2024 Chicagoland Summer Beach Guide: Your Ultimate Map to Lake Michigan’s Best Beaches

CHICAGO — One of the many advantages of living in proximity to the world's fifth-largest lake is the opportunity to enjoy the sun and sand on its shoreline.

Chicago area residents and visitors for centuries have enjoyed the region's beaches. As the metropolis expanded, so did the development along the coasts to its north and south — much of which is now restricted from public access by private property owners.

Ahead of the unofficial start of summer on Memorial Day weekend, parks and recreation officials in communities along the Lake Michigan shoreline are preparing for the 2024 summer beach season. Lifeguards and other seasonal park district employees are set to begin work at many area beaches, collecting fees and enforcing rules.

From the dunes of Northwest Indiana to the beach ridge shoreline of Illinois Beach State Park, the beaches of Chicagoland offer a range of amenities and environments, from the serene to the bustling.

For a brief rundown on what to expect along Lake Michigan this summer, Patch has compiled a 2024 beach guide to the 45 miles of shoreline in Cook County, Porter County and both Lake Counties, arranged from north to south, as well as a selection of suburban beaches on other lakes farther inland.

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North Suburbs

Illinois State Beach Park, 1 Lake Front Drive, Zion
Located in Zion, Illinois Beach State Park includes 6.5 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline stretching from Waukegan to the Wisconsin state line. It includes a north and south section, with the Zion Power Plant in the middle. There are no lifeguards on duty. Dogs are not allowed on the beach or the nature preserve, but they are allowed on a leash in the campground, picnic area and trails.
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Waukegan Municipal Beach, 201 Sea Horse Drive, Waukegan
The mile-long Waukegan beach is open year round from dawn to dusk and always free for pedestrians and cyclists. Vehicles without a city sticker must pay a parking fee from the Saturday prior to Memorial Day through Labor Day on weekends and holidays. Grilling, pets and glass containers are not permitted on the sandy area of the beach. Fires and loud music are also prohibited.
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Independence Grove Forest Preserve, 16400 W. Buckley Road, Libertyville
The Libertyville location is centered around a 129-acre lake, where wading, swimming and personal watercraft launching is prohibited. The Lake County Forest Preserve property includes a beer garden, summer concert lineup and off-leash dog area that requires a permit for entry.
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Lake Zurich Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich
Henry J. Paulus Park offers a sandy beach on Lake Zurich. The park includes playgrounds, picnic areas, and a "sprayground" for children. The beach opens May 25 and closes Sept. 2. Regular summer hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. start June 3 and run until Aug. 4. Beach passes and guest passes are available for a fee, with discounts available for seniors and residents.
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Three Oaks Recreation Area, 5517 Northwest Hwy, Crystal Lake
Open from 6:30 a.m. to sunset, this former quarry in Crystal Lakes now includes a pristine lake with a swimming beach, kayaks, sailboats and opportunities to fish. Parking is $5 for vehicles without Crystal Lake city stickers. Annual passes and daily swim beach admission fees are available for non-residents. Swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty.
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Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, 1275 Gilgare Lane, Lake Forest
Owned by the Lake County Forest Preserve, the Fort Sheridan preserve includes a 0.75-mile sandy stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline. Relaxing and picnicking is permitted there, but boating, swimming and wading in the water is forbidden. Access to the park is free and open 6:30 a.m. to sunset daily.
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Sunrise Beach, 455 Sunrise Drive, Lake Bluff
The Lake Bluff Park District's beach is expected to be fully operational for the summer season, despite ongoing construction by the North Shore Water Reclamation District. From May 25 until Labor Day, construction will pause, permitting the public full use of South Beach and the shelter. After Labor Day construction is set to resume with the goal of completing the project, adding new bathrooms and other improvements, by the end of the year. Supervised swimming is available from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the beach closes nightly at 10 p.m.
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Forest Park Beach, 801 N. Lake Road, Lake Forest
The city of Lake Forest's beach has lifeguards on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The 29-acre park includes a beach, pavilions, fishing pier and boat ramp. Dogs, bikes, umbrellas, drones, fires and tents are all prohibited. Residents must show proof of residency at all entrances, while non-residents may enter through the south stairs for a $25 daily fee. Residents may also purchase guest beach parking passes for $15 up to five time a year. Non-resident parking stickers are available for $910 from the municipal services building at 800 N. Field Drive. Otherwise, parking is available in in the business district and east train station lots.
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Moraine Beach, 2501 Sheridan Road, Highland Park
The 13-acre Moraine Park includes a non-swimming beach and the only dog beach area in the city of Highland Park, which deeded it to the local park district in 1999. The site of a five-star hotel demolished more than a half-century ago, the park now includes an outdoor sculpture garden and picnic tables. The beach is open to everyone, regardless of dog park membership, though valid parking decals are required to park in the lot.
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Millard Park and Beach, 35 Ravine Drive, Highland Park
Millard Beach is a non-swimming beach with more than 1,000 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline and bluff. It includes a rock garden donated to the Park District of Highland Park a decade ago.
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Rosewood Beach, 883 Sheridan Road, Highland Park
Rosewood Beach is open for swimming from Memorial Day to Labor Day. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., a swimming pass is required to access its swimming and recreation coves and a lakefront parking decal is required. Non-resident daily passes are available for $10 per person.
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Glencoe Beach, 55 Hazel Ave., Glencoe
Cook County's northernmost beach is open from sunrise to sunset during the off season and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Daily admission fees range from $12 for Glencoe residents to $24 per person for non-residents, although season passes are available at resident rates for people who live in the village of Northbrook. On weekends, holidays and before noon on weekdays, the beach is open only to season passholders and their guests.
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Tower Road Beach, 899 Sheridan Road, Winnetka
Tower Road Beach opens for the 2024 season on May 25. Only season passholders are allowed entry on Thursdays through Sundays and on holidays. Daily passes are available on Mondays through Wednesdays. The beach is open 9 a.m. to dusk. A valid parking sticker is required for off-street parking.
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Lloyd Beach, 799 Sheridan Road, Winnetka
Swimming is never permitted at this beach and boat launching facility. Those that do not have a season pass can purchase daily admissions passes for non-holiday weekdays. Paddleboard rental and instruction is available.
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Maple Street Beach, 725 Sheridan Road, Winnetka
Opening May 25, Maple Street Beach is only restricted to passholders on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. All boats, paddleboards, kayaks and other watercraft are prohibited.
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Gillson Park Beach, 800 Gillson Park Drive, Wilmette
Gillson Park, recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, was created after the North Shore Channel was dredged to link the North Branch of the Chicago River to Lake Michigan. Wilmette Park District officials recently added a fence, an entrance fee and lifeguards to its South Beach, drawing ire from residents. The swimming beach is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May 25 to Sept. 2.
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Kenilworth Beach, 419 Richmond Road, Kenilworth
The season runs from May 27 to Sept. 2, and season passes are required from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. No daily passes are available. "Rough, boisterous, or offensive activity will not be tolerated," and no boats or rafts are permitted within 300 feet of the beach.
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Lincoln Street Beach, 2311 Campus Drive, Evanston
Though owned by the state, Lincoln Street Beach is presently managed by Northwestern University, and open to Northwestern University students, Henry Crown Sports Pavilion members, and people with an Evanston beach pass. Otherwise daily admission is $10.
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Lighthouse Beach, 2611 Sheridan Road, Evanston
Clark Street Beach, 1811 Sheridan Road, Evanston
Greenwood Street Beach, 1401 Sheridan Road, Evanston
Lee Street Beach, 1111 Lake Shore Blvd., Evanston
South Boulevard Beach, 525 Sheridan Square, Evanston

Evanston's city-managed beaches open for swimming on May 25, with season beach passes free to residents of 60201 and 60202 ZIP codes. Non-resident season passes are available at a discount for Skokie residents. Daily beach tickets are $10 for Skokie residents and $12 for people who live anywhere else.
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Chicago

The 26 miles of free Chicago Park District beaches open for the season on May 24. Lifeguards are only on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Jarvis Beach Park, 1208 W. Jarvis Ave., Chicago
This half-acre beach is one of 18 street-end beaches acquired by the park district from the city in 1959.
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Loyola Beach, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave., Chicago
Originally formed out of nine acres acquired by the North Shore Park District, which was consolidated into the Chicago Park District in 1934 and subsequently expanded, the site is now more than 21.5 acres.
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Hartigan Beach Park, 1123 W. Farwell Ave., Chicago
This Edgewater block-end beach was known as Albion Beach and Park until it was renamed after a late alderman in the mid-1960s.
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Osterman Beach, 5800 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Also known as Hollywood Beach or Armore Beach, the popular beach at the northernmost portion of Lincoln Park and Lake Shore Drive was expanded in a large landfill project in the 1950s before being named after a late alderman in the early 1990s.
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Foster Beach, 5200 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Located at Foster Avenue, the beach includes a beach house with concessions, bike rentals and backrooms. There is also distance swimming from the center tower to the north end of the beach.
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Montrose Beach, 4400 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Located in the Uptown neighborhood, the large beach allows for kiteboarding, as well as kayak and volleyball rentals, a non-motorized boat launch and distance swimming. There is a dog-friendly beach at its north end.
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North Avenue Beach, 1600 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
From the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, swimming at the popular Lincoln Park beach is permitted in designated swim areas when lifeguards are on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Distance swimming is available north of the boathouse, and limited paid parking is available in the lot.
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Oak Street Beach, 1000 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
One of Chicago's most iconic beaches, the Gold Coast beach offers spectacular skyline views. It offers convenient access to the Magnificent Mile and sometimes hosts professional volleyball tournaments. An ADA-accessible beach walk is available, among other amenities.
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Ohio Street Beach, 600 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
A popular spot for swimming and kayaking, offers calmer waters due to the bend in the shoreline. The long lakefront promenade from Oak to Ohio streets was built in the early 1940s, and a small sandy beach at its south end operated until 1958 for the creation of a new water filtration plant on the man-made peninsula north of Navy Pier and a nearby 10-acre park.
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12th Street Beach, 1200 S. Linn White Drive, Chicago
Located on the east side of Northerly Island near the Adler Planetarium, 12th Street Beach offers quiet waterfront space and downtown skyline views in close proximity to Grant Park. The only island that was ever completed from architect Daniel Burnham's planned man-made archipelago connecting Grant and Jackson parks. Northerly Island was the site of the 1934 World's Fair and an airport, and it now includes a concert venue and beach house.
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31st Street Beach, 3100 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Technically known as Margaret T. Burroughs Beach, and located next to 31st Street Harbor, this popular beach is a feature within Burnham Park, the 609-acre green space between Grant and Jackson parks. The lakefront park was built from landfill using $20 million approved in a 1920 referendum.
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Oakwood Beach, 4100 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Generally less crowded than its neighbor to the north and south, Oakwood Beach first opened to the public in 2010 with various environmentally friendly features. Built with new sand from a Wisconsin quarry, the beach extends 1,300 feet along the lake.
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57th Street Beach, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
Located near the Museum of Science and Industry within Jackson Park in the Hyde Park neighborhood, the family-friendly beach offers a large sandy area with options for swimming and sunbathing. The park was originally designed in 1871, sand was added following the Columbian Exposition of 1893 and it became popular for swimming following the completion of the drainage canal in 1899.
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63rd Street Beach, 6300 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
A paved beach from 1888, a 10-acre sandy beach extension was added to this Jackson Park beach by the South Park Commissioners in 1917. Originally built in 1919 and renovated in 2000, its Classical Revival-style beach house hosts events and other amenities.
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South Shore Beach, 7059 S. South Shore Drive, Chicago
Part of the South Shore Cultural Center, a 65-acre site that includes a nature sanctuary and a 9-hole golf course, South Shore beach offers a peaceful atmosphere and striking views of both downtown Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Formerly the South Shore Country Club, a club that excluded Black members and went out of business in the 1970s, the Chicago Park District purchased the property in 1974. Distance swimming is from south end of the rocks to the trees at the north end of beach.
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Rainbow Beach, 3111 E. 77th St., Chicago
The 61-acre park includes a natural area with more than 9 acres of dune habitat on its north wend. It was first established in 1908 and used to remain open until 9:30 p.m. for the benefit of local workers. The city expanded it in 1918 and the park district began leasing it from the city in 1959. A pilot project for a prototype stormwater runoff filter has been underway at the site in the past decade.
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Calumet Park, 9801 S. Avenue, Chicago
Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Calumet Park includes more than 181 acres in the Eastside community, with a boat launch, playground, sports field and more. First envisioned by the South Park Commission in 1903, it became part of the Chicago Park District in 1934 and was expanded in 1993.
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Northwest Indiana

Hammond Marina Beach, 701 Casino Center Drive, Hammond
Located beside to the Horseshoe Casino and nearby marina is a small but charming beachfront with a scenic boardwalk, picnic areas and ample parking. Lifeguards are on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Parking is $10 for Indiana residents and $20 for Illinois residents.
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Whihala Beach County Park, 1561 Park Road, Whiting
The Whiting lakefront park includes 15 acres of space, with sports areas, a fishing pier, pond, paths, and Whihala beach, which featuring the WhoahZone floating water park, kayaks, paddleboards, foods, trails and more.
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Miller Wood Beach, 100 North Lake Street, Gary
The westernmost beach in the Indiana Dunes National Park, it can be reached by parking at the Paul H. Douglas Center or via the the Paul H. Douglas Trail at Miller Woods. Due to the construction of a new bridge over Lake Street, the Douglas Center is closed on weekdays intermittently through July, according to the National Park Service.
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Lake Street Beach, 860 N. Lake Street, Gary,
Located near the center of Gary, the beach includes an area for launching jetskis and small watercrafts, as well as volleyball courts, picnic areas and playgrounds. Lifeguards on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from the Sunday before Memorial Day to Labor Day. Boat launch is open 7 a.m. to 6 pm. Paid parking is available for $8 for Gary residents and $10 for non-residents.
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Marquette Park Beach, 6918 Oak Avenue, Gary
Located within Marquette Park, Gary's most famous park includes miles walkable beach, playgrounds, trails, picnic areas and more. Lifeguards are present from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. No dogs are allowed in swimming areas, and no overnight parking or camping is allowed on the beach. Parking is free on Marquette Avenue and on Oak Avenue near the playground. Paid lakefront parking lot is also available.
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Wells Street Beach, 9501 Lake Shore Drive, Gary
This privately owned beach is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting. Family operated for more than 90 years, it boasts the closes beachfront parking on the south shore of Lake Michigan and burgers, beer and wine. Parking is $12 for weekdays and $14 on weekends and holidays.
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West Beach, 376 N. County Line Road, Gary
One of the top destinations within the Indiana Dunes National Park, West Beach includes lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and a parking lot with room for 600 cars and 20 buses or RVs. The bath house, picnic tables, restrooms, some picnic shelters and a walkway to the beach are wheelchair accessible, but the beach itself is not wheelchair accessible
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Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach, 1000 Riverwalk Drive, Portage
Formerly used as settling ponds for industrial byproduct and as a sewage treatment facility, the lakefront and riverwalk opened in 2008. Some portions of the trail along the Burns Waterway are closed due to damage from erosion. A beach mat provides wheelchair access to the beach area from late spring to early fall.
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Porter Beach, 1 Johnson Beach Road, Porter
Located just west of Indiana Dunes State Park, the park is opened from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. No lifeguards are on duty and the south parking lot is closed for construction. A lakefront hotel formerly stood at the site.
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Kemil Beach and Dunbar Beach, East State Park Boundary Road and West Lake Front Drive, Porter
A pair of adjacent beaches provide a quieter experience with limited parking and amenities in the middle of the Indiana Dunes State Park, renowned for its impressive dunes and hiking trails, including the 3 Dune Challenge. There are no lifeguards on duty.
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Lake View Beach at Indiana Dunes National Park, Beverly Shores
Open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., there are no lifeguards, but there are five historic homes from the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair about a third of a mile to the west along Lake Front Drive. There is a also a scenic view of Lake Michigan from the parking lot and picnic shelters. The parking lot is located an eighth of a mile west of Lake Front Drive and Broadway Street in Beverly Shores. The parking lot and restrooms at Lake View Beach have been closed for an improvement project.
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Central Avenue Beach, 151 Central Ave., Michigan City
Featuring Bank Swallows that come and go from their nests in the dunes during the spring and summer, Central Avenue Beach offers plentiful opportunities for birding, biking and hiking. The parking lot can be accessed a mile north of the intersection of Central Avenue and U.S. Highway 12 in the town of Pines. The beach has a pair of picnic tables and a paved parking lot with 68 spaces. There are no lifeguards on duty.
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