Hidden local gem. Keep it secluded. No big party's or events. Nice quick stop at sunset or sunrise…read moreon the commute to somewhere else.

Small, but beautiful. Soft sand. Not too many rocks along the shore. Walkable pier where many sun…read morebathe without having to step in the sand. They launch kayaks and canoes. There are steps and a ramp to get to and from. Decent sized parking lot with time restrictions during the weekdays. Fun playground near the parking lot. Always an enjoyable time when we come. Weekdays: $5 for Winnetka residents. $10 for non-residents. Weekends and holidays: $15 res/$30 non.

I have been coming here since 2010 and frankly, I don't know if we could have kept our dog without…read moreit for energy burning swim time those first few years (seriously). As Rafi said, it's a "nice stretch of pristine beach" - absolutely lovely, perfectly well maintained. It's buttressed by two rock "piers" which keeps it somewhat contained, water wise, and there's a gate to enter. The dog portion of the beach is essentially a peninsula so they can't escape on any side, although there is a break in the fence down by the water, so they can get around that (I've seen it happen a few times). You can throw a Chuck It as far as possible - either land side or into the water, you've got plenty of room. A teenager WILL check your dog's ID Memorial through Labor Day, so you'll need that tag. I think it's currently $33 for Wilmette residents and $160 for non residents. Check the schedule online - they're closed on Labor and Memorial day for dogs and also during the day certain hours because it's used for summer camps. People are mostly nice, although the ones that refuse to let their dogs off their leash cause a kerfuffle. Very rarely, there's an aggressive dog, but offhand maybe I've seen 2 in 7 years. (I'm pretty tolerant though). My dog specifically just wants to play fetch and more fetch and more fetch into the water, but there's usually someone else around who wants to play catch me if you can or steal my toy and let me chase you or wrestle until we knock the humans over. As a bonus, the Baha'i temple and the yacht club are just behind the beach, so the view is spectacular! If you're not a Wilmette resident, you'll have to park slightly more far away, but it's not that bad at all, and the walk is good for ya. Highly recommended and I don't know what I'd do without it!

Nice stretch of pristine beach, well kept. Nice dogs, great fun in the water. Requires a pass to…read moreget in, but my guess is that if your dog doesn't appear aggressive, no one will ask.

A mediocre beach out of all the beaches in Evanston. Definitely not my favorite because nothing…read morestands out for this beach. However, it is sometimes also known as the Dempster street beach. If you want a more scenic experience, go to lighthouse beach, or a better beach office facility, try Clark street beach.

July 4th 2014 is the 1st time I've been to Greenwood Beach, great location, (parking can be a…read morehassle)didn't mine paying $8.00 (cash) entrance fee to see fireworks. The beach is smaller than others I have gone to, but it wasn't crowed and we did manage to get a good spot, lots of lifeguards and staff on duty, Although my family and I had a great 4th I'm only giving this beach three stars because of the cleanness of the bathrooms! Horrible! The ladies bathroom was unsanitary and unsafe! It appeared as if the bathrooms hadn't been disinfectant nor cleaned in YEARS! Ladies were using the men's restrooms which wasn't much better! Greenwood Beach PLEASE clean your restrooms !!

I love that Winnetka has a dog beach. The only thing dividing Elder Lane Beach and Centennial…read moreBeach is a private residence. My family has had a few Fourth of July picnics here and have fond memories here. The dog beach is great and have taken other people's dogs here to let the dogs have fun. Parking is decent. I love the small rolling hills here at the park.

Beautiful small beach! Peaceful also, and water calm. And great place to watch the sunrise. I love…read moretaking walks here in the early morning; it's a awesome place for that, and meditation. There is also a playground for kids, and a book recycle box also, so you can read while your child or children play. Enjoy!

Today is January 24, and the windchill is -15…read more Dear Thorndale Beach, I'm sorry for the times when I take you for granted. You are such a short walk away. I enjoy strolling along your shores and your nearby parks in the mornings, after working out. I enjoy laying on your sand, even when the water is too cold to swim. And I love to swim in your waters, even if the lifeguards don't let us go out past our waists. (By the way, I don't blame you for the occasional E.Coli alerts. We just want you to rest up and get better on those days.) I love walking along your shore in the evening, and wading up to my knees in your waters after dark. I love that you are so good to me and my neighbors. You don't care if we rent or own, whether we drove or walked, whether we relax with a beer or buy some ice cream from those guys with the bells on their carts. You let us play catch, build castles, read books, and you even let those boys down at the end of the beach put up their little tent and tan their bottoms! We get lots of good times together, sometimes for entire afternoons. Sometimes I'll walk over and just spend 15 minutes with you, but it's always worth it. You're so good to us. And I know that there are perfectly warm sunny days when I ignore you completely. Perhaps this is shallow (no pun intended), writing you on a day like today. But I promise, you are my favorite beach in the world, and we're going to spend a lot of time together this summer. Thinking of you fondly, Meghan

This is one of my dog, Reilly's favorite places to Go ,…read morebeside The Beach.. great area , well kept and many friendly dogs and owners.. however, if it rains hard, there are many muddy spots for her to Get muddy..We also Like Independence in Libertyville & Waconda ( the best) Reilly gives them a 4 bark approval

My dog absolutely loves this place, and if I could, I'd bring him every day. The only downside is…read morethe amount of mud he tracks back into the car - it would take a bath for him and a car wash for me after every visit! I'd love to see something more effective than the current hose for rinsing dogs off. A self-service dog wash station would be life-changing and make it much easier to visit more often. HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!!!!

It's called Leone Beach so I guess it's officially a beach,…read more though no swimming is allowed. That's okay, it's a decent place to chill, at least on a semi-cool Saturday. Picnics in the grass, guys playing basketball, get-togethers in the sand. It's an open expanse and the kids can dance with the low waves that roll in. It's nice to sit and watch the lake while pondering...nothing.

It took over 15 years living in Chicago before I visited a beach. This one was the first!…read more Leone Beach Park is one of the northernmost beaches in the city. Leone Park Beach is named after an employee who managed folks along the entire north side, and lived above the beach house until his death. There's a swim ban in this park, though, due to the water quality. So that knocks out a big reason for going. Though you can go bake on the beach if you want. There's a good-sized parking lot here, and it's a pay lot. There's a playground and somewhat natural area surrounding it (at least it looks like it--I couldn't tell what may have been blooming there). I was surprised to see one of those Amazon lockers there, so apparently you could get your stuff shipped here. There's also basketball courts here, and lawn area, for non-beach-based recreation.

This visit to Evanston I didn't actually visit this beach, though I grew up in Evanston and thus…read morehave been to Lee Street Beach many times in my youth. This time, I visited the Lee Street Beach bathroom. Overall, it was a decent experience, but there were no lights on when I entered the building. It was pretty dim in there and I looked about for a light switch just as a sensor turned the lights on. I'd make an emergency stop here again.

I was passing through for the first time and had to stop to take a few pics. There's no sand. The…read morewater was calm. The park setting with trees, healthy grass that's well kept, and benches for relaxation. I'll have to come back with a picnic basket.