Right Beaches › Illinois
Illinois beaches
51 beaches, with the parking, the walk to the water and the tide for each one.
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What matters today?
Narrow it down
Lists for a particular day
Dog friendly beaches
10 in Illinois
Family friendly beaches
15 in Illinois
Shortest walk
Park almost on the sand
Cape Cod · the listing sits on the shoreline
Cape Cod · the listing sits on the shoreline
McHenry · the listing sits on the shoreline
South Side · the listing sits on the shoreline
Chicago · the listing sits on the shoreline
Cape Cod · the listing sits on the shoreline
Lake in the Hills · the listing sits on the shoreline
Zion · 30 ft to the water
Free parking
Beaches where visitors report free parking
Cape Cod · free parking · mentioned by 8 visitors · 2019–2026
Lake in the Hills · free parking · mentioned by 6 visitors · 2016–2025
With little kids
Calm water and bathrooms nearby
Cape Cod · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 8 visitors · 2016–2026
Cape Cod · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 7 visitors · 2017–2026
Cape Cod · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 10 visitors · 2017–2026
Cape Cod · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 5 visitors · 2017–2026
De Witt · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 12 visitors · 2015–2026
Highland Park · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 11 visitors · 2017–2026
Lake in the Hills · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 12 visitors · 2016–2025
Cape Cod · bathrooms nearby · mentioned by 2 visitors · 2015–2025
Browse
All beaches
North Avenue Beachon the shoreline · parking 200 yd
31st Street BeachChicago · water 80 ft
Foster Beachwater 60 ft · parking 275 yd
Oak Street Beachwater 130 ft
Waukegan Municipal Beachwater 90 ft
Loyola Beachwater 90 ft · parking 200 yd
Lee Street Beachwater 150 ft · parking 500 yd
Gillson Beachwater 190 ft · parking 170 ft
Lighthouse Beachwater 80 ft · parking 200 yd
Clark Street Beachwater 200 ft · parking 310 ft
Kathy Osterman Beachwater 210 ft · parking 200 yd
Calumet BeachChicago · on the shoreline · parking 310 ft
Rainbow Beachwater 125 yd
Oakwood BeachChicago · water 160 ft · parking 450 yd
Montrose Dog Beachwater 250 ft · parking 180 ft
Belmont Harbor Dog BeachChicago · water 350 yd · parking 280 ft
Clinton BeachDe Witt · water 170 ft · parking 160 ft
Rosewood BeachHighland Park · water 200 yd · parking 290 ft
Indian Trail BeachLake in the Hills · water 60 ft · parking 80 ft
Columbia Beachwater 70 ft · parking 120 ft
Centennial BeachNaperville · water 1.2 miles · parking 340 ft
57th Street BeachHyde Park · water 100 ft · parking 275 yd
Fullerton BeachChicago · water 310 ft · parking 225 yd
Northwestern University - Lincoln St. BeachEvanston · water 130 ft
BeachWatch LLC - Olson BeachCaledonia · water 125 yd
Isherwood beachZion · water 30 ft
Nixon BeachApple Canyon Lake · water 100 ft · parking 160 ft
South Shore Beachwater 60 ft · parking 150 yd
Peterson Park BeachMcHenry · on the shoreline
Hartigan Beachwater 125 yd · parking 275 yd
South Boulevard Beachwater 70 ft · parking 175 yd
Buffalo BeachBuffalo · water 850 yd
North Beachwater 240 ft · parking 275 yd
Wilmette Sailing Beachwater 200 ft
North Shore Beachwater 220 ft
Rogers Beachwater 50 ft · parking 210 ft
49th Street BeachSouth Side · on the shoreline · parking 310 ft
Chestnut Beachwater 60 ft · parking 275 yd
Waukegan River Beachwater 100 ft
Butch Hagele BeachLake in the Hills · on the shoreline · parking 150 ft
Leone Beachon the shoreline · parking 250 ft
Speed BeachTerre Haute · water 575 yd · parking 310 ft
Woodman Beachwater 50 ft · parking 200 yd
Waverly Beachwater 160 ft · parking 210 ft
Idlewood Beachwater 140 ft · parking 450 yd
Troll Beachwater 240 ft · parking 180 ft
Lake Wildwood Beach 1water 110 ft · parking 425 yd
Lake WIldwood Beach 2water 40 ft
South Beachwater 200 yd · parking 375 yd
Lithia Springs Beachwater 80 ft · parking 170 ft
Coon Creek Beachon the shoreline · parking 425 yd
Every beach
All 51 beaches, by how many people rate them
| Beach | Town | Walk to water | Parking | Fee | Restrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Avenue Beach | on the sand | 200 yd | – | yes | |
| 31st Street Beach | Chicago | 80 ft | – | paid | yes |
| Foster Beach | 60 ft | 275 yd | – | yes | |
| Oak Street Beach | 130 ft | – | free | yes | |
| Waukegan Municipal Beach | 90 ft | – | paid | yes | |
| Loyola Beach | 90 ft | 200 yd | paid | yes | |
| Lee Street Beach | 150 ft | 500 yd | paid | yes | |
| Gillson Beach | 190 ft | 170 ft | paid | yes | |
| Lighthouse Beach | 80 ft | 200 yd | paid | yes | |
| Clark Street Beach | 200 ft | 310 ft | paid | yes | |
| Kathy Osterman Beach | 210 ft | 200 yd | – | yes | |
| Calumet Beach | Chicago | on the sand | 310 ft | – | yes |
| Rainbow Beach | 125 yd | – | – | yes | |
| Oakwood Beach | Chicago | 160 ft | 450 yd | paid | yes |
| Montrose Dog Beach | 250 ft | 180 ft | – | yes | |
| Belmont Harbor Dog Beach | Chicago | 350 yd | 280 ft | – | yes |
| Clinton Beach | De Witt | 170 ft | 160 ft | paid | yes |
| Rosewood Beach | Highland Park | 200 yd | 290 ft | paid | yes |
| Indian Trail Beach | Lake in the Hills | 60 ft | 80 ft | free | yes |
| Columbia Beach | 70 ft | 120 ft | – | yes | |
| Centennial Beach | Naperville | 1.2 miles | 340 ft | paid | yes |
| 57th Street Beach | Hyde Park | 100 ft | 275 yd | paid | yes |
| Fullerton Beach | Chicago | 310 ft | 225 yd | – | yes |
| Northwestern University - Lincoln St. Beach | Evanston | 130 ft | – | paid | – |
| BeachWatch LLC - Olson Beach | Caledonia | 125 yd | – | – | yes |
| Isherwood beach | Zion | 30 ft | – | – | yes |
| Nixon Beach | Apple Canyon Lake | 100 ft | 160 ft | paid | yes |
| South Shore Beach | 60 ft | 150 yd | – | – | |
| Peterson Park Beach | McHenry | on the sand | – | paid | yes |
| Hartigan Beach | 125 yd | 275 yd | – | – | |
| South Boulevard Beach | 70 ft | 175 yd | paid | – | |
| Buffalo Beach | Buffalo | 850 yd | – | – | – |
| North Beach | 240 ft | 275 yd | paid | yes | |
| Wilmette Sailing Beach | 200 ft | – | – | – | |
| North Shore Beach | 220 ft | – | – | – | |
| Rogers Beach | 50 ft | 210 ft | – | – | |
| 49th Street Beach | South Side | on the sand | 310 ft | – | yes |
| Chestnut Beach | 60 ft | 275 yd | – | – | |
| Waukegan River Beach | 100 ft | – | – | yes | |
| Butch Hagele Beach | Lake in the Hills | on the sand | 150 ft | – | – |
| Leone Beach | on the sand | 250 ft | – | yes | |
| Speed Beach | Terre Haute | 575 yd | 310 ft | – | yes |
| Woodman Beach | 50 ft | 200 yd | – | – | |
| Waverly Beach | 160 ft | 210 ft | – | yes | |
| Idlewood Beach | 140 ft | 450 yd | – | yes | |
| Troll Beach | 240 ft | 180 ft | – | yes | |
| Lake Wildwood Beach 1 | 110 ft | 425 yd | – | – | |
| Lake WIldwood Beach 2 | 40 ft | – | – | – | |
| South Beach | 200 yd | 375 yd | – | yes | |
| Lithia Springs Beach | 80 ft | 170 ft | – | – | |
| Coon Creek Beach | on the sand | 425 yd | – | yes |
Walk and parking distances are measured on OpenStreetMap. Fee and restrooms come from counted visitor reviews and mapped facilities. A dash means we have no evidence either way, not that the answer is no.
Questions
Common questions
Which Illinois beach has the shortest walk from the car?
North Avenue Beach in Illinois has the listing right on the shoreline. We measure the straight line from the listed location to the mapped waterline for every beach, so the table above ranks them all.
Do you have to pay to park at Illinois beaches?
Mostly yes. Of the 51 beaches here, 17 have visitors reporting a parking or entry fee and 2 report free parking. Reported fees run from $20 to $35 a day in season, and several beaches drop the fee after 5pm or outside the summer.
Which beaches have restrooms?
37 of the 51 beaches have restrooms mapped on site or reported by visitors. Seasonal closures are common: several National Seashore beaches close their facilities outside the summer.
How current is this?
Tide, waves, wind and water temperature are fetched live in your browser from NOAA and Open-Meteo. Parking and facility positions come from OpenStreetMap; imagery from USGS NAIP. Facts counted from visitor reviews carry the year range they were written in.
How we know
Where this comes from
Place details from the public Google business listing. Beach shape, parking and facility positions from OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Aerial imagery is public-domain USGS NAIP. Tide comes from NOAA, and weather and water from Open-Meteo. Map drawings are redrawn from that aerial imagery by an image model. Markers, distances and every fact on this page come from OpenStreetMap and counted reviews, never from a drawing. Review text is never republished.
