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.

I recently was told Chicago is the 3rd coast and I see why after visiting this beach. I had visited…read moreChicago once before this visit and heard about beaches on the lake and assumed they were beaches, but nothing special! To my surprise I was wrong. Lake Michigan has a long coastline of Beaches all the way up to Wisconsin and they are filled with activities comparable to beaches in Florida. This beach is considered the "Gay Beach" however there are lots of other people/communities there. If you're in the LGBTQ community you will have a good time as there are other people to socialize with and meet. The beach is a bit north from other beaches in the city but not by much! I would definitely visit again. My only con is the beach needs more options to purchase food and drinks.

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.

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.

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!

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!

Tranquil fall day at the beach in Evanston. No admission fees in October, but different during the…read moresummer. Free three hour parking along the main road.

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.

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!

Best place on the chain to hang out. Very nice people, private not over crowded beach. Keeping my…read moreboat in cypress was best decision. Love the 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.

Managed by Lake County Forest Preserves since August 2023, this 72-acre area (formerly part of Fort…read moreSheridan) has a unique blend of ravines, bluffs, and a lakefront in Highland Park, 25 miles north of Chicago. This is close to Fort Sheridan and the cemetery. I love the paved trails, which are Ada accessible with minimal disturbance to nature. The art installations offer additional meditation subjects with a mix of science, poetry, and wonder. The qr code links did not work. My first introduction was a ravine with concrete sidewalks, mighty oak trees, and a complex root system slowing the erosion of the sides. Art installations do pique the imagination of visitors. Wood sidewalks and bridges lead to additional ravines, bluffs, and lakefront. I spotted a great horned owl silently sweeping across the canopy of trees. Four white tailed deer were nibbling on their grassy lunches. Red winged black birds were singing sporadically. I passed a tree with the bark rubbed off as evidence a deer came by to rub its antlers. I also saw several round holes on the lower trunks of the tree. It was evidence of a possible woodpecker looking for grubs. I spotted wood ear mushrooms growing on the side of a tree. Thousands of migrating birds visit the preserve each year. Listen to the audio guides for the nature and art installations. https://openlands.org/projects/openlands-lakeshore-preserve/ Main Parking 24256 N Patten Road, Highwood, IL 60040 South Parking 2789 Oak Street, Highland Park, IL 60035

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.

Gross place, dirty rude service not worth a beach pass. Bad surrounding area as well.read more