Nice small beach yet crowded because of the air show. Parking is plentiful and you can bring your…read morejet skis here. Lifeguards on duty and there are tables for eating along with benches scattered everywhere to take in the views.

My family and I love this beach! Super clean safe and…read morefun!!!! I can't wait to go back in the summer!!!

Beautiful lakefront! I loved every moment of it, I was able to capture some really nice pictures.read more

I had the opportunity recently to visit Whiting, Indiana, a community of just under 5,000 people in…read moreLake County and less than 20 miles from Chicago. It's a beautiful community that weaves together the wonder of Lake Michigan, the skyline of Chicago, and a historical vibe with a strong industrial influence. When most people think of Lake County, they think of Gary or maybe East Chicago. Crown Point, another underrated and beautiful community, is actually the county seat. I've done three of my Tenderness Tour events to Chicago and have wheeled through Whiting. I'm a huge Lake Michigan fan and always make a point of getting as much time near the lake as possible. Whiting Lakefront Park is, you guessed it, actually on the lakefront of Lake Michigan. It encompasses around 15 acres and includes play areas, walking paths, picnic facilities, a concessions area, two sand volleyball courts, a fishing pier, flower gardens, and a wonderful fish pond that is idea for peaceful contemplation. Because this is on Lake Michigan, it's a popular spot for events both private and public. As is true of nearly every public park in Lake County, it's also within view of some industrial scenes and, yes, this does somewhat detract from the entire experience. That said, it's still really amazing. The park is located adjacent to Whihala Beach, a public beach in Whiting. Whihala Beach has a floating water park, standup paddle boards, kayaks, fishing, restrooms, swimming, a public boat launch and ramp, and much more. Whiting Lakefront Park is open daily from 7am-8pm. It's my understanding that they definitely enforce the times and are known to tow unauthorized vehicles unless arrangements are in advance or there's a rental agreement. The park, and in fact the city, is named after Herbert L. "Pop" Whiting, a trainman who apparently was actually killed in a crash here. A little bit about the city - scenes from the movies "Rudy" and "Four Friends" were shot in Whiting. There's lots of historic buildings here including a Carnegie Library and the Hoosier Theatre. The community was developed largely out of the railroads and Standard Oil Company. It is considered a Southern Shores community. The park is a landing place for migrating birds and has Purple Martin houses. The park is friendly to both vehicles and pedestrian traffic. While accessibility isn't quite perfect, it's surprisingly good. Most parking is metered and dogs are allowed on the trails if leashed. It is important to note that dogs can only be on the beach during the off-season from after Labor Day to Memorial Day. They must be leashed. The park does have bathrooms, as well. The trails are all well cared for and quite wheelchair friendly I found. I also felt like the play areas were quite child-friendly, though not perfectly accessible. This park is the most popular park in Whiting with a combination of history, beautiful views, and great amenities. I definitely recommend giving Whiting a visit if you're in the Lake County area. Of course, you're also quite close to Indiana Dunes National Park.

Only reason I'm not giving a 5 star review is because all the garbage that was on the beach. We had…read moreto clean up other people garbage in order to even have a clear spot. Other than that we had a great time!​

The most beautiful beach close to Chicago This little town…read moreis part of Gary but looks like small key west style town Beautiful parks, nice beach and cute houses

A fantastic park is on the far South Side with some cool scenery including a beach. Calumet Park is…read moreone of my lesser appreciated favorites. It just about is as close as you can get to Indiana. Beach of course is the best part about here. The rest of the park has some gardens and hiking trails. Either in summer or winter it's a beautiful place for hanging. It has a few big parking lots. There's plentiful parking meaning it's usually easy to find somewhere. Beach is the most notable feature. This goes along a few miles. Certainly it isn't always pretty around here. There's some ugly old factories, including those across the lake in Gary, but besides that it's beautiful mostly. Be warned about the nuisances here, which include birds and bugs. It's especially bad in the summer. This park is most happening then and has features such as athletic facilities and other fun things.

Beautiful park! Plenty of stone walkways, views of the lake, and trees for a relaxing experience…read more The park is huge and plenty of open space and various amenities, and kiddie playgrounds too. We enjoyed walking the dog and the views

Absolutely beautiful beach & views of Lake Michigan. This national park is awesome. The trails were…read moreamazing & easily accessible. Lifeguards on duty, although there was a riptide warning & no swimming when we were there mid August. Concession stand had lots of choices. We got a Chicago dog & cheese fries.

Parking for twenty five is insane for in state, the views right and left of industrial waste…read moregenerators really adds to the Indiana, at least sand was cool for the cloudy weather and bathrooms clean.

Driving between Cleveland and Chicago, we like to make time for a stop at Indiana Dunes State Park…read more This time it was a blustery chilly day (Nov 2025), so it wasn't going to be a swimming or hiking day. But we didn't mind the $12 vehicle fee just for the view. South of the park on SR-49, you'll see a Visitors Center, and if we were staying longer, it's a nice stop for local park info, campground reservations, souvenirs, and refreshments. The drive into the state park to Porter Beach takes you through thick woods, and we saw a buck crossing the road, which was a real treat and a reminder that these parks are wild enough. At the end of SR-49, there's an ornate pavilion, and it was closed due to the upcoming holiday, even the cafe and store were closed. The restrooms outside on the boardwalk were open. And we brought our lunch in from Culver's down by I-80. There were only a couple other cars during the time we were there. We pulled up and braved the blowing sand to get a look at the thrashing waters of Lake Michigan. With gusts up to 40mph from an approaching storm, the eaves were spectacular! But it was difficult to stay upright in that wind, not to mention the light sand-blasting we were getting. And we were on the road heading for a holiday visit, so we didnt stay long, only an hour or so. It's a beautiful park, even in the winter. We want to sled down the 170ft dune-canyon known as Devil's Slide!

I'm surprised that seemingly so few people know about the Indiana Dunes State/National Parks! This…read moreis a beautifully unique park, and a must visit for anyone who loves hiking and is looking for a fun challenge. We visited for my husband's birthday, and it was a little tricky to determine which trails were located in the State Park and which trails were located in the National Park. We actually ended up paying for a National Park pass first, but then realized the trail we wanted to hike was in the State Park and so we ended up having to pay for access to that as well. It doesn't make much sense to me that there's not one main visitors center with a flat rate for both parks, but oh well. Let this be a reminder to your research if you're planning a visit soon! We hiked the Three Dune Challenge around 4 PM on a Friday, and there was no one else on the trail! We were shocked to have the whole hike to ourselves. It is indeed a challenge, but the view was well worth it. After making our way down hill and through the campsite (where they could use a bit more signage, especially since that's how they recommend exiting), we drove to the beach and enjoyed the sunset. This park is definitely worth a stop!

This is my favorite beach to go to on Lake Michigan in Indiana. I find it to be an especially…read more*cozy* spot to go to if you want a beach date, as the beach is on the south edge of a small baylike projection of Lake Michigan into the surrounding land. So you can see land to the left and right while on the beach, and there are dunes on all of that land. There are also dunes to the rear when you are on the beach; it is a 40 foot decent from the parking area to the beach. All of these dunes make the area feel like it is surrounded like cliffs, giving this place a unique feel. There is also the riverwalk to go on that is alongside the Little Calumet River as it drains into Lake Michigan, a path through through the dunes going south from the visitor center, a small boardwalk jutting out into the lake that you can walk on, and a visitor's center with a concession stand, so it's still good to go to if you can't swim! Unfortunately, beach access has been off for most of 2019 due to a collapsed portion of the walkway down the dunes to the beach, but the rest of the park is open. HOPEFULLY they will have this repaired by next season. By the way, it is a little tricky to get to this beach. Make sure you get off on EXIT 19 when coming here from I-80! Head north on State Road 249 at this point. Travel about 5/6 of a mile north at this point, and get off on U.S. Steel Road which branches to the north, MAKING SURE TO STAY IN THE LEFT LANE so you can CROSS OVER U.S. 12 and make your way to the beach. Once you cross the overpass, it will at first look like you are entering an industrial area. The path to the beach winds northward through this area and will require crossing over the Little Calumet River on a small bridge.

I was here for the lighthouse and enjoyed much of the walk. I would have gone the whole way but the…read morewind was too strong for my comfort. And also, I hadn't purchased a park pass and didn't want to stay long enough that they might notice. The park and the riverwalk are lovely. The view of the lake is amazing. Well worth the visit. If you're planning on buying an annual park pass, it's even better. [Review 20619 overall - 150 in Indiana - 1600 of 2023.]

Always a joy to catch the sunrise here. Overlooking it when I lived here was such a pleasure and…read morereturning now it still has the same magic early on a crisp spring morning.

On of my absolute favorite beaches in Chicago! Oak Street…read moreBeach has a very nice skyline view of Chicago. It's easy to get there by car or bus or train. Also walking distance from the nearby hotels. Right off of Michigan Avenue. Love the sandy beach area! You can rent a chair and/or beach umbrella for a very reasonable fee. Or you can bring your own! There is a restaurant on the site, and a shack where you can get hot dogs and drinks. There was dj music on the restaurant patio in this August when I was there. I really loved this beach and I will definitely return when I come back to Chicago.

For sure this is one of the city's most popular beaches. It has the crowds to prove it. North…read moreAvenue Beach is what's along the shoreline in Lincoln Park. Has one of the biggest beach houses ever. The rest of the beach has plenty of fun options. A pretty big beach in area. It's also notable for what's on it. The beach house is shaped like an ocean liner. It has portholes and upper decks like a real boat. Lots of places to drink and eat. Castaways is the most popular place to do both. The first level has burgers and ice cream, and the rooftop has appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and more. Also there's plenty of equipment rentals on the beach. You can rent bicycles, chairs, jet skis, volleyball courts, and wakeboards. Also sign up for the yoga classes. There's other food options including hot dogs and more. A long history about it. In the late 1930s a landfill extension was added to this area, becoming an improvement over a previous beach in this site. Completion was one of the many projects funded by the Works Progress Administration. The beach house was designed to look like a lake ship. Because over the years it deteriorated, it was replaced with a new one. This one has more room for more stuff. Certainly there's a lot going on at this beach. It's always crowded. This is popular for swimming, but there's plenty of bars and restaurants to throw up some shots, and eat some junk or whatever.

Chicago has 26 miles of beaches, yes you heard it right, 26 miles of beaches. when you hear…read moreChicago, you imagine the Chicago skyline with the river, and tall buildings, downtown but it also has a fab beach just north of the Mag mile (Michigan Avenue). North Avenue Beach is one of the most popular swimming spots in Chicago. it is a great one for families. Looking onto the water at North Avenue, this beach has it all. To the right is the city view we all know and love, The sandy beach has volleyball courts (like 100s of courts), plenty of space for visitors to stretch out, and multiple things to do nearby. It is a nice spot perfect for relaxing, biking, and running. the beach features a unique and popular beach house which has something for everyone and is permanently docked along this popular beach view from here is amazing and it's other side of the Chicago skyline (opposite to what you see from the Museum campus). John Hancock building dominates this skyline The parking fee is too much though. For 2 hours or less- it was $21 2-4 Hours = $28 Time: 7 AM- 11 PM Daily

I was driving northbound on route 41 when I stumbled upon Rainbow Beach by accident. Rainbow Beach…read moreis located on the south side near 77th street. It was a very hot day and there were a lot of people enjoying the lakefront. This beach is located near the Indiana border and the Chicago Skyway. It was a very hot hazy day. You could make out the Chicago skyline through the haze in the distance.

Driving through town I stopped at this roadside park to take some pictures of the iconic skyline…read more This place was hopping with activity. Plenty of joggers, bicyclists, weight lifters, and just people, in general, enjoying the perfect weather along the Lake Michigan shoreline.