog fight between two dogs who, although half my size, could tear me to shreds if they wanted to. That's why EVERYONE needs to pay attention to their dog.

We brought our dog here for a first time swim. Our guy is not friendly and very nervous of new…read morepeople- Laurie handled him perfectly, and he enjoyed his swim with her. I love that they make sure the dogs are prepared before they allow them to swim alone. They set them up to be safe and successful. Making an appointment was super easy. I left a message, and they called back shortly after. The second time, I left a message with times that would work, and Laurie called back to confirm what she had.

I'm deeply disappointed by my recent experience with Doggy Paddle, despite the fact that there are…read morethings they do well. The instructors who actually swim with the dogs are consistently lovely, kind, and attentive (Julian especially), and the facilities are clean and well maintained. Unfortunately, the customer service and administrative processes completely undermine those positives. Last August, after my friend's dog Maverick passed away, she contacted Doggy Paddle to transfer his remaining swims to me as a goodwill gesture in his memory (he swam there regularly for several years). Doggy Paddle accepted the transfer -- they requested and received my dog's vet records the same day. However, I never received any confirmation via email or text showing how many swims were transferred, what type they were, or when they expired. There is also no online portal or way for customers to check their balance or expiration dates. Over the following months, Doggy Paddle emailed me multiple times asking for a fecal test, which reasonably implied the swims were active. At no point did anyone mention an expiration date or warn that the swims were nearing expiration. When I attempted to schedule a swim this month, I was told the transferred swims had expired and that I needed to purchase a new package. Apparently, the swims my friend had purchased had expired one year after purchase, on January 1, 2026. When I called to discuss this, they acknowledged there had been no communication on their part to confirm the package was transferred or to share terms/conditions, but repeatedly stated that it was my responsibility to ask or my friend's responsibility to tell me the expiration date, and that expiration dates do not reset upon transfer. They refused to make any exception or accommodation and said there was "nothing they could do." Sorry, but asking my grieving friend when her passed dog's swim packages expired wasn't a priority. This should have been on Doggy Paddle to communicate to the customer at time of transfer. They'd already earned the money from the previous sale; they lost nothing by extending the expiration date a little longer. I requested that they extend the expiration by four weeks and we'd come swim during that time, and they said no. Scheduling itself is also unnecessarily frustrating. You can only book via text or email, which often becomes a long back-and-forth, and there is no transparency about available times -- you can't see a schedule, only ask and wait for someone to tell you what's open. Holding customers to expiration policies that were never disclosed, combined with limited scheduling access and no account visibility, is extremely frustrating. The lack of empathy given the context -- a transfer following a dog's death -- made the experience even more disappointing. It's unfortunate, because the staff and facility are unique in Chicago. My dog loves swimming and we relied on Doggy Paddle during rehab, but I will not go again. This was a senseless policy to hold the line on given the circumstances.

I love Welles Park as it is a big parcel of land and has a variety of facilities there. There are…read moreof course baseball fields, a children's park area with swings & climbing equipment. There are 2 park buildings for indoor activities. It is a shame that they haven't been able to open the swimming pool due to a lack of lifeguards. What is unique about Welles park is the native plant section which looks wild and is not manicured like the rest of the park. They have made a bunch of logs into a more natural walking & climbing setup. Some even form circles.

Love going here with my toddlers. Clean and life guards are great about ensuring everyone is…read moreplaying safely. There is plenty to do for all different ages