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Dog-Friendly Activities in Illinois

Don’t leave Fido in the hotel room when you’re on holiday. Get out and play! No matter where you’re headed in Illinois, we can point you towards the nearest off-leash dog park, the most popular dog beach, a really great hiking trail, and lots of other places to play with Fido.

Pet Friendly Shoreline Sightseeing

Shoreline Sightseeing

Shoreline Sightseeing

Bring Fido aboard one of the dog-friendly Shoreline Cruises boats in Chicago, IL, for a tour on Lake Michigan or the Chicago River. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome on classic lake cruises and architecture cruises. The classic lake cruise will highlight historic lakefront sights and attractions along Lake Michigan. The architecture cruise will take you down the Chicago River to see buildings such as Tribune Tower, Wrigley Building, Trump Tower, Marina City and more. Dogs aren't permitted on special event or fireworks cruises. Cruises depart from multiple locations depending on cruise and time. Call or visit website for exact departure location.

Pet Friendly Mercury's Canine Cruise

Mercury's Canine Cruise

Mercury's Canine Cruise

Mercury's Canine Cruise in Chicago, IL, offers a dog-friendly boat tour on weekends, where leashed pups can join you on a scenic ride along the city's waterways. Enjoy live narration featuring Chicago’s history, architecture and pet-friendly highlights. Dogs are welcome on laps, seats, or the deck, with water bowls and a newspaper-lined pet restroom provided. Cruises run seasonally—check their website for the current schedule. Tickets are available online or dockside the day of the tour.

Seadog Cruises Chicago by Hornblower

Seadog Cruises Chicago by Hornblower

You and your pooch can see the Windy City from the water aboard a Seadog Cruises Chicago by Hornblower speedboat. Departing from Navy Pier, Seadog Cruises offers a variety of dog-friendly event tours throughout the year. Check their website for a current schedule of SeaDog cruises.

Allerton Park & Retreat Center

Allerton Park & Retreat Center

Whether you are looking for a place to hold a pet-friendly special event, or just want to spend an afternoon taking in nature's beauty, Allerton Park and Retreat Center in Monticello, IL, offers all of that and more. It has 1500-acres of meadows, woodlands, gardens, hiking trails, farmsteads and amazing sculptures. Day visitors can enjoy hiking, picnicking and bird-watching. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash that is 6-feet in length or shorter. Please remember to clean up after your pup.

Chicago Riverwalk

Chicago Riverwalk

Chicago Riverwalk in Chicago, IL, is dog friendly. This pedestrian waterfront hike spans from Lake Shore Drive to Lake Street in downtown Chicago, encompassing restaurants, a public art gallery and a museum right on the riverwalk.

Galena Cellars Winery & Vineyard

Galena Cellars Winery & Vineyard

Take a trip to the country and enjoy the view at the dog-friendly Galena Cellars Winery & Vineyard in Illinois. Book a tour, relax in the tasting room or deck, and experience how Galena Cellars wine is made. There’s always fun happening at the vineyard. Leashed dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas of the vineyard. Call ahead for seasonal hours.

Yorktown Center

Yorktown Center

Yorktown Center is a popular dog-friendly shopping center in Chicago’s Western Suburbs in Lombard, IL. Shoppers and their four-legged friends can enjoy a fun shopping and dining experience year-round. In addition to letting you shop with your best friend, restaurants located within Yorktown Center will also allow shoppers to dine alfresco with their pooches on their dog-friendly patios, and the Center has comfort stations throughout the mall that contain bags, wipes and garbage cans for shoppers' convenience.

Giant City State Park

Giant City State Park

Leashed dogs can join you at Giant City State Park, a pet-friendly park located within Shawnee National Forest in Makanda, IL. This park features stunning sandstone bluffs and numerous hiking trails that you and Fido can explore.

Montrose Dog Beach

Montrose Dog Beach

The Montrose Dog Beach is Chicago's first legal off-leash beach. Located on the Northwest corner of Montrose Beach, this area is fenced and offers free dog waste bags and a dog-wash area. Montrose Dog Beach is open during all regular Chicago Park District hours, but morning hours are the most popular. DFA tags are required for all dogs.

Starved Rock State Park

Starved Rock State Park

Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby, IL, is full of dog-friendly hiking trails that wind through canyons, amazing views, and waterfalls. Leashed dogs are welcome to join you at this popular recreation area as you explore these scenic trails. Pet parents are reminded to clean up after their pup and to bring water for them as they shouldn't drink from any natural water sources.

Shawnee National Forest

Shawnee National Forest

The dog-friendly Shawnee National Forest covers more than 270,000 acres in parts of ten counties in southern Illinois. The National Forest Service and Illinois Department of Natural Resources maintain dozens of natural areas for recreational use and several wilderness areas. From the 90 foot Pomona Natural Bridge to the remains of a Mississippian Native American village at Millstone Bluff, there are hundreds of miles of hiking trails to choose from. Trails range in length from the 150+ mile River to River Trail that runs between Battery Rock on the Ohio River and Devil's Backbone on the Mississippi River, to the easy one-fourth mile Observation Trail at Garden of the Gods. Dogs must be leashed at all times.

Wag 'N Paddle

Wag 'N Paddle is an indoor climate-controlled park and heated swimming pool designed for dogs in Naperville, IL. This pet-friendly park is perfect for pooches who love to paddle and play. The 9,000-square-feet park is monitored by staff to make sure dogs and their owners are on their best behavior. In addition to providing a pool and park to play in, they also offer a number of swimming classes in the pool for senior dogs and training sessions with qualified dog trainers for all levels of pooch in the park too. Fido can gain unlimited access to the indoor dog park for a membership fee, and for for an extra fee can enjoy private swimming sessions. There are a number of other pricing options available on their website for regular and one-time users.

Batavia Bark Park

Batavia Bark Park

Batavia Bark Park in Batavia, IL, offers three acres of fully fenced space where dogs can run and play off-leash. The park features a pavilion, shady trees and a small beach area for extra fun. While no permit is required and admission is free, dogs must be leashed when entering and exiting the park.

Lakewood Dog Park

Lakewood Dog Park

Lakewood Dog Park in Wauconda, IL, is a 66-acre fenced space where Fido can run and play off leash. Amenities include open meadows, mowed trails, parking, toilets, a water pump, and a shade shelter. A permit is required and can be purchased online. The park is closed until 11 AM on the first and third Thursdays from April to October.

Naperville Riverwalk

Naperville Riverwalk

Naperville Riverwalk in Naperville, IL, features 1.75 miles of brick paths, fountains, bridges, meeting and event places, outdoor sculpture and artwork, recreational facilities, and celebratory memorials. Leashed dogs are welcome on the Walk, and there is plenty of shade and water spigots available along the way. Great place unwind and relax. Nearby Riverwalk Cafe welcomes dogs on their patio and offers a simple doggie menu.

Matthiessen State Park

Matthiessen State Park

Matthiessen State Park is a pet-friendly natural space in Oglesby, IL. You can bring Fido with you to enjoy the pretty canyons, flowing streams, stunning prairies and luscious forest. There are 5 miles of trails in the park with a variety of different routes that vary in difficulty. The picnic areas in the park are one of the main attractions, some of them built on the remains of a 17th century French fort. Dogs must leashed for the duration of their stay and owners are reminded to clean up after their pets.

Rim Rock National Recreation Trail

Rim Rock National Recreation Trail

Rim Rock National Recreation Trail is a wonderful trail for a hike with your pup in Junction, IL. This popular dog-friendly trail winds through massive rock formations around the rim of a rock escarpment. You'll enjoy the beautiful views while your pup enjoys the exercise. Just keep Fido leashed on the trail.

Castle Rock State Park

Castle Rock State Park

Dogs are welcome all over Castle Rock State Park in Oregon, Illinois. Located along the banks of Rock River, this pet-friendly park is home to six miles of marked hiking trails for dogs and their owners to enjoy. The trails lead to views of the river, the forests, and the marshland. There are also three picnic areas dotted around the car park with shelters, picnic tables, playground equipment, grills, toilets and drinking water. One of the most popular of these offers a view across the Rock River Valley for you and Fido to enjoy.

White Pines Forest State Park

Mount Morris, IL

White Pines Forest State Park

White Pines Forest State Park is a dog-friendly recreation area in Mount Morris, IL. At 385-acres, the park is made up of varied scenery that's beautiful to explore with your leashed pup, including moss-covered cliffs, tranquil woods of towering pines, and the babbling Pine Creek running through the middle. The trails in the park are all pet friendly, with three of the seven being less than a mile long. Size isn't everything though, as these trails prove, leading you and your pooch around vine-covered limestone bluffs and lots of blossoming spring flowers. Additionally, there's an easier trail that is suitable for all levels of walker too. Dogs should be on a leash for the duration of their visit to White Pines Forest.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Springfield, IL

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, IL, is pet friendly. Bring Fido along to see preserves the home and surrounding area where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1844 to 1861. Take a walk with your leashed pooch around the four blocks surrounding his former home. Dogs are not allowed in the buildings, but are welcome in the Lincoln Neighborhood.

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