Home › Illinois › Pekin › Happy Tails Dog Park
Happy Tails Dog Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 160 Google reviews · Running trail in Pekin, Illinois · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Natural surface
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Happy Tails Dog Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Clean park for dogs to run off-leash, with light posts, chairs, fountains, shade and water bowls.
What runners say about Happy Tails Dog Park
“Happy Trails is a very large and clean dog park with plenty of room for the dogs to run around and play!”
“Great place for The dogs to run and play, and meet friendly people as well.”
“There is water available, shade trees, and chairs to sit.”
“Our dog just loves coming to the park to see her friends in the morning and it's nice.”
“This has by far been the most pleasant dog park I have ever visited! There are a bunch of chairs you are able to sit in under the trees. There’s also water and bowls available to the public. Happy Trails is a very large and clean dog park with plenty of room for the dogs to run around and play!” — Chloe
Very nice park with a separation for small and large dogs. Fenced area has plenty of running space for either size. There is water available, shade trees, and chairs to sit. There are few toys that people have left.
9-26-22 This is an awesome dog park! 🐕 It was a shame there weren't any other dogs, but, can't have everything. It is a huge grassy area, perfect for dogs to run off leash. The drinking fountains were really nice too. All in all, this is a very happy place. (Spent most of the time in the 30 lbs and less.
Large space for dogs to play. Has 2 water fountains in the big dog space and plenty of poop stations. Mineral springs park is where it is located, so plenty of space to leash walk as well. Lagoon is very close for a good walk as well. Plenty of parking close. We'll shaded as well.
Trail conditions & character
“It is divided for larger dogs to have their own space and smaller dogs to have their own space, so you needn't worry about any tussles over who's ball that really is.”
“A few tennis balls, a few water stations, a couple of poop bag dispenser/garbage cans.”
“There is water available, shade trees, and chairs to sit.”
“There is a lot of grass so my doggy didn’t get too muddy.”
“I really appreciate the light posts in the actual dog park, so you can go at night.”
Plan your run at Happy Tails Dog Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceNatural surface — easiest on the joints and the most fun, but expect roots, rocks and mud after rain
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadwater — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitepekinparkdistrict.org
- Phone(309) 347-7275
- Social Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–11:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–11:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–11:30 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–11:30 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–11:30 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–11:30 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–11:30 PM |
Running trails near Pekin
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Mineral Springs Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,606 reviews
Family-friendly green space featuring a playground and an off-leash dog area, as well as fishing and paddling.
McNaughton Park
4.5 ★★★★★ 220 reviews
Undeveloped park consisting of trails winding through woodland & meadow habitat for native species.
