Dog walking in Shorewood

Greenfield

Get ready to explore Greenfield! You and your pup will love this Shorewood neighborhood for its parks and trail access. Leashed dogs are welcome at both the neighborhood’s parks, Country West Park and Ca-Crest Park. At 4-acres, Country West Park has furrific grassy areas to relax, plus picnic tables, a playground, restrooms and a water fountain. Ca-Crest Park is also a great place to spend some outdoor time. If you’re looking for more activity, you and your leashed pup can hike along the .6-mile nature trail at the Hammel Woods' Route 59 access point near Ridge Rd. There is also another trailhead there for the 16.8-mile DuPage River Trail. Remember to bring drinking water, a leash and cleanup bags.

Village Center

See some of Shorewood’s best parks in the Village Center neighborhood. West Shore Park has more than 3 acres for you and your dog to enjoy together. There’s a covered picnic area, and a playground for kiddos and tennis courts. Take a jaunt on West Shore Park’s walking path that wanders next to the scenic DuPage River. Head northeast on the trail and right onto Westshore Dr., then cross the footbridge over the river and you’ll meet up with the walking path at the 8-acre Little Coyote Park. Both parks have large grassy areas your pup will love. Village Center is also the home of 14-acre Shorewood Park, where there’s a disc golf course, picnic tables and restrooms. Leashed dogs are welcome in all three of these parks. Remember to bring drinking water and cleanup bags.

McClintock

There’s plenty of tail-wagging to be done in the McClintock neighborhood in Channahon, just 6 miles from Shorewood. Your dog will go bananas for the off-leash area at the 372-acre Lower Rock Run Preserve’s McClintock Rd access area. This fenced-in dog park has 7.5 furrific acres for pups to romp and play. For wee pooches weighing 35 pounds or less, there’s a separate 2.5-acre area if running with the big dogs is too much to handle. The park has a covered seating area where you can relax while Fido burns off some energy. You and Fido will need a permit to use the off-leash area. Day passes and annual permits are available from the Forest Preserve District of Will County. The McClintock neighborhood is also home to Community Park – check out the park’s Prairie Wetland Trail with your leashed pooch. Remember to bring drinking water, a leash and cleanup bags.

Route 53 / Royce Rd

If you and your pooch have some serious energy to burn, visit this neighborhood in Naperville, just 17 miles from Shorewood. The neighborhood is home to Whalon Lake, a puptastic place for a day with Fido! The Whalon Lake Preserve has a pawsome fenced-in 11.9-acre off-leash dog park with a separate area for little pups. You’ll need a permit to use the area, available as an annual or day permit from the Forest Preserve District of Will County. In the mood for a hike? Explore the .16-mile nature trail or take a jaunt down a 3.7-mile paved segment of the DuPage River Trail that meanders around the lake. You can also hop on the trail and high-tail it west to nearby DuPage River Park. Make sure your pup is leashed while on the trails and remember drinking water and cleanup bags.