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Prairie Wolf Dog Park

Prairie Wolf Dog Park in Lake Forest, IL is a 44-acre pet-friendly area which is ideal for off-leash play. The spacious fully-fenced park has different terrain and the surrounding area features walking trails and a pond for pups to enjoy during their visit. A Lake Forest County dog park permit is required to access Prairie Wolf Dog Park. This area can become muddy after heavy rainfall. Visit Website

Or call (847) 367-6640 for more information.

Reviews

BringFido Guest Rating

Prairie Wolf Dog Park has received a rating of 4.7 out of 5 bones by 15 canine critics on BringFido.

  • Samantha
    Aug 8, 2023
    Lots of variety!

    The area is large, with lots of trails to get lost on. There is a large grass patch, some fenced Training enclosures and a pond for the dogs to swim. I was pleasantly surprised with how clean it was

  • Emily
    Sep 15, 2022
    Love this place!

    I’m not sure what took us so long to come here (maybe the 45 min drive), but it’s pure heaven for dogs! our 2 golden retrievers love zoomies in the brush and in and out of the mud puddles. Thankfully, there is a hose near the front entrance where you can wash your pups off. in the past week, we’ve come 4 times! well worth the drive and cost to park (if you buy a day pass, you can download the app and pay when you arrive. it’s $30 for non residents. otherwise, I highly recommend buying the season pass).

  • Lynn
    Aug 10, 2022
    #1 Dog Park In illinois

    This is definitely the #1 dog park in Illinois. The dogs love the swimming and the 44 acres of fenced trails. The two signs were confusing. I thought I paid $30.25 to park after submitting my license plate, but it looks like it was $30.00 per dog for a daily permit for a non-resident.

  • Julia
    Jul 3, 2022
    Great water access

    Our baby absolutely loved the park! Dogs and owners were all friendly. The park provided multiple terrains. The water access was perfect for her to swim.

  • JERRY
    Mar 31, 2021
    Prarie Wolf Slough

    My Boxer and i have been going here for several years now, there are always plenty of dogs to socialize with (weekends is amateurs hour, take advisement, go early or late), or there is enough acreage to find some space to yourselves for being alone. This land is a slough, so if we’ve had wet weather (or it’s early in the spring, when the frozen ground is melting) you may want to bring towels to clean your dog. There is a well with a pump on the land (left of the dog gates when you’re facing into the park) but it is intermittently shut off during colder months. There is a big pond on the land, but some owners have experienced some skin irritation for their pups from the water, so i suggest thoroughly rinsing your dog after a good session in the pond. This is our favorite park in the area, and we have traveled across the U.S. and back a couple of times together, I would stack this park against any that we have found on our travels... enjoy, and be a responsible owner.

  • Judy
    Jul 16, 2020
    posting 35lbs and over signs

    It's a great experience for dogs, however it's very stressful when dogs under 35 lbs especially puppies come on the big dog side. There is a posting on one entrance but not posted on the big dog side gate. This creates unnecessary stress on everyone involved. No one wants any dogs to get hurt. For the safety of all dogs please post a sign on the big dog park gates. With all do respect smaller dog owners should abide by that rule.

  • Pat
    More than a year ago
    Close to perfect

    44 fenced acres with two small fenced training areas (a very nice feature for those adding "distractions" to training). There a a packed gravel road leading to the lake, which as noted before, is separated by a fence if you don't want your dog to swim. Note that the lake area is NOT fenced, so you should have a pretty solid recall if you have a real swimmer. We visited on a cold day after a heavy rain so mud was expected and we (rather I -- my dog and her new friends did!) didn't explore the various field areas -- both mowed and natural. There is NO separate small dog area - this is the great outdoors for dogs. General caution for all non-separated dog parks, that some dogs may consider small, especially light colored dogs, prey before catching the scent.

    There were only a half dozen or so dogs the day we were there -- driving by it over the years, there are ALWAYS cars, no matter the weather. Overcrowding may be an issue in nice weather, even on 44 acres, if you have a sensitive, non-rowdy, or smaller dog.

    Bring a towel, a change of shoes and something to put muddy shoes in, and in summer, mosquito repellant and sunscreen! There is a hose to wash off with and bathrooms. No shade other than from the trees, etc.

    Park police were present (two separate cars) in the parking lot the whole time we were there. There is a permit machine for daily passes good at all four Lake County dog parks ($10 for LC residents, $20 for non-residents) -- you can park hop! Annual permits are available online.

    For a tamer, leashed experience, the Praire Wolf Slough is right around the corner on Rt. 22 east of Bannockburn Green Shopping Center - "features a 20-acre wetland, wet prairie and adjacent oak woodlands, a 1.75-mile trail for hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing, and a 1-mile self-guided nature trail."

  • Mike
    More than a year ago
    My Dog loves it

    Great to walk with your dog off leash. If you don't want to get your dog in the water it's gated, but if you want lift the gate and go in. End of the fun, your dog is muddy, no problem, hose him down at the front gate. Oh yes bring a towel!

  • Frank
    More than a year ago
    If this park was in San Diego I'd buy a house right next to it

    If this park was in San Diego I'd buy a house right next to it. Good people, fun dogs, muddy boots...

  • Sabrina
    More than a year ago
    So Great for Dogs

    It is so great for a dog to be able to run off leach. (However, PLEASE leach your dog if it is nor social! You will run into this.) Wear icky shoes bc if it has rained there will be mud in the trails. Dogs get dirty and tired! Fabulous!

  • Travis
    More than a year ago
    Great dog park but

    Too crowded and the park is full of white trash and untrained dogs. I would skip it.

  • Andy
    More than a year ago
    best park I've ever been to

    Huge park with woods, meadows, and ponds. Big enough for your dog to think it's in the wild, but the fence will ensure that doesn't actually happen. Technically it requires a permit that you must pay for, but no one bothered us for not having one. Even if they did, it'd be worth the $4 per dog

  • Evelyn
    More than a year ago
    I miss this Doggy Heaven

    I recently moved closer to my family in North Carolina, but i was raised in Libertyville, and had taken my dog to this place every week for three years. There is really no place i miss more than being able to take my dog swimming and running in a safe area. You would think North Carolina would have something nicer, as there is much more wilderness areas, however that is not true. The best dog parks here are one acre fenced with a seperate area for small and large dogs, so thats less than an acre for each. Thats smaller than pond area of this park. I am seriously considering moving back up just because no one else seems to be able to provide a decent place to excersize my dog like Prairie Wolf Dog Park can. This is honestly the best ive come across, and ive searched the entire state of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

  • Devin
    More than a year ago
    wagging tails!

    This place is amazing! The happiest I have seen my city pup. Worth the drive from the city and the money!

  • Coco's Mom
    More than a year ago
    Worth the price

    I drive 45 minutes each way to take my pups to this dog park which I feel is the best I have found. It's fully fenced, has a variety of areas from open fields to high grasses to wooded areas for the dogs to explore. The vast (by dog park standards) acreage means less problems with aggression. The pond is icing on the cake. Can be muddy. Also small dogs have wiggled under some of the fences (that would be one of mine :p.) Also for the escape artists the pond isn't fenced in and yes she has swum out of the park. That said - it is dog narvana and ensures a good nap at the end of a fun day.

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Prairie Wolf Dog Park