Hamlin Dog Park

Great place to take my shepherd to get his energy out. Lots of friendly dogs and their humans. Could be better maintained I would volunteer to maintain the park. I just haven’t found any info on how to do it.

Somedays I’m more of a fan of Hamlin Dog Park than others. It really depends on the fellow dog owners. This morning, their were some really cool people there. Too bad the sudden rain broke up the conversation.

Small gravel lot.
Did not look like it had a fountain or water.
Only go if you live near by, then worth while.

This park has a lot of pit/​dobermans with bad owners. I went there a couple of Friday evenings and a group of pit owners were there drinking beer in the park. My dog was inside the gate and in less than 10 seconds, 2 of there dogs attacked my dog. The owners did nothing. After other instances of bad dog owners, I looked for other places for my dog to run. I know there are good owners here, too, but too many bad ones to subject my dog to risk of injury. I got tired of wondering whether or not my dog was safe that day to be in this park.
It is also kind of funky dirty. I know it’s a dog park and they are all kind of funky dirty, but this one is disgusting if there is rain. I think there are better parks with better owners.

Hello Unilocal People who sent me an email sending me to this link:
Not sure if you’re aware but there’s a canine influenza epidemic in Chicago right now. Probably not the best idea to promote dog social gatherings as it is highly contagious and people are being instructed to keep their dogs AWAY from other dogs right now.

We’ve now brought our Berner to Hamlin twice and both experiences were similarly awkward yet uneventful.
To begin, though, the park is situated within the expanse of beautiful and active Hamlin Park with the dog park itself tucked away on the far side along and around the tennis courts. It’s a truly well-​maintained area in a nice neighborhood, and folks playing their recreational softball games that you pass as you make your way to the dog area are friendly. The park in general just has a nice vibe.
The dog park, however, is just OK. As others have noted, the park is itself bent into an «L» shape, the broader portion with a few benches and the thinner leg with some trees, boulders, and a water hose. This awkward shape poses the odd problem of not being able to really see your dog from the comfort of the benched area where all of the dog owners tend to congregate. Since our puppy was only 6 months or so when we started bringing her, we liked to keep tabs and I simply found it weird that if we wanted to know what she was up to, we had to literally zigzag from one portion of the park to the other in order to see both. The only corner of the park that allows you to see both sides is occupied by a massive shady tree, and not one you’d really want to pitch your tent under.
Also, the crowds each time we went (both times midday on a Saturday) were pretty thin for a dog park. While Hamlin’s is substantially smaller than others we’ve visited in the city, it was a little surprising, and the dogs that were there weren’t exactly the most engaging group you’ve ever seen. Then again, we have a Berner who sheds all of her energy within the first 10 minutes of a visit, so who am I to talk?
A simple upside is that the nearby courts provide the pups with ample fresh tennis balls as the park shares a fence with the tennis players, but that doesn’t to me quite make it worth skipping a park like Wiggly Field for this awkward little spot.

Every dog park in Chicago cold be larger; but Hamlin is a reasonable size for its area, and boasts pea gravel, a water source, dappled shade, and a run alongside the tennis courts. Our Bostons enjoyed it, and we both found the people very friendly and watchful of their dogs’ behavior. We were there on a beautiful Saturday and because of the ball games going on in the main Park (fun!), parking was a challenge. We didn’t mind walking through the residential streets however, a nice area.
Recommended.

Disclaimer: I have a small dog who thinks he’s a big dog. I have brought him here a hand full of times and the big dogs at the park have let my dog continue his delusion of being the big dog on the block. Seriously, it’s a nice dog park. It’s nice that it’s close to the tennis courts for the rogue tennis balls to find their way over. I would recommend it for dog owners. Everyone is nice and the dogs are nice.

Not a good park for small dogs. I have a 20lb terrier. He likes big dogs, but not 5 or more who immediately rush him. Do not bring your smaller dogs here unless it loves aggressive bull and pit-​mixes.

The owners and dogs are friendly. We all enjoyed ourselves.

My next door neighbor and I visited Hamlin a couple of weeks ago with our two pups who are BFF’s. We usually go to Wiggly, but we thought we would mix it up a bit.
It was during the week in the early evening and the park was not busy. There were five other dogs that were running around. My pup Maggie was focused on inspecting this place, sniffing every nook and cranny, while her BFF ran around with her new friends.
Hamlin is L-​shaped, winding around a tennis court. It felt weird, but I guess I could get used to it.
The only thing I didn’t like was the gravel. Since Maggie is a mix of hunting breeds, this brings out her tendency to dig and see what treasures she could find in the rocks. As a result, she brings home all the dust from the gravel! At the paved dog parks, she runs and socializes more which is what I’m trying to do with a pup her age.
Overall, I like it, but probably won’t be regular there.

We came here on the first nice weekend day of the season, and the place was packed! Totally expected and totally great for my dog.
The park is completely fenced in, clean, and is a great space for dogs. There is usually a great mix of dogs — large and small, playful and shy, so there is something for every dog. The owners are generally very nice and aware of what’s going on (they’re not sitting and reading a book or anything). I’ve seen a few times where dogs have started barking at one another or getting aggressive, and the owners are pretty quick to step in before things escalate.
The only reason to knock off a star is that the park is covered in peat gravel. My dog doesn’t love the feeling of it when she walks on it, so sometimes we’re better off letting her run around in the big grassy field in the same park. Plus, after some rain, the ground gets really dirty and the only way you can take your pup there is if the trip is immediately followed by a bath when you get home.
We go as much as we can during the warm weather.

It’s a nice day today and my pup is four months old; I wanted him to play with some new dogs before it gets cold outside. The people that were there today were extremely nice which is a plus. It’s nice to be able to communicate with people who aren’t rude.
The park was ok, a bit dirty; I didn’t like the gravel, especially the area in the back where a mud-​pitt forms.
People say it’s a well kept park,(it does look nice from the pictures posted, especially with all the dogs) so come spring I’ll probably give this park another chance. Maybe it’s just a bad experience at the end of the year.
I had to travel about 15 – 20 to get here, no dog parks in my area, so if you’re like me, maybe you can check out the portage park dog park. It’s a nice area and the dog park is half gravel half turf. Not as big though but its pretty close to it; nice big square area. Nice drinking fountain and bags to pick up waste. People there are friendly also.

This is my go to dog park because it’s the closest. It’s not my favorite but it works. It’s an area that Samuel can run around like a maniac. The lay out of this park is an «L» shape so it sometimes awkward trying to keep an eye on your dog. On the upside of this the narrow area is almost like a dog run so you can play fetch with your pooch. The only down side is the water hose is located there and there’s usually a baby pool and it can get a little dirty and messy.
The reason I’m giving this 3 stars is because it’s always hit or miss when I’m there. The people and the dogs are so random. Sometimes it’s great and our dogs are interacting and you get to have a friendly conversation with another dog owner. Other times I’ve been and everyone keeps to themselves and the dogs are snobby and a little aggressive. Samuel maybe 30 pounds, short but long but he can run with the best of canines. He can play with small dogs or big dogs.
Once I went and there was a guy with a larger dog (I think it was a boxer or maybe a pit mix) and Samuel was trying to play with him. The big dog was getting a little aggressive and was just coming after Samuel who comes running like the wind to me and hides under my legs. The guy was scolding my dog and praising his dog. It was so odd. Samuel would come from under my legs to try and just run around by him self but this dog was just picking on him. Excuse my choice of words but this guy was a total douche bag. It was a bummer because we weren’t even there for that long I decided to take Samuel out. I walked him around the park area then we left.
That’s my one of a few experiences that I’ve had that was disturbing but we still go to this park if we can’t get anywhere else. A little bonus to this place is that it’s in a great little park area so there’s a place to walk around if the the dog park gets a little rowdy.

The park is actually really awesome and well-​kept, the problem I have is with the owners. Too many of them do not pay attention to anything their dogs are doing. One adorable pup came up to me to say hello but kept biting me – no idea where the owner was while this was happening and unfortunately, bad owners give good dogs a bad rep. Another incident happened when I decided to run up and down the back strip with my dogs to give them a bit of exercise; another dog decided to join in (which I didn’t mind at all) but he/​she kept harassing my pups. This dog was about 50 lbs while mine are 15 TOPS so we had to leave. :(Please, please, please, watch your dogs. Would you let your toddler run around without any supervision? I hope not, dogs should be treated the same way.

This is a small dog park, with not much to offer other than a latched gate. It is a pretty nice park, well maintained, and lots of water for the dogs. There are some benches for the humans to sit down on. There is no division between small and large dogs so stay cautious.

Took Lily here today for a change of pace. She loved the big dogs that were there upon our arrival!
Loved the people– most totally friendly and watching their dogs. Also loved that 1 owner removed her dog who wasn’t getting along with anybody… Sucks when that happens, but I’m glad others do it too! Also loved the water jugs and the shade. Nice addition to the park.
Didn’t love the pea gravel and the dirtiness. I know dog parks aren’t sparkling gems of cleanliness, but I think the gravel harbors more grime and gross stuff than usual. Also didn’t love the layout, with the awkward run area that is hard to watch with dogs going back and forth.
We’ll be back. This is the closest park to our Logan Square abode, and the mile walk back really takes the edge of Lily’s energy, enough so that she’s now snoring away on the couch :)

The pluses of Hamlin Dog Park:
–Pretty clean and well kept.
–Nice size, plenty of room for the pups to run.
–Dogs are generally very friendly and social.
–Owners are also generally friendly and social, but also keep an eye on their dogs.
–Awesome location, not tons of traffic but still easy to get to and park nearby.
The minuses of Hamlin Dog Park:
–Can get VERY crowded on a warm Saturday morning (which is to be expected).
–Some dogs and owners are kinda snobby.

I don’t own a dog, but I took by brother’s dog there. It was a good time. There weren’t many dogs there but that is what made it good.
I have heard that there are sometimes pit bulls and stuff there that the owners need to watch over their dogs.
BUt its a nice place for the most part

We’ve visited Wiggly Field and Churchill Dog Park already, so this one is just a lowly two stars. The others are definitely better.
This park was just blech. When we arrived, there was mud everywhere. It was kind of gross. I’m not sure who is in charge of the upkeep of this park, but it was a total swamp and it sucked for all of the dogs. Dogs get dirty at parks, anyway, but this made it 10x worse.
This park was entirely gravel except for one small run of grass over on the west end of the park. The gravel was oddly spread around which is what lead to the creation of giant mud puddles everywhere. There was also NO water anywhere, which is really bad for the dogs. They run around and play which makes them super sweaty and tired — they need water! My boyfriend had to walk all the way to the other end of the park (not the dog park — actual Hamlin Park) to find a small drinking fountain to fill a gallon jug that was left at the park above the communal bowl. Lame. It took like 10 minutes to fill the jug from the tiny fountain spout. Other dog parks at least have a hose and spigot somewhere nearby to give the dogs fresh water, especially when its hot.
There also weren’t many people or dogs here, so it was fun to let the dog run around but there weren’t really any dogs for him to play with. All in all, this is probably the last park we’ll go to. Wiggly is still my favorite and I know the others are better (Montrose, Churchill, etc).