North Shore Views

It’s a Dog’s Life at Wilmette’s Dog Beach

There isn’t anything our three labs love better than the dog beach, so when we mentioned the possibility of going for our first outing of the spring, we nearly had a riot on our hands. The dogs go berserk when we say the words “dog beach”, so now we use “DB” as our code word. Of course, now they’ve figured that one out too, so I guess we’ll have to start saying it in Spanish or something.

So, once we got them calmed down enough to actually get them into the car, we headed down to Gillson Park. With their noses out the window, they can tell when we’re getting close and they start squealing and yelping. When we get there the big challenge is getting leashes on all three of them before they take off down the path to the beach. Once we get inside the fence of the dog beach, Ed makes them sit in a row before telling them “OK, go!” They take off down the beach like they’ve been shot out of a canon, mowing down everyone and everything in their way. They love to play fetch in the water but are very particular about what they will fetch. No balls, no frisbees and no hard plastic floating toys. They only like these soft, foam-filled, floatable toys that are used to train duck-hunting dogs. We have to have multiples to keep everyone busy, including the other dogs who want to get in on the fun.

Even if your dog isn’t a swimmer, the dog beach is a great place to let them run and play off-leash. It’s open year-round, seven days a week. Until Memorial Day it’s open every day from 6:00 am to 9:30 pm. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day the hours are:

Monday-Friday: 6:00am to 11:00am and 5:00pm to 9:30 pm
Saturday& Sunday: 6:00 am to 9:30 pm

(Note: the dog beach is closed on Memorial Day, July 3rd and 4th and Labor Day)

You need to have a tag for each dog, which you can get at the Park District Administration Office in the Wilmette Village Hall. Each tag is $25 for residents and $150 for non-residents. Bring written proof from your vet that the dog has been examined and vaccinated within the past year, as well as a rabies certificate.

You can probably get away without having a tag until Memorial Day but after that don’t try it because the Park District has someone patrolling the beach during the summer and you can get fined if your dog doesn’t have a tag.

To get there, enter Gillson Park from Sheridan Road at the south end by the harbor and stay right. Park along the beach and walk south down the path. The dog beach is fenced in and there’s a sign with hours and rules. See dog beach rules and regulations here.

Tags: Gillson Park, Wilmette dog beach

Wallace Bowl in Winter

I couldn’t resist the graphic quality of the snow-covered Wallace Bowl in Gillson Park.

The bowl, designed by Gordon Wallace and built as a WPA (Works Progress Administration) project in 1937, doesn’t see much action this time of year. But in summer it’s home to the Starlight Theatre, which puts on free plays and concerts in the evenings from late June to mid-August.

Tags: Gillson Park, Starlight Theatre, Wallace Bowl