Larrabee Dog Park
Riverside run with summer sprinklers and kiddie pools
About this park
Larrabee Dog Park is a fenced run along the Chicago River in River North, with a concrete and gravel surface, a drinking fountain, and in summer the sprinklers and baby pools that count as a Chicago rarity. It gets crowded at peak hours, but the dogs and owners are friendly.
Amenities
Larrabee Dog Park reviews
What visitors consistently sayReviewers consistently praise how friendly and well socialized the dogs at Larrabee are, a rare thing for a busy downtown park. The summer sprinklers and baby pools get repeat shoutouts, and the drinking fountain and ample seating round out the appeal.
A dedicated daily-regulars crowd described as friendly without being cliquey. Many neighbors show up most evenings even if they live a long walk away.
Best for
Before you go
The surface is concrete and gravel with no grass, so skip soft toys and watch for tennis-ball shards underfoot. Come off-peak if your dog is reactive.
Frequently asked
- What is the ground surface?
- Concrete and gravel with no grass. A daily regular's one complaint is the absence of a soft area, and more than one reviewer warns about broken tennis-ball fragments underfoot.
- Is there water in summer?
- Yes. A drinking fountain runs alongside baby pools and sprinklers set out on hot days, which reviewers treat as the main reason to come in July.
- Does it get crowded?
- At peak hours, yes. Larrabee Dog Park draws a daily crowd from River North, and reviewers who normally avoid busy parks still come back for how well socialized the dogs are.
- Is waste picked up?
- Mostly. A gravel area at the back sits below a ledge where messes are easy to miss, so a scan of that section is worth the minute. Bags are usually stocked.
- Is there anything to do besides the run?
- The riverwalk runs directly alongside it, which gives owners a workable alternative when the enclosure is full.
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