What a nice park. We were cruising through town and saw this on the map and decided to check it…read moreout. There is a lot going on at this park. + Free spring water where you can fill up your own jugs. + A dog park + A beer garden (though unfortunately it was closed given it is off season) + A golf course + Plenty of picnic areas and shelters + Hiking trails + Bike trails + A raging river (spring runoff) + Many playgrounds + Free Wifi (given the ravine it is in cell service was spotty - at least T-Mobile) The one negative is that a number of the picnic shelters do not have convenient parking nearby - it is a very odd set-up. Overall a real gem for this community.

Amazing park for family and friends live beings there with my son.he loves dogs and I this place…read morewe find a lot so it makes him very happy

Found this little gem of a park passing through town. As others noted, clean and well taken care…read moreof. Our girl loved it. Thanks Waukegan!

Took he girls to the dog park yesterday. Really nice and clean park. Separate areas for different…read moresize dogs and an agility training area. Will go back a couple times before we leave Illinois. Highly recommend for dog owners. Children's play ground just outside the dog area. Walking trails. Fun for the whole family. We give it 4 paws!

I love, love, love this place when there's not deep snow. When there is, it's a fall risk. Normal…read moreplows can't navigate these unpaved paths, but isn't there some kind of equipment that could beat this down, allowing us to more easily beat this down while walking? If I fall and break a hip and I'm lying in the snow, I hope someone will walk by and help me up. This could have happened today.

Very clean and nicely mowed paths. Not a lot of shade in the summer…read more Thought there was a pond for pups based on online map

This park is almost entirely run by donations from dog owners. It has trees for shae and picnic…read morebenches. Regular users bring lawn chairs and leave them for the use of all. The city mows the grass and put in a water source a couple of years ago, which we all appreciated. A separate small dog area was added years ago, and there are structures for dogs to enjoy, such as tunnels and ramps to play on.,

I'm not usually a dog park person but this is not your normal small squished dog park. Lots of room…read moreto run your dogs AND get some excercise yourself ! Beautiful!

Lakewood dog park is so great. I love all the lake county dog parks they are all peaceful and…read morebeautiful. I like Lakewood because it gets super pretty in the fall and there is no place to swim. So when the weather is getting cold I don't have to tempt my dog who loves swimming by walking her past a pond. There are multiple trails and I've never had a problem with owners not watching their dogs there. Everyone's friendly and the dogs are so happy there. Whether you are walking the trail or hanging out in the front area the dogs are getting great exercise and you get to enjoy the pretty nature.

This is a nice little beach in Wildwood. You do need a resident parking sticker to park along the…read moreposted area however. We are not Wildwood residents but have found parking not too far off. The swimming area is marked and mostly attracts families with young kids.

Nice park. It has a pavilion and a small beach area. The park is not very big, but it is a hidden…read moregem. Recommend you check it out. Oh, and Joe says, "Don't forget...it turns out the grass isn't always greener on the other side."

My first time here. I've avoided this area because it's surrounded by iffy neighborhoods with high…read morecrime rates like murders. They had a fall festival this past weekend with free guided walks so I figured it would be safe for us. Loved the guided walk and how informative it was. This is a high quality state park with lots of native plants still intact. So the whole place is pretty deserted but it did rain in the morning. Cars with completely tinted windows drive around in broad daylight. Pretty scary...The campgrounds have security that do not allow you to pass through unless you are a camper so that would make it safe. I saw a few police cars in the area as well. Personally, this isn't for me but if you are street smart, know your way around the neighborhood, it's great for hiking.

8/7/2024: Three dings…read more1) Parking lot bathrooms have no locks at all 2) Beach front south side of park mostly washed out except for section between hotel and trail head 3) Entrance to South Park entrance from main road is currently completely blocked by road closure if you are coming from the south, detour is available but adds time

This park is super clean and has a decent size area for dogs - nothing compared to mukwonago or…read moreminooka. There are no bathrooms by the large breed but there are by the small breed area. You need a county park pass to enter. They provide poop bags as well just like the other parks. No free water for the dogs to drink though like Mukwonago.

Love this park. It's always clean people are friendly. Love the hiking trails. My dogs get a…read moregoodnight sleep after with all the exercise they get.

Independence Grove is such a nice forest preserve with lots of things to do especially in the…read moresummer time. Beautiful trails to walk/run along but they also have a playground for kids. They have a beer garden and snack shop. They also have water activities that you can rent like paddle boats and kayaks. It's just a nice place to go solo or with friends if you are looking to connect with nature for a bit.

Independence Grover is very much a Beautiful Paradise to My Husband & I. We discovered this great…read morenature center when we shopped at a thrift store I like. There are many fish by the tables if you bring something to eat. The bathrooms are very clean & close by. The natural nature is gorgeous! People can rent boats too. The paths are nice to walk on & this is a huge place! Plenty of parking in each section. Fishing as well. I seen there is a beach by the tables to eat at. Very cute. Peaceful too. We live in Chicago & many of our nature areas are very crowded. Even if it would get busy there is enough room for everyone here. I love it!! The plants & flowers are Amazing! I do wish we lived closer. If you have not made a visit please do.

Being from California, I thought "dog exercise area" was synonymous with "dog park." Boy, was I…read morewrong. Dog parks are like prison compared to the Independence Grove DEA. The boyfriend and I love taking our dog here as a special treat. She just loves to explore, sniff, poop and mark territory to her heart's content. A daily parking permit costs $5 but I recommend purchasing an annual pass. The permit is good for any of the dog exercise areas in Lake County. And if you're a good owner, you'll probably take your dog out enough times that the permit pays for itself.

A perfect park for a dog that likes to get in the water, or for a brisk walk. As a place to meet…read moreand romp with other dogs, however, this park is less than ideal since it has really only one open area. The day I went it was muddy, but in drier weather I wouldn't think this would be much of an issue. A nice touch is the multiple garbage cans along the trail that encircles the lake, so you dont have to carry your pooch's shame with you for miles. The people a this park seemed less than friendly to me, but I guess I didn't go there to talk to other people either, so I'll cut them a break there.