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Animal Rescues in Monticello

Monticello sits on the Mississippi about 45 minutes northwest of the Twin Cities, and for a town its size it's unusually well set up for dogs — an off-leash park in town, and two large parks on the water.

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Walking a dog in Monticello

Monticello’s off-leash park is Monti Paws, inside Meadows Oak Park. It shows up in the city’s own park inventory as “Meadows Oak Park + Monti Paws” at 11.5 acres. That document is the city’s planning inventory rather than a visitor page, so check the city’s parks pages for current rules, hours and any seasonal closures before you go.

For a longer walk, two much bigger options sit within a few minutes.

Montissippi County Park is 170 acres of hardwoods and pine along the Mississippi, west of town. Wright County lists two miles of paved trail usable in all seasons, a boat launch with a dock, a DNR fishing pier, an 18-hole disc golf course, a playground and a winter sledding hill. Hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you want a paved loop you can do year-round with a dog on a lead, this is the obvious one.

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park is the big one — four lakes, a swimming beach, and from the 90th Street entrance around 7.5 miles of hiking trail plus 14 miles of single-track mountain bike trail. The dog rule is worth reading before you drive out: pets aren’t permitted in the beach area, the park buildings or the day-use picnic area, but they are allowed everywhere else including the trails, on a leash no longer than six feet. Same 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours.

The city’s inventory also counts about 28 linear miles of pathways across Monticello, which is what makes the in-town walking better than you’d expect.

Fishing, with a dog along

Montissippi is the practical spot — the DNR fishing pier and the boat launch are both there, and the paved trail runs the same park, so a dog can be walked and then sat with. It’s the Mississippi, though, not a pond. Current is real and the bank isn’t a swimming beach.

And the rescue side

The organization listed above serves this area. We’re an independent directory and aren’t affiliated with it or any other group here, so confirm what it takes in, whether it’s currently accepting applications, and its return policy with the organization directly. Park rules change too — the county and city pages linked in this file’s source list are the ones to check against.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take my dog to the beach at Bertram?
No. Wright County's park page is explicit: pets aren't allowed in the beach area, park buildings or the day-use picnic area. They are allowed everywhere else in the park, trails included, on a leash no longer than six feet. So it's a good place to walk a dog and not a place to swim one.
Where can a dog actually get in the water around Monticello?
Nothing local is signed as a dog swimming area, so the honest answer is that there isn't a designated one. Montissippi County Park has a boat launch and a DNR fishing pier on the Mississippi, which is river current rather than a safe paddling spot. Check current rules with Wright County Parks before you assume anywhere is fair game.

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