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    Lake Michigan

    4.6 (40 reviews)

    Lake Michigan Photos

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    Waves 2019
    Christina S.

    I absolutely LOVE Lake Michigan! I love that it has a path for walkers, runners, bike riders, etc. That it is free and open to the public at all times. That there are green spaces and stoop areas to picnic. That the beaches and sand are stellar. That the City of Chicago cares enough to allow EVERYONE to enjoy this sacred space and that development and private ownership of this area is prohibited by corporate entities or private individuals. I took my first swim in 2018 at Oak Street Beach and it was delightful-but reminded me how enormous and powerful it can be... FINALLY-I like the fact that you do not have to worry about SHARK encounters or attacks-Yay!

    Jim L.

    I am from Minnesota. I happened to be in town for work. I wanted to see Lake Michigan. I was surprised how blue/turquoise the water is here. I grew up near Lake Superior and it is not this beautiful. I did some research and found out that zebra mussels filter this lake and an algae makes the water look so blue. Glad we stopped. Enjoy the photos. It is less busy up north by Montrose Beach and Bird Sanctuary. We chose the area because Covid numbers are high in the area and didn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of people.

    From the 96th Floor of the John Hancock Building.
    Rachel M.

    Lake Michigan is one terrific peace of waterscape in downtown Chicago. It serves so many purposes. One is that is aesthetically pleasing! The views are impeccable all throughout Chicago. Even though Chicago is quite cold many months of the year, Lake Michigan captures the natural beauty of the city. There are endless parks, trails, beaches, anything for people to enjoy the outdoors and nature. Lake Michigan is a place to swim, boat, enjoy the water to the fullest extent. I love the views here and am happy to have it be one of many memorable focal points of Chicago.

    Elvira D.

    Yup...I'm still reminiscing about our trip to Chicago. Bordering the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan, Lake Michigan is gorgeous in the spring (and all seasons for that matter) and even more of a beauty with the skyline in the backdrop. It has a convenient path for bikers and runners and even for brisk walks like we took walking to the city. It's a sight to see for everyone and it makes me miss my time there even more!

    Enjoying the breeze
    Elayna D.

    What's not to love about being on the open water and enjoying the breeze. I absolutely l enjoyed myself and the breeze. The weather waa perfect and it was nice to see people out on their boats sailing and what not. I can not swim, but it is something about the open water that I love. Lake Michigan is and was an absolute perfect ending to my vacation!

    Nicki K.

    Crossing over from Maggie Daley Park to go across the street is Lake Michigan. The water is soooo blue! It looks so gorgeous and calm. We saw many people just strolling around. Some taking pics too. There was a bike rental nearby also. I just wish we had more time and we could've walked alongside and go to the Navy Pier as well. Next time! 13/2018

    Ahhh refreshing
    Jesus G.

    The lake Well the lake was awesome. I didn't expect the water to be so clear. We took the boat out for a few an enjoyed the view of Chicago, navy pier and the sunset. Also took a dive.

    Jennifer M.

    Lake Michigan is beautiful. I got to see it frozen as well and it was breathtaking. I love that they have the Lakefront Trail and if I lived in Chicago I know I would spend a lot of time here. This just makes Chicago an even more amazing city.

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    14 years ago

    I gotta say -- this is the spot to be in the summertime in Chicago. It truly rounds out the perfect ambiance of this city in general.

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    11 years ago

    Lake Michigan might be my favorite thing about living in Chicago. How blessed am I to wake up to its beauty, swim in it, lay on the beach.

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    15 years ago

    Wonderful lake ! Beautiful downtown beach ! Place to go !

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    Review Highlights - Lake Michigan

    As you walk, you get a great view of Lake Michigan, the Chicago skyline, Navy Pier, the Gold Coast and many other things.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Fullerton Beach

    Fullerton Beach

    4.4
    (22 reviews)
    4.9 mi

    Before I thought this was just a part of North Avenue Beach. Fullerton Beach is apparently its own…read moreone according to maps. It actually doesn't seem like much of one because there's not even any sand. Apparently there used to be, but now this is just all concrete. There's pretty good views of the skyline and city though. Apparently erosion has ruined it, so that's why it's not much of a beach. It's been replaced by concrete. The good thing is you can go home without an ass full of sand. A bad thing is how hard the ground is. This is concrete after all, so it's not comfortable to lay on. Also the ground gets hot. Hard to believe anyone would rather come here to sunbathe than on a sandy beach not far away from this. A few good things are around here. The Theater On The Lake is a good play to watch a play. Go to a better beach. It's just to the north of one of the city's best and most popular. This also isn't that far from other stuff in Lincoln Park, and you can lie in grass there, and still be able to chill and sunbathe.

    02/04/22 - it's been months since I've been out here by the lake. Just another day in paradise…read moreknown as Chicago w/our magnificent Lake Michigan. Today it's a relatively warm day in February. It's a balmy sunny 24 degrees. The left over snow from a few days ago is floating & freezing on the lake. It's cold but absolutely magnificent. This morning there was some moron walking on the lake near promontory point about 1/2 mile off of the shore. WGN TV was filming this moron walking on the lake. The Chicago Police were called to ask him to come in off of the lake. This is what I call a very dim light that's pretty low on the evolutionary scale.

    Photos
    Beach
    Beach
    One of the ladders at the edge of the concrete.  The water use to be 2-3 ft below the concrete, now it submerged in the lake
    One of the ladders at the edge of the concrete. The water use to be 2-3 ft below the concrete, now it submerged in the lake
    01/29/21 - breakwater covered w/ice

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    01/29/21 - breakwater covered w/ice
    Rosewood Beach

    Rosewood Beach

    3.8
    (35 reviews)
    13.4 mi

    This beach is beautiful and worth checking out if you are in the area! I loved the walkway and how…read moreclean the area is. You will need a pass if you aren't a resident, but it's a great experience .

    Getting beach ready! Not only myself (preparing for a summer beach vacation), but Rosewood Beach…read morerecently got a clean up and seemed ready for visitors. It's been awhile since I've updated my experience at Rosewood. This review is based on a recent walk I took to get some fresh air and much needed exercise. After parking the car in Downtown Ravinia and walking to Rosewood beach and back to the car (round trip about 1.3 miles), I noticed a bunch of beach updates that are worth mentioning. First of all, gear up, because the beach is open this year and you'll be able to swim! It's a private beach and not free, so you'll have to follow this link (https://www.pdhp.org/beaches/parking-2/) for resident and non-resident fees. This year you can purchase a swim pass and a parking decal. I entered via the dirt path that leads down to the beach so I could make my way back up the stairs for a good stair climb. The path was nicely cleaned up and breathtaking all on its own. Surrounded by lots of foliage and overlooking the ravine, I walked until I met up with the beach boardwalk. The boardwalk is all cleaned up and nicely refreshed. Looks like it did when it first opened! The beach sand is all freshened up and ready for summer. The play structures for kids are covered (but not sanitized). The best part? The steep, really-great-for-your-legs staircase now has handrails! This is such a huge plus for when you can't quite make it up and need to lean over a rail to hold yourself up (don't judge). It was a nice quiet walk, since the beach isn't actually open yet, but it will get crowded for certain. Parking lots have meters.

    Photos
    Rosewood Beach
    Covered but there's a sign that says not sanitized.
    Covered but there's a sign that says not sanitized.
    Kids buried in the sand. Good thing they have a shower!

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    Kids buried in the sand. Good thing they have a shower!

    Lake Michigan - beaches - Updated August 2026

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