Evanston opens 2026 dog beach passes with new requirements, Grey Park access

Passes for Evanston's 2026 Dog Beach went on sale Feb. 16, and the city sets the season to begin Monday, March 2, 2026, at the beach just south of Clark Street Beach, 1811 Sheridan Rd. The City of Evanston lists seasonal hours as 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, weather permitting, and notes that “Passes: 2025 now available and good through March 1, 2026.”

Residents who live in Evanston ZIP codes 60201 and 60202 receive free 2026 season passes; non‑residents must purchase passes in person at the stated rates of $200 for the first dog and $75 for the second dog. The City of Evanston requires a complete City of Evanston Dog Beach Application form signed by a veterinarian be submitted before a pass is issued.

Health and licensing paperwork follows Cook County public‑health rules. Per CBS Chicago reporting, “Per Cook County ordinance, dog owners also must submit their dogs' vaccine records, with proof of their dogs' vaccines or titers (antibodies) for rabies, distemper (CFV), hepatitis (Canine Adenovirus-2), parainfluenza (CPIV), parvovirus (CPV), leptospirosis, and Bordetella (kennel cough). Also required is proof of a negative fecal test for internal parasites. All dogs brought to the beach must also be licensed by their local governments.” The veterinarian signature on the city application is a separate explicit requirement.

Dog beach pass holders will receive access to the new Grey Park Dog Park at Main Street and Ridge Avenue once that park is completed later this year, the city said; no firm Grey Park opening date has been provided. The city materials and local reporting do not specify the exact office or counter where non‑residents must buy passes in person, nor do they name the submission point for the veterinarian‑signed application form.

Evanston is carrying forward a transitional window: 2025 passes remain valid through March 1, 2026, while 2026 season passes became available Feb. 16, 2026. The city cites Cook County ordinance as the enforcement basis for vaccine, fecal test, and licensing requirements but has not published operational enforcement details for on‑site checks or penalties.

“In a sure sign that spring will be on the way before we know it, pet parents in the north Chicago suburb of Evanston can start getting their passes for the city's dog beach,” Adam Harrington wrote in local reporting on the pass release. Share a photo of your dog at Evanston Dog Beach or tell us whether you’ll use Grey Park access once it opens, we’ll feature reader submissions in an upcoming community post.