Parking, Boating, and Safety

The Wildwood Park District is responsible for eleven beautiful parks totaling 27.22 acres, including four swimming beaches, seven playgrounds, two boat ramps, nine fishing locations, three picnic pavilions, and much more! The Park District also manages Valley Lake and sections of Gages Lake, in conjunction with the Gages Lake Conservation Committee and Illinois Depart of Natural Resources. In addition to the natural recreational activities that our parks and lakes provide, the Wildwood Park District also offers a multitude of year-round special events, clubs, classes, and programs. Because Wildwood has many fun and diverse attractions, this leads to increased traffic in and around our parks and lakes, especially during the summer months. The goal of the Wildwood Park District is to provide safe and accessible experiences for our residents and visitors, and we strive to reach this goal in part by implementing and enforcing the following ordinances, rules, and regulations.

Parking

Vehicle parking is limited at all parks, with a total of 95 parking spaces across our eleven parks. Parking in designated park parking spots is reserved for Wildwood residents who have obtained a current 2023-2024 parking sticker issued by the Wildwood Park District Office (located at 33325 N. Sears Boulevard), or visitors who have purchased a temporary non-resident daily parking pass for a single day use for a $10.00 per car fee. These temporary passes are only valid for one park per day. Resident parking stickers and/or non-resident temporary daily parking passes should be affixed to the inner windshield passenger side at dashboard level for our Park Safety Staff to clearly see while on patrol. Parking stickers and/or non-resident temporary daily parking passes are required year round.

If a vehicle is parked at a Wildwood Park District park and does not properly display a resident parking sticker and/or non-resident temporary daily parking pass, our staff will direct actions to move the vehicles that do not belong and issue a warning. Park Safety staff will take the necessary action to tow any vehicles that violate the posted parking signage after an initial warning and/or refusal to remove the vehicle when asked.

No overnight parking is permitted at any of our parks and vehicles are subject to towing.

How can I obtain a resident parking sticker?

Parking stickers for 2023-2024 (valid through 12/31/2024) became available January 1, 2023. These parking stickers are only available to Wildwood Park District residents. Parking stickers are free if residents come into the Park District office, or $5.00 if purchased online. You must present vehicle registrations for all vehicles that are registered to your Wildwood address in order to receive your sticker(s). If purchasing online, please either mail copies of these documents to the Wildwood Park District office at 33325 N. Sears Blvd., Wildwood, IL 60030, fax to 847.223.2820, or scan and e-mail to info@wildwoodparkdistrict.com. Once received, the sticker will be mailed to you.

Residents can also obtain a free resident parking sticker from Park District Park Safety Staff by presenting your current vehicle registration.

How can I obtain a non-resident temporary daily parking pass?

Temporary non-resident daily parking passes ($10 per car fee) can only be purchased from the Wildwood Park District office (33325 N. Sears Boulevard) during regular business hours (Monday - Friday from 9:30am - 4:00pm, and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 9:00am - 12:30pm from May - August). Non-resident temporary daily parking passes cannot be purchased from our Park Safety Staff.

Boating

Boat Ramp Keys are for Wildwood residents only. The Wildwood Park District began selling new Boat Keys and Decals for the 2024-2025 season on April 1, 2024. Keys are good for the time period May 1st until April 30th of the following year. Boat ramp keys open the launches at Pebble Beach and Sunset Parks.

How can I purchase a boat ramp key and get a boating decal?

Boat ramp keys can only be purchased by Wildwood residents. To purchase a boat ramp key, you must present a current DNR registration for each boat/watercraft that are listed in the resident’s name and Wildwood address. Along with your boat ramp key, you will receive one boat decal. You may purchase additional decals for $10.00 each. You will need a decal for each motorized boat/watercraft.

Boat ramp keys are $100.00, and $75.00 for seniors 65+ and current and former military personnel with valid ID.

Residents have two options for purchasing boat keys/decals.

In Person: come into the office (33325 N. Sears Boulevard) to obtain your new boat key and decal. You must present your current boat/watercraft DNR registration so the Park District can make a copy.
Email: Download, fill out, and submit a completed Boat Launch Key Application along with a scanned copy of your current boat/watercraft DNR registration to info@wildwoodparkdistrict.com. If residents feel more comfortable calling their payment information over the phone once the form has been submitted, please call our office at 847.223.7275. Your key and decal for the season will then be mailed to you.

Can I launch my motorized boat/watercraft on Gages Lake if I'm a non-resident?

Guests wishing to launch their motorized boat/watercraft on Gages Lake may do so if:

Guest must visit the Wildwood Park District office with the Wildwood resident during regular business hours (Monday - Friday from 9:30am-4:00pm, and the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month from 9:00am - 12:30pm from May - August) to show proof of current boat/watercraft DNR Registration and to purchase a temporary one-day boating sticker for $50 and temporary non-resident daily parking pass for $10 (if applicable), which must be paid for by the Wildwood resident.

The Wildwood Park District will not provide a boat ramp key or unlock the boat ramp. A boat ramp key must be provided to the non-resident guest by the Wildwood resident.

What kind of boats and watercrafts require a Wildwood Park District boating decal?

All motorized boats/watercrafts require a Wildwood Park District boating decal. The only exceptions are:

Vessels owned by the federal or state government.
Vessels documented with the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
Vessels used solely as lifeboats.

Unpowered vessels, including canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards do not require a Wildwood Park District boating decal.

Park Safety Staff

The Wildwood Park District Safety Staff, comprised of the Park Safety Coordinator, Park Safety Staff, and Boat Ramp Monitors, work as ambassadors of the Park District and its ordinances and rules associated with parking, boat launch operation, and activity in the parks. Park Safety Staff are trained part-time, seasonal employees (April through September) and are on patrol during the anticipated peak operating hours of the parks. Our Park Safety Staff work to assure compliance with all Wildwood Park District park ordinances. It is important to note that Park Safety Staff are not law enforcement officers. Staff will direct actions to move vehicles that do not belong and issue warnings. As circumstances dictate, Staff will take the necessary action to tow any vehicles that violate the posted parking signage after an initial warning and/or refusal to remove the vehicle when asked. Park Safety Staff will report and defer all suspicious and illegal activity to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

We encourage residents to assist in ensuring our parks remain safe and people abide by the ordinances and rules. If you SEE SOMETHING – SAY SOMETHING. Please contact the Park District Office by calling 847.223.7275, or call or text Park Safety at 847.309.1478. For violations that require a law enforcement response, please contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number at 847.549.5200. For questions or concerns pertaining to street parking, please call the Warren Township Highway Department at 847.244.1101 ext. *301.

What should I do if I see something suspicious or illegal in the parks or on the lakes?

If while enjoying the parks or lakes you see something suspicious or illegal, please first call and report the incident to the Lake County Sheriff's non-emergency number at 847.549.5200. If it is a true emergency or crisis needing immediate police or medical response, please dial 911. After reporting the incident to the police, please then call or text the Wildwood Park Safety Staff at 847.309.1478 and inform the Wildwood Park District Office at 847.223.7275.

What are the hours of operation of Park Safety Staff?

Park Safety Staff are part-time, seasonal employees (April through September) and are on patrol during the anticipated peak operating hours of our parks.

The Wildwood Park District typically schedules Park Safety Staff employees for 6-7 hours per shift per day to patrol all parks (2pm-8pm or 3pm-9pm); and Boat Ramp Monitor Staff at Pebble Beach Park and Sunset Beach Park 6 hours per shift on Friday (11am-5pm), Saturday (9am-3pm), and Sunday (9am-3pm), plus holiday weekends as needed.