Montrose Dog Park — Attraction in Lake View Township

Updated Review… 8/2023 I finally made it back to Montrose Dog Beach and it was fantastic. The beach was large, clean and plenty of room for dogs to run and play on sand and in the water again. It appears much safer as the fencing by parking area and bushes beyond the fence make it less obvious for my huskies to realize that jumping out to the parking lot is still possible, but highly unlikely.The bushes beyond help to minimize the visual of the parking lot.

Previously… a four or five years prior … The beach area was flooded and the gate itself is a single latch that people don't even close properly. It was completely flooded and inaccessible. People and their pets were stepping over the fence directly to the sand only 1 foot tall at the time. There is no way my Siberian Huskies would stay contained within the park so we did not enter. It is a long ride for us so I don't know how long it will take or if these conditions will be addressed which means I am not terribly likely to drive all that way just to turn around again. I hope there is a way to check conditions online. We went a few years ago and it was a great day, but there were still serious concerns about the gate system and the path beyond the gate that is not visible from the beach. It should be a double gate. I should have a more secure latch that people will be more likely to close properly. The dogs should not be able to re enter the path that is not visible to the gate. The surrounding fence needs to be much taller so when the tide is high people aren't just taking a small...

Largest off-leash area for Chicago as "DFA" dog parks in the area are tiny spaces and usually paved. Lots of room for dogs to run and swim. I live a short drive away and have been visiting with my 3 dogs for 8 years now. A majority of the dogs are safe, trained, well-socialized pets.

This is not a great environment if you have a fearful or aggressive dog, or any dog that will not recall or obey off leash (like puppies). Please do not bring these as you do need to make sure they are safely under your control. If your dog seems over-whelmed by the waves and activity, or shows any aggression, it is time to leave.

Please do not bring in treats, any food or fancy toys - these start quarrels! Ordinary tennis balls seem okay for swimming dogs to fetch. Food is the primary problem and to the lady that fell asleep on a blanket this summer: my dogs can open zipper bags and coolers and they ate all your sandwiches and chips. My dogs have great recall but are willfully deaf on "drop it" when they just made the score of the year. You can picnic in the nearby grassy areas, leave stuff in your car for later.

Prong collars are banned. People are great about cleaing up. Bring in chairs, umbrellas, drink coolers, towels or blankets at your own risk because they will be peed...

This area is really good in theory, and dogs here have a great time in the sand, but that’s the only reason I’ve given it any stars. The biggest issue is the wall that separates the beach from the entrance. It’s a 15foot drop on one side, but only a 2 foot wall on the other side making it extremely dangerous as you can see how far the drop is from the inside of the park. We watched a dog jump over the wall without any idea that there was a drop on the other side. It is EXTREMELY DECEIVING AND DANGEROUS. There is also a large flooded area that had to be waded through to get to the park. The fence that creates a barrier between the dog beach and the rest of the beach is really low with a large hole in the fence that dogs can easily slip through. While there we also watched a dog escape that was as well. On top of all that, there is a dog wash station on the way out which has outrageous prices ($15 for 10 minutes of wash). This park is just another example of how poorly dogs are treated in Chicago. Dogs should be allowed on the regular beaches, but if they are adamant on the point, at least create a safe space for...