Fetch your 2027 dog park permit starting Nov. 1
Fetch your pups' passport to fun when 2027 dog park permits go on sale on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Dog park permits can be purchased at Forest Preserve visitor centers, online or by mail. Permits will be valid for the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027.
Dog park permits are valid at all six Forest Preserve District dog parks:
- Forked Creek Preserve – Ballou Road Access, Wesley Township
- Hammel Woods – DuPage River Access, Shorewood
- Lower Rock Run Preserve – McClintock Road Access, Joliet
- Messenger Marsh, Homer Glen
- Plum Valley Preserve, Crete Township
- Whalon Lake, Naperville
Each dog park features separate enclosures for large dogs and small dogs weighing 35 pounds or less. Small dogs may use the large-dog enclosures, but large dogs cannot use the small-dog enclosures.
An annual permit costs $40 for county residents and $80 for nonresidents. For multiple dogs (up to a maximum of three) an additional fee of $20 each for residents and $30 each for nonresidents applies. A discount of $10 is available for senior citizens, veterans and active-duty military. These discounts may not be combined. Daily passes are $5 each for up to three dogs and can be purchased in person at a visitor center or online starting Nov. 1.
Permits can be purchased at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville and Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. Visitor centers are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Permits also can be purchased at Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Online permit sales are available for a $2 service fee. To buy a permit by mail, send a completed Dog Park Permit Application with payment to Sugar Creek Administration Center.
When buying a permit, please read the rules on the Dog Parks page to know what is expected of dog park permit holders and how people and pets are required to behave for everyone’s safety and enjoyment.
While the dog parks are great places for pup owners and their dogs to socialize and get exercise, the use of dog parks entails certain risks. The key is to know your dog and its personality and to stick with your pup at all times when it's in a dog park.
Two phone numbers are listed on the back of all dog park permits: the Forest Preserve’s main number, 815-727-8700, for general questions, and the District’s dispatch number, 815-727-6191, option 9, for nonemergency police assistance.
To stay up to date on dog park news, sign up for the Forest Preserve’s Canine Quarterly newsletter.
