I love this beach so much! It's beautiful and clean, but just recently, they fenced up a few parts…read moreof the beach and now require payment for residents and non-residents AND when you leave one part of the paid beach to move to another part, you have to pay again! Which is absurd. I was also thinking about renting out a shelter for a party, but the park doesn't allow you to bring your own grill, doesn't allow alcohol, only provides you with two tables, and you have to still pay for parking and access to the beach. It all just seems like a money grab, which sucks because the beach was free to the public for so long! I know a lot of people are upset about the new rules. Aside from that, there is a park, tennis courts, and Fat Shallot, where they serve food and drinks. There is also a patio area to eat and drink, and outdoor showers. PARK ON MICHIGAN AVE and just walk down to avoid some fees!

A park and a beach is along the lake. Gillson Park is the best thing about Wilmette, and beats any…read moreof those overcrowded ones farther south. If you want to actually be able to walk on a beach and not feel crowded, then head up a ways. Be careful about where you park because you can find places for free. There's also plenty of green space for athletic fields. Gillson is a big park, and that makes it feel not as crowded. It has several different parts. There's the actual park with the grass and trees. It's often very quiet here. Where's all the people? At the beach. This beach is still less crowded than any of the Chicago beaches full of both locals and tourists. It has a nice little play area. The sand is pretty clear of debris for the most part. Also at this park is a big ass marina. There's lots of boats, and there's also a club you can join if you can pay up. However you spend time here, just be careful about parking or it may be costly. It has pay lots close to the beach but you can find free parking on the residential streets. They have certain places where you can't park though, so pay attention to signs and whatever.

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!

This is hands down, the best of all beach's in Chicago's Northshore…read more I went here just recently and am very satisfied with how nice and well maintained it is. people are very cautious during times like these and maintain a distance. There is a pier with an elevator and staircase to get to beach front, picnic tables on pier and balcony closer to beach front.

Hidden local gem. Keep it secluded. No big party's or events. Nice quick stop at sunset or sunrise…read moreon the commute to somewhere else.

Small, but beautiful. Soft sand. Not too many rocks along the shore. Walkable pier where many sun…read morebathe without having to step in the sand. They launch kayaks and canoes. There are steps and a ramp to get to and from. Decent sized parking lot with time restrictions during the weekdays. Fun playground near the parking lot. Always an enjoyable time when we come. Weekdays: $5 for Winnetka residents. $10 for non-residents. Weekends and holidays: $15 res/$30 non.

For around here, this is a quiet beach. It's located beside a residential area, so there's not many…read moreoutsiders. Maple Street Beach is of course located along Maple Street. Also of course, there's a beach house. The best thing about it is seeing the views of the sky on the water. Beach is mostly clean. It's usually not that crowded even when it's summer. This is 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. Park area has a gazebo. There's also a long pier. Cool place if one likes secluded beaches. It's not like it's totally secluded, but not that many people come here. The worst thing about it is there's too many stairs.

This is a wonderful little spot happened upon it during a colder day always a treat to see snow on…read morethe beach. Place was clean and rather serene

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.

Big park with a lot going on in and around. Dawes Park is one of the best things about Evanston. It…read morehas lots of facilities and green space. Can spend a few hours just chilling. There's also events and programs. A popular thing here is the beach. It's a park right next to the lake so of course it would have one. This isn't that good of one but the area is beautiful and there's some great views. Be sure to go to the pond in the middle. Seems to be the main centerpiece of the park. It also has a fountain. There's of course lots of athletic fields including for soccer. Also plenty of walking paths so you can get exercise. There's a snack window by the beach so you can get things like ice cream and junk. For sure it's a great place when the weather is warmer and you can hang around. It's located by the lake. There's lots of programs for children and families such as music and theater.

I recently walked through a variety of parks in Evanston and I think Dawes was my favorite. It's…read morealong the lakefront and provides access to the beach and amazing views. But there's also a gorgeous water fountain and seating to enjoy both the water and the park. Not to mention all the squirrels, ducks, and dogs everywhere. There was just a hustle and bustle from all creatures with this great park as a backdrop.

Beautiful Evening to go for a stroll. Around 70 degrees with very low humidity. Walk along the…read morelake heading north towards Northwestern University & circle back along Sheridan & see the beautiful homes.

I love this beach. Parking is easy and it's secluded. Would have gotten five stars if it wasn't so…read moreexpensive, but I guess that's how you keep the riff-raff out.

Took a really nice walk here today and wow. I was on the…read morelloyd beach boat launch! It was so peaceful and relaxing. If you are in the area and take a walk down to Lloyd beach you won't be sorry!

Parking is misleading, pass boy doesn't even warn non-residents. Pointless to have it up as a free…read morebeach when it's residents only.

If you're in Chicago or the burbs and looking for an expansive, clean beach with plenty of…read moreamenities, look no further than Tower Road Beach. The Winnetka Park District takes good care of this beach by raking and cleaning it daily during summer hours. We've also come here in the spring and fall when they're closed and the beach looks equally clean. Parking for the beach is at the top of the bluff. There's a nice view from the top, and a picnic area for those who don't want to go to the beach. A path from the parking lot leads down to the beach, you can also get there by taking the road (walk/drive) that contours the south side of the beach/park. Drivers beware, if you don't have a permit you probably don't want to park on the pier. Local po-po come out and tickets with frequency! The park area on the beach has concessions & vending machines (limited hours/access), two playgrounds, two other play area's for kids, a sand volleyball court, an outdoor spray shower, restrooms and a picnic/seating area. The beach itself is large. The sand that they've imported is a higher quality, softer variety that you won't find at most Chicago beaches. Water access is a bit limited to the beach area, so if you're looking to SUP, surf, kayak or other you'll want to check out Lloyd Park which is less than 100yds south of Tower. Other than that, you have access to about 100ft of water, and water inflatables are allowed. I haven't seen many restrictions at Tower, you're invited to bring chairs, food, etc. There is a daily fee which is a bit steep (I believe around $6/person) but they only charge until about 5/6pm. After that we've always walked on for free. There are few beaches in Illinois, and this is one of the best. Cheers!

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.