Your dog can run 37 fenced acres of restored Illinois prairie at Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve, but you'll need a permit first.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County runs the off-leash area on the north side of 83rd Street, west of Book Road. It's one of seven off-leash sites the district operates, and the permit rates are the same across all of them. A DuPage County resident pays $12 per dog for a day pass or $60 for an annual permit. Each additional dog on the same annual permit costs $15.

Naperville straddles both DuPage and Will counties, so your rate depends on which side of the line your home falls. Will County households pay the non-resident rate: $20 per day or $170 per year, with additional dogs at $35 each. The district's permit application page at dupageforest.org lists which rate applies based on your address.

Both annual rates drop after Sept. 1: $30 for DuPage residents, $85 for non-residents.

Free permits for veterans, military, and seniors

Honorably discharged U.S. veterans, active military personnel, and residents 65 or older qualify for one free annual permit per household per calendar year. First-time applicants need proof of age or service. A DD-214 Member 4 form works for veterans. A second dog in the same household still costs $15 (DuPage) or $35 (non-resident).

A district staff member confirmed the veteran benefit in a Naperville.com video published Saturday, July 19, noting that the free permit applies to all seven off-leash areas the district manages.

Rules before you load the car

Dogs must be at least four months old and current on distemper, parvo, and rabies vaccinations. Handlers can bring up to three dogs at a time. The off-leash area opens at 10 a.m. on Thursdays after routine maintenance and follows regular preserve hours the rest of the week.

Getting there: Book Road construction

WaterLink's water pipeline extension project has closed Book Road between 75th Street and 83rd Street, with closures continuing through 2027, according to a May 2026 Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Facebook post. The off-leash dog area parking lot on 83rd Street remains accessible from the west. The Naperville Park District confirmed the Book Road closure on X in March.

The prairie itself

Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve spans 1,829 acres and carries dual designation as a state nature preserve and land and water reserve. The restored grassland shelters meadowlarks, woodcocks, and state-endangered northern harriers, according to the Forest Preserve District. The dual designation makes it one of the few off-leash areas in the region set inside a protected prairie ecosystem.

Permit details and the application are available on the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Dogs in the Preserves page at dupageforest.org.