Spent the last day of summer at Glencoe Beach and it was beautiful. It was off season so no life guard and the house with bathrooms wasn't open but they did have port o potties. Their regular season from Memorial day to labor day the beach costs and it's mainly from members on the weekend. But since it was the season it was free. It was decently crowded with everyone soaking up the last nice day. They have a playground for kids, plenty of shelters to rent for a party, volleyball net, a pier to walk along and place to rent boats, and paddle boats. The front of the beach is rocky and going into the water have to walk over rocks to get the sandy part of the water. But loved the water as it was clear and felt good to swim in. Very nice beach to relax on. read more

Glencoe Beach - Waterfront - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

ALWAYS a good time at Glencoe Beach! The location is absolutely beautiful with clean, sandy shores and stunning views of Lake Michigan. It's perfect for swimming on a warm day. I loved how well-maintained the beach is, and everyone was so friendly! They also have grills and plenty of seating, making it great for picnics and gatherings. Plus, the surrounding neighborhood is gorgeous, adding to the overall charm of the area. Highly recommend for a fun, relaxing beach day! read more

Glencoe Beach - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

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Chill beach without much of a crowd. Glencoe Beach of course is in Glencoe. It's one of the less busier beaches for a good reason. Because it's not a free beach. Thankfully we were able to sneak a peek. A beach such as this one is for the residents who live near it. It's not a humongous one but it's big enough for the most part. This is a great place for laying around or swimming. Of course most times one has to pay. This is especially true in summer. Maybe try going extra early before security arrives. The sand is mostly clean except for the rocks and that kind of stuff. Great beach except for having to pay of course. It's possible to go without paying though. Those going early in the morning can beat the security, and the beach is free to go to in the winter. read more

Glencoe Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

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Beautiful beach front to Lake Michigan in exclusive Glencoe. This is a Private Beach meaning on a weekend if You want to got to the beach on a weekend day it is $72 per person - no day passes are issued on weekends. I understand the residents not wanting the beach ruined. But I don't understand how the lake front is private property? Clark the rep from the Park District was cool. read more

Private beach with great access to Lake Michigan. Park, and stroll/ride down in the golf cart. Pick your spot and enjoy! Weekend cost was $66 for the 3 of us to enter. Ian spent a good couple of hour swimming, and collecting pebbles, etc. He had fun! read more

This beach transports you somewhere else where you don't feel like you're in IL anymore but somewhere along the Mediterranean. When we had that burst of warm weather I had to make sure to bring my dog, Lucy, to walk her along the beach and have a picnic. Even though the sun was out, the water was still chilly but hearing the waves and sinking your feet in the sand was so relaxing. The season officially opens up mid May so hoping for more warm sunny days so I can bring Lucy along (dogs are allowed during the off season). If you live in Northbrook, Glencoe Park district has a reciprocity program where you can get resident rates for membership. It's a nice perk for beach season! read more

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We're from Florida and this was just insane to us, very calm, relaxing small beach. Definitely recommend for a book reading sunset! It was beautiful & a great experience! Maybe we did something wrong but we didn't pay a dime to park or enter the beach, oopsie! read more

Glencoe Beach - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

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Pretty place to take a walk at any time of year. My most recent visit here was on Christmas morning. Definitely very cold during that time of year but a lovely place to explore. read more

Glencoe Beach - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

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This is such a peaceful and beautiful place to walk around. The sounds of leaves and birds, beautiful Lake Michigan, the sand, all add to what we appreciate in nature. There are wooden benches installed with a view of the water and one can bring a book to read (on warmer days). What a gem to behold. read more

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Don't get me wrong, this is a great little beach. We started going here every year since 2007 with our 4 little ones. It was our Father's Day tradition as well. My kids have the best memories here. But, that has been stripped away. They have since upped the non resident fees, and now only allow weekend access to residents, so all of us other slum have exorbitant fees and can't spend the weekend at the beach so our hardworking husbands can come too. Let alone being able to spend time with grandparents. Glencoe beach is no longer welcoming to outsiders, and I'm pretty sure I know why, but I'm not going to say that here. read more

Glencoe beach is not a private beach, but the residents of Glencoe think it is. It's public land but only Glencoe residents are allowed. That's illegal. Don't worry I won't try to use your beach. I also won't spend my money at the shops either. read more

Our favorite pass time is to drive along Sheridan, taking in all of those beautiful houses and views. The area has a good number of public beaches and relaxing in one of those afterwards is just our kind of thing. On one such occasion we trooped into Glencoe Beach. It is a pay to use beach but there are ways you can have a pleasant evening without paying or paying lesser & I'll tell you how. The main entrance, parking and viewpoint are at a much elevated level. Parking lot is compact but we've never had trouble finding a spot. The first time we went was only upto the viewpoint. It is well before the actual beach entrance and one can actually enjoy all of the Lake Michigan views for FREE. Vantage point gives a totally different (read massive), breezy view of the lake. There are a few benches put up where one can just sit back with a coffee and relax. Also there is a small kiddie play area for the littles. Recently we decided to check out the actual beach and so we went. It is a good walk down a flight of stairs (ramp access also available). Beach use charges are $14 for non-residents, which am told is steep. HOWEVER, post 6pm everyday or on days of high bacteria the charges are $5 which is reasonable. With the weather improving one can easily troop in at 6 and be out at 8-8:30 when the sun is still up. The beach itself has a whole bunch of features - 4 to 5 roofed bench areas with individual grills, a much larger kiddie play area, shower area, restrooms and options to rent kayaks etc. Its a beautiful little spot for a picnic or outing. My only hitch would be that the shoreline is very gravely than sandy but then again am a person who spends some time in the water and more time on the beach :) All in all Glencoe Beach will still remain my go to place to experience Lake Michigan in these parts. read more

Late post from Summer 2017: I'm not a fan of paying an admission fee to go to a beach: before 6pm it's kids $10 between 2 to 14 years old, adults $14. Between 6p to 8pm it's $3 for both kids and adults. However, I was curious of this secluded beach for Glencoe, Illinois residents, so we gave it a try last summer. Pluses: 1.) water and beach is clean 2.) It's a small, private beach with lifeguards focused on safety. There's even a lifegaurd who canoes for better viewing. I can be somewhat at ease watching my 4 year old with her arm floats and life jacket. 3.) Bathrooms and concession is really close. 4.) Option to sailboat and paddle boat with a cost. 5.) Easy parking by the park directly nearby. 6.) Plenty of picnic areas. 7.) Nice playground and water spray area. 8.) Allowed to bring outside food with you. Cons: 1.) Wear swim shoes or flip flops walking through rough sand and rocks surrounding the lower water depths, if that annoys you. 2.) Admission fee if not a Glencoe resident, free or cheap expenses the better 3.) Needs improvement of bathroom maintenance. 4.) 30 minutes prior to concession stand closing, there's limited selection to purchase due to employees closing up shop on time. I knocked down a star rating because I felt they lost my business focusing on closing up shop than allowing me to purchase a hot item--my daughter only wanted a hot dog! The admission fee bothered me a bit, but that didn't affect my rating since the seclusion was a big plus! read more

Glencoe Beach - A cild July 2017 day and we made the best of it! - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

We like to come here as it has a great view to the lake. A lot of food stores just a few minutes drive. You can grab yoir food and come to the beach and enjoy sunny days with the lake view. read more

Glencoe Beach - Lake view - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

This is a great beach. You can easily park, walk down a few steps and arrive at the beach house which rents both chairs $4 and umbrellas $3. You can also re t boats, kayaks and reserve picnic areas. If they rented towels you could literally bring yourself and some sunscreen and be set. They will insert the umbrella for you and you set up shop conveniently near the shore. The beach is clean. Water is perfect for letting your kids play alone safely if they are swimmers and there is a playground right here as well within viewing distance. There is a snack area with hot dogs and such. The Glencoe Park District maintains this and prices it right for what you get. Visited today from another Park District so I know how to judge. This place can't be beat. read more

Glencoe Beach - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

Beautiful, large beach. I went on a weekday and there was hardly any crowd. Nice waves too.

I personally didnt find the beach worth paying $14.00. It was a nice walk. We went after hours so didnt need to pay. read more

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As a Floridian I've always been skeptical of these sand filled areas that you Chicagoans call beaches. I spent many days in my early 20s soaking up the sun at North Beach, but was never impressed. I've stayed away from the beach frat party the past few years because figured it wasn't quite appropriate for my little ones. Now that I"m in Glencoe I have a whole new appreciation for the "beaches" out here! The Glencoe beach is the perfect spot for a family outing! There's a huge playground literally right on the beach that kids go crazy for (at least mine does!). Even my 7 month old lights up when I push him in the swing here. When the kids get hungry from all the playing there's lots of food option. I've enjoyed their soft pretzels and my little one likes the pizza. While you won't catch me swimming in the lake here, my husband and daughter seem to enjoy it. There is an admission team (we bought a resident pass for the summer). You can find the rates here: http://www.glencoeparkdistrict.com/facilities/glencoe-beach.aspx Pack light because as many yelpers have mentioned you have to go down a long flight of stairs (or ramp if you have a stroller) to get to the beach. Going down isn't so bad, but when it's time to go home pushing a double stroller filled w/ 50 lbs of kids is quite the workout. read more

We stopped by here in the middle of winter just to see the area. It was such a beautiful sight of Lake Michigan!! I have never visited in the summer, but I'm sure it would just as lovely! read more

Glencoe Beach - The Lake looked so beautifully surreal! - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

It's a beautiful clean beach, but admission is astronomical. We paid $27 for 2 adults and a 2 year old today. It would be awesome if a child's admission was free with a paid adult... Just a suggestion. Some staff members can be a bit abrupt as well. The interactions with the gate keeper and the other employee that quizzed us about our lack of hand stamp where completely undesirable. Today was just not what a day at the beach should have been... I think with the high admission prices, you will also find that this gives some people a sense of entitlement. While we set up relatively close to the water, another family set up directly in front of us with their extra large beach umbrella. Like literally right in front of us so that our toddler could no longer access the water and sand directly in front of our towels. And the Mom just kept gabbing on her cell phone. Alright... Enough venting. Here's the good stuff: *Great lifeguards *There is a person that will drive you down to the beach in a golf cart if needed. *Beautiful scenic views and nice pier *Great playground with water features for ages 10 and under *Covered area with picnic tables *Clean bathrooms with shower *Concession stand. The pizza is not what it used to be, but still, there's pizza. read more

Not sure if the low rating is due to the cost of equipments. Which I do agree, it is quite hefty to rent a kayak here or take one of their classes. However, if you are just to come here and swim or want a great view to get away from the daily stress, this place is perfect. Various benches for seating throughout. I wish that there is more of a walking trial here, that would be the only reason this place doesn't deserve a 5 stars. Has a kids playground. Has two viewing terraces on the left and right side. Has a beach house. You can kayak here, make sand castle and even learn to sail. Ample parking. Great picnic areas but not free, you also have to reserve in advance. The beach house has a mediterranean feel to it with its orange tile roof. Steep ramps to go up and down to the beach, great exercise if you ask me, do it a few times a week and you will have a nicely toned lower body. read more

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Nice place easy to land a kayak there but big job to bring the boat up and down the hill. During beach season they get busy with sailboat traffic. read more

Glencoe Beach - Paddling by - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

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My family and I LOVE this beach. We have not been to them all just yet, but have been to several, and out of all of them, this one is pretty darn good. During prime season, they charge if you do not live in town. Pricey admission so NOT a fan of that. Best tip - free in the off season and dog friendly. read more

Nice Beutiful beach My fist time there you don't feel you are in chicago I feel I'm in Mexico all look diferent and feel diferent I just get of the metra train and explore around beutiful houses so I decide walk down the street and I fined the beach l love it I walk there and take this pictures read more

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Great family beach. It's a bit expensive for non-residents. BUT- water is clean, beach is clean and there is a nice playground and bathrooms for families. I would give 5 starts, BUT, there are lots of rules- no floats of any kind in the water, no throwing rocks (which are everywhere and what kid doesn't want to skip rocks)! But, it's a great beach. read more

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Make no mistake. This beach is not free. Their daily admission fees are as follows: Glencoe residents pay $6 for adults and $4 for youth. (1-17 years of age.) Non-residents pay $9 for adults and $7 for youth. (1-17 years of age.) A guest over the age of 64 or under the age of 1 receives free admittance. They only accept cash. The admittance fees are pricey, but the advantages of a private beach are second to none. The beach offers shaded trellis' for picnics and parties with a canopy for rainy days, a concession stand, play equipment and water/sand play areas, chair and umbrella rentals, Kayak and sailboat rentals, year-round sailboat storage, and limited beach cart service. They also offer shower facilities in the beach house. This is the perfect beach to go to if you have young children. We did not have to worry about vagrants, riff-raff or security. I did not feel uncomfortable walking away from my belongings. The beach is extremely well kept and small enough that you can keep an eye on your child at all times. The lifeguards took their duties seriously and also doubled as security. They did not allow bullying or throwing of rocks, or any action that they deemed dangerous to a guest or others. There are lots of rocks on this beach as most do, but I did not notice the edge to be rocky at all. My 4 year old loved this beach because of the abundance of sand to rocks. There is a very steep incline that you must use to enter the beach. Immediately after the entrance are very, very steep steps made out of rocks. Going down was cake, coming back up was another story. I used muscles that I forgot that I had. If you are lugging chairs, a picnic basket, toys, or your child, be forewarned. It can be excruciating. If you like this beach, I highly recommend purchasing their season passes before June 7th. It costs $125 for 2 non residents, and it will pay for itself in 8 visits. There is plenty of free parking spaces. read more

It was Sunday on Memorial Day weekend and we decided to go to the beach. We headed to our usual Chicago spots, but after getting stuck on Lake Shore trying to exit at Montrose for more than 40 minutes (40 minutes!), we abandoned the beach idea. Frustrated and hot, we threw out other ideas until my cousin suggested we go to Glencoe Beach. Why didn't she say anything sooner? This is a really great beach on the North shore. You do have to pay admission but street parking is free. Even though you have to pay, it's worth it. The beach was busy that day, but not crowded. I felt like I was transported to the Hamptons or something. It's really pretty here...and the beach is a nice size so I didn't get paranoid with my kids running to and from the water. Wide view of the lake, backdrop of the beautiful homes, and it's well-maintained and clean. Our favorites here: - Long pier at one end of the beach. We hung out there for a bit looking out at the water. - Playground for kids including a huge sand castle center - Concession stand - Beach house with restrooms - Boat rentals Not so favorites: - Rocks. Lots of them. Near the water and in the water... they hurt. My kids wanted to wear their flip flops even in the water (and it wasn't fun chasing down the sandal once it escaped their foot) - The hill to get down to the beach. Once you pay, you can head down the double-ramp/hill to the beach. Not awful going down, but not fun going up. Not really a complaint, but just a suggestion if you have a stroller or rolling cooler...try to pack it light for the way back up. We had wanted to come back at least one more time over the summer but didn't have a chance to...we'll definitely visit again next year. read more

I think this is the worst beach I've been to. Here are the reasons: - a very small area for swimming, it's so crowded and it looks ridiculous, all these people bumping into each other. It's like a swimming pool in your fitness club, but with all the members going there at once (including the ones who signed up only for a gym). - with so many people, there is not enough shade, you either book a cabin (probably, a few months in advance) or stand in a public place waiting for hours someone to finally leave, so that you can get a piece of a table in the shade! - It's filthy, so many flies, and they bite really badly. - They have umbrellas for rent, except the fact that they don't. They say they have them, but there are TWO BROKEN umbrellas in the stock. It's just laughable. - They have the worst manager I saw in Chicago. True, I don't often ask to see a manager. But when I did this time, it felt like a classic movie's line. - Can I see a manager? - I am the manager! Doesn't matter what you say, the answer is no, if you lucky he may add 'sorry'. - No refunds, cash only. Just to remind you, it is 2015. They have a playground for kids, but is it really enough to justify a visit there? I really wanted to like this place, it's the closest beach to my new house (still about 30 minutes driving), but I visited hundreds of beaches all over the world, and this is worst I've seen so far. read more

The best! This beach is so beautiful! You have to walk down a very steep ramp to get down, but it's worth it. It's a nice escape from all of the city beaches. read more

This place will always hold a special memory for me. You have to pay to get in sometimes as the money collectors aren't always there and you can just walk down to the beach. Odd. The beach seems well kept and it's never too busy. A great place to hang out for a lazy afternoon, with a semi-pier with benches along it. Very peaceful and tranquil with great views. Later at night there are bugs galore though but I guess anywhere semi-green will have the same issue. read more

Glencoe beach is the nicest beach on the northshore. Beautiful surroundings, clean and private. Definitely worth the cost if non resident. Great town to stroll & very peaceful. read more

Join the boat club, its a blast... I prefer that side of the beach away from the crowds and people... the beach isnt that large as compared to others, but will certainly do on a hot day... prices are steep for single use, summer passes are where its at if you are looking to go a fair amount... read more

This beach is a cool spot. It's very clean and the parking is very practical. There are great volleyball nets and lots of people engaging in water sports. I wish there were more choices for food near the beach. Also, the sand wasn't very soft so I felt like I was sunbathing on a hard mattress. Overall- it wasn't too crowded and I had a nice visit. read more

Coming from San Diego, I am not used to paying an entrance fee to access the beach. But it seems like this is the norm in IL. This is a really nice beach and clean, I must say. It's in a great neighborhood and there is a big playground for the kids. My son had a lot of fun without even going into the water. There is a covered "picnic" area that you can reserve for a private event. A good spot for a kid's birthday party for sure, or any get together for that matter! read more

Lovely beach! I am training for my first triathlon with open water swimming and was looking for a quiet beach to get some more experience. Headed to Glencoe this morning and went for an 8 mile run to Highland Park and back before going down to the beach. I got there at 8:00 am had no trouble parking. I walked down about 10 am just as they were opening. There was an announcement over the loud speaker about someone coming around to collect fees for those who came down before the cash register was set up at the entrance. Although their were only a few people there at that hour I wasn't self-conscious about wearing my wetsuit. At other beaches I've been starred at and even questioned about it?! I saw on another review the "swimming pen" was small. I asked a couple people who worked there about length and depth and no one could give me an accurate answer. I walked it off with my GPS watch and it's about 35 yards in width and the depth varies (some places were definitely over 6 ft) - certainly not for the competitive swimmer but for someone just starting out it wasn't bad. Their were however a number of people swimming outside the pen and the life guards said nothing. I felt safer in the pen though for some reason and it made it easier to gauge how far I had swum to have a rope stopping you every 35 or so yards! Other reviews have mentioned the rocks. They are ridiculously large and slippery from algae and stuff growing on them. Making it hard to get out after a long swim! I left around 11 am and the lot was packed! I put in about a half mile today and will definitely be back. read more

Area is very nice and well maintained. Except restrooms, they are always dirty. Stuff is mostly untrained teenagers. There are lots of kids so it's a perfect place for them to have fun. For couples and single adults is boring, no bar( lol))) I'm not saying that beach is bad, I just had different intentions there, like relaxing and sipping beer, but that's not that case. Great place for paddleboarding, if you are looking for challenges, pick a windy day when there are bigger waves) read more

Glencoe Beach - Beaches Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

I used to come to this beach ALL the time in my youth. I loved it! I was in town for vacation and saw the pathetic version of a "FEST" this town puts on. The "FEST" in this extremely wealthy town includes a few barely edible food trucks, a band that inspires earplugs, substandard fireworks, and a bunch of park district people that threaten to call the FEDERAL for taking pictures of the beach. Take my advice go to an "average income" town and get treated like a human being. read more

me and my five sons of similar but differnt ages loved the beach. not top rocky like many have said. very clean. i felt like even when my back was turned my five sons were safe and watched for by the staff there. Toodaloo! read more

I hate this beach! The park district lied to me regarding 7/4. They told me they will serve free food at 6:30pm when I called several days before. I get there at 6:15 pm and they tell me that they are not serving free food anymore that day. They have all these restrictions and they are "barking" out rules that are not needed. Who gives a shit if someone stick their toes in the water at beach that people usually swim at anyway! The cops treat you like a criminal if you smoke cigarette! Shit I should have smoked a joint then! There are better beaches that are cheaper and free. Stay away from Glencoe beach! You may as well get arrested for farting! read more

I am not a fan of this beach. Reason Number 1: you have to pay. Surburban beaches cost money. And other than the lower crowds (which you can also get if you go to the right city beaches), what do you get but rocks?!?! The entry to the water isn't sand but rocks. This bothered me as a child and would continue to bother me now. I'd much rather go to a beach with sand for free than a beach with rocks where I have to pay. read more