I'm a CA native now living in the Midwest so miss the beach. I've been to Chicago many times but…read morenever thought about going to the beach. Last summer we finally went to Lake Michigan and was surprised that it looked just like the Pacific Ocean. The water was blue and clear (not like the muddy brown lakes of NE and IA). This year we decided to stay in Evanston instead of doing downtown Chiacago again. We went to Lighthouse Beach with our 6 year old and 3 year old. It was a great beach. There is a play ground by the beach, a parking lot, bathrooms, life guards, and lots of areas for shade if you want to stay out of the sun. It was beautiful and convenient. The only downside is that it costs $12 per person if you are a visitor. So for a family of 4...it gets pricey. But I guess that helps to keep the beaches nice. Def a beach to visit if you are in the Chicago area!

Grew up not far from there. Take the family there on occasion. Small, nice, and quiet. There is a…read moretucked away fire pit that can rented out and you can go there at night (no life guards then of course). You can take a cool stroll around the old light house as well.

Writing this review pretty late but since I'm planning another visit here soon, this beach has been…read moretop of mind. I was here last July and had the best time! The area is clean and gorgeous with scenic views of the skyline. The beach is huge with plenty of space to spread out. There's bike racks nearby for rentable electric bikes. There's a paved path perfect for running, walking, or cycling. The bathrooms weren't too bad for being outdoors - I've certainly seen a lot worse in public parks. The water was clear and blue with some gentle waves. Although the temp is cold, it's super refreshing on a hot day. Can't wait to be back!

Osterman Beach is my favorite beach in Chicago! Even on busy days. It never feels TOO crowded…read more People who frequent this beach are mostly locals or Loyola college students. It's a great beach for anyone: families, friends, dates. The sand is clean and lifeguards on duty in summer.

ALWAYS a good time at Glencoe Beach! The location is absolutely beautiful with clean, sandy shores…read moreand 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!

Spent the last day of summer at Glencoe Beach and it was beautiful. It was off season so no life…read moreguard 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.

I had some time to kill before viewing a play in one of the nearby theaters so we walked over to…read morethe beach to connect with nature. The beach is very clean and it was nice to see so many of the college kids playing football, taking Instagrammable pictures, and just being present. It looks like there are lots of rentals available, the view was beautiful, and I was able to put my shoes and socks back on and walk right into the show! I'm not an avid beach person, but it was very nice to feel the sand, the water, and see the sun!

I love this beach and I must tell you it's one of my top 5 favorites . White sands and in the best…read morepart of Lake Michigan ! Great view of Northwestern and the sailing boats too. It's a big beach too and clean and there are family's and young people . Stunning view and overall beauty natural beauty!! Can't wait to come back the water was lovely too!

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 used to spend many summers here, every summer for 15 years a long while ago…read more New tiered decks and elevators to get down to the beach. There used to be showers in the middle deck too. The beach is still small and smaller since part of the lower deck used to be part of the beach when I was here years ago. They give you beach passes for the residents. The beach access is at the end of Kenilworth avenue. Nice lake views from the top most deck.

Amanda and her staff are wonderful; they do everything possible to ensure every visit is pleasant…read moreand seamless. I suppose you can tell how highly we recommend this place--we have already booked our return trip for next year!

Greatest place overlooking the water with its own private beach! It has everything from camp fires…read morewith the family to boat rentals for a day on the water. Well kept beach with a massage tent for relaxation! Only 50 minutes from Chicago - this place is a hidden gem!

This is such a beautiful, pristine, and peaceful place. I didn't know it existed until a facebook…read morefriend posted photos from his walk, and I thought, I have to go to this place. The parking area I found is small, but directly across the street from the entrance. You walk a paved trail though many acres of wildflowers and some trees, until you come to a staircase that leads down to the lakeside itself. When I was there, midday on a beautiful September day, there were some men exercising on the staircase -- running up and down, dropping to do push ups, and more. I assume they were from the nearby army base. The staircase that goes to the lake has two landings with a bench, so you can sit and enjoy the view, or rest and gasp for breath on your way back up. It leads directly to a paved path at the lake shore. There was a bench facing east, and I sat and just absorbed the peace and quiet, and the soothing sound of the wind-driven waves rolling up the narrow sandy beach. There were some school children nearby eating lunch with their teachers, but no one else was around. The path leads only a short way to the south, but to the north, it branches back into the woods. I confess I did not follow it but, instead, returned to the lake shore and just soaked up the atmosphere. This truly was a magical spot. I look forward to returning another time and exploring a bit more. But even if I don't venture too far from my vantage point, it will still be wonderful. What a wonderful place.

Can you believe it's December and it's so beautiful? A lovely day to walk the paths at Openlands…read moreand/or walk down by the lake. People, dogs, families walking, jogging, strolling and taking in the view.

Got to check out this beach in Winnetka if you're around here, because this is a pretty nice beach…read more It's located beside a residential area, but it's big enough to attract outsiders. Tower Road Beach is of course located along Tower Road. Along with the beach, there's also a park area. There's also of course a tower. Beach is big and as a result attracts some grunginess. It's usually pretty crowded when it's summer. This could be even more crowded, but it's not because it's harder to get to. It takes awhile. The worst thing is all the endless stairs. It takes a long time to get to from the park area. There's so many fucking stairs. Besides that, the tower isn't that impressive even though the beach literally gets its name from it. This looks like a boring old utility tower for the most part. Even though it's not that good, it's one of the nicer beaches. It's close to a residential area so many of these people claim it as their own. The worst thing about it is there's too many stairs.

I love this beach. It is clean and fun place for kids as well as grownups! If your looking for a…read morespot to relax and enjoy the view.. this is the perfect place to do just that!