Brought the dog to this park in Ravenswood to run around. It has a lot of space and good views of the 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. read more

River Dog Friendly Area - Dog Area - Dog Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

In comparison to the many wonderful dog parks in the city, this one is kinda... lacking. I would bring 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. read more

River Dog Friendly Area - A drinking fountain at doggie level. Dante approves. - Dog Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If it was bigger, then it would have been a 5 star. Sprinkler that you can turn on & off is the saving grace. So worth while. As big as a suburban yard & as if paved by a dog lover. But still paved. But also sprinkler so happiness. read more

River Dog Friendly Area - Sprinkler is really good. - Dog Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is one of the newer, lesser known dog parks in the city of Chicago. The only "Dog Friendly Area" to my knowledge anywhere near the far NW side. The dog area itself is south of the River Park swimming pool. The dog area is fenced in of course, relatively small. Mostly asphalt with a gravel potty area. No grass, which I think is more the rule in the Chicago Dog Parks . There are good water facilities, 2 or 3 drinking fountains for doggies and their people. Also a hose and when I went last, a kiddie pool for the dogs to play in. The park has 2 seating areas for owners. In my times here, the majority of other dog owners were very friendly and responsible. I've never seen anyone not clean up after their dog. I have seen three minor fights break out and each time the offending dog's owner has removed it from the park. The only problem I have there is when people insist on bringing their small children into the dog park. I'm sure the problem happens in other parks too. The kids always seem to end up getting knocked over or nipped by a dog trying to just be a dog! I have 2 children and would never bring them there. I bring my dog to get away from my kids! Dogs are required to have a DFA (dog friendly area) tag on when they are in the park. You can obtain these from many Chicago vet offices for $5 each. This is a small, well maintained dog park. Please don't bring your human children here. read more

I am beagle sitting. I love this beagle- he is sweet, cuddly, funny, furry, is always happy to see me because every morning at 5:30am he and my beagle both start the day with a big walk! I try to take him to a new place everyday- he is excited for the exercise and he can walk/run up to 2 miles (this is like a beagle marathon) with occasional breaks for sniffing. And possibly cuddles. Did I mention he is cuddly? I feed him treats, sing him songs, and he rewards me by being as cute as possible bouncing along this walk to exhaustion. This park is perfect- it is large- we enter beside the children's playground where the beagles are petted by happy children. We then stroll over and watch the river where you can watch fishing. Sometimes there are runners, many times soccer. Once there was a kid with a remote controlled car- and you better believe the beagles lost their minds wanting to chase that toy (they were on leash so no, they didn't "catch it" but were boisterously vocal in their desire to try). We cross the river to the big park: gently rolling hills of plush green grass and trees that houses squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits for the pups to sniff. Runners, picnics, little kids playing games- it is charming. A little further and you have a tiny, fenced in dog park. This is where the leashes can be released- a water fountain flows, benches let you meet friendly neighbors and relax. Now exhausted- the beagles bask in the sunshine and gently trot home for a day of competitive napping. And I feel energized for work. Not a morning person but that is swiftly changing- this is the best start to a day! read more

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We finally found this (someone told me it was on the West side of the river). A nice little (key word, LITTLE) dog park. Conveniently located for us and really in a nice area. I've been at a wide variety of times. Other than peak times, it is so little used it isn't a great place to go find dogs to play with my dog...which can be good depending upon your mood. Most people are very good with their dogs, but the area is small, so stay to the sides or you'll get 65 pounds of dog hyperextending your knee - not fun. The park itself is huge so I wish they had made this dog area a bit larger. Considering the size, you'd think they might have been able to compromise on the size of the poop area so there is more space for the dogs to run. Maybe as it gets more popular the users can petition for them to enlarge it. This is one of the mellower, more pleasant dog parks and I hope it stays that way - friendly well-controlled dogs and owners who pick up after their dogs. If you have small children, due to the size, you will likely want to come at off peak times when you can be alone or just not bring them at all - remember the 65 pound of dog story? Totally true, I'm still icing my knee 3 days later. A kid will get knocked over and it won't be anyone's fault but your own for bringing your child to an enclosed space with dogs at play. read more

Easy parking, cool people, and even more awesome dogs! And it's within a park, so you can also walk around the park with your dog too! It's kind of a bummer that some people don't pick up after themselves...but overall a great place! read more

It's a friendly place. Dog owners all seem responsible and nice! Lots of kids from the surrounding park seem to filter in and out which can be a bit distracting... The area could use some grass for the dog to play in... But I guess that's hard to find in the city! No signs that I noticed to get to the dog area... But it's just south of the pool. Nice park. Safe area. I might be back... Just wish it was a bit bigger! read more

River Dog Friendly Area - Sprinkler and doggie size bubbler! - Dog Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been taking my little Duke here for a while now and it's been our favorite place to go. Other dog parks are somewhat overcrowded and this park seems to have a few people/dogs at a time...which I like. We also seem to see more small dogs, which Duke loves. He's not a fan of the big guys! LOL. The park space is clean and they have a water fountain for the pooches. It's easy to get to the park and there's almost always available parking. Dog owners are very friendly as well and do a pretty good job of keeping an eye on their four legged friends. read more

Small. That's the First Impression you will have when you finally get to this Dog Park. However, it is the only Enclosed Off-Leash Dog Park in the Area, so I am glad it even exists. Please note that most dogs seem to be Medium to Large Breeds, so Little Dogs might feel a bit Intimidated, but every dog is different, and most are Well Behaved. read more

Clean, decently sized asphalt dog park with 2 seperate entrances, 2 large benches, a working water fountain (for pups and humans) & a gravel area where they can do their business. They ran a hose in with a sprinkler on it and the dogs loved it. The surrounding park is nice and big, too! read more

A little difficult to find if you're unfamiliar with the park surrounding it (which is large and beautiful by the way!), but totally secure, relatively clean, shady and sunny areas, plenty of fresh running water...what's not to love? The day we checked it out we had the place to ourselves, but we can't wait to meet some other pooches! read more

Tiny. Not even really big enough for a medium to large size dog to get a good sprint in. Also has a big area with pebbles that is a giant litter box I guess? Gates are heavy and difficult. There is a bench or two, so I gave it two stars. read more

This place is great. It's a nice walk down Foster Ave for us. While i wish the fenced in dog area was much bigger, it's still a good place for our pup to get some exercise. Every other dog owner we have met her so far has been friendly and kind, and we haven't seen any dogs who don't belong in the park with other dogs. We have been going here quite often since July of 2010. read more

Friendly folks at this small dog park. We have a backyard, so we only *need* the park for socialization and play. It's great for that on the weekends when there are lots of dogs, but early in the mornings and during the week it tends to be empty. All the regulars are nice about sharing water (when the fountain is turned off) and toys, and the tennis balls abandoned from the nearby tennis courts are often thrown in for the dogs. Please don't bring your children in. It isn't big enough for that, especially when it's crowded. read more

So we went here on a Tuesday at noon, so it was completely deserted. It's a lot smaller than the other dog areas i've been to, but I bet it's never too busy. We made our pup run laps around the edges, but that got boring after awhile. If I need to run her for a quick outside trip, this is my new spot. The beach is still my favorite! read more

nice to know that in the city there is a place for dogs to have fun in the sun and shade . and lots of things to do for dogs and their owners . read more

Great park. Lighted tennis courts. Here is a review of the courts: http://www.windycitytennis.com/2013/05/river-park-tennis-courts-5100-n.html read more