I come here mostly to run, and take in the views of Montrose Harbor, and Lake Michigan. This area has free parking ; along with the option to do many other things that are in the area. Me being a runner I'm attracted to Cricket Hill, and also the Track field, which is in short distance from Montrose Beach. This area is one of the many peaceful places along the Lakefront where you can run, swim, tan, walk your dog, meditate, or read a book on one of the concrete benches along the outline of the beach. There is also an open area where you can play flag football, fly a kite, or throw your Frisbee. Located in between the beach and harbor there is a bike share pick up or drop off if you're interested in getting a bike ride in if you don't own a bike to ride. Enjoy! read more

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This is my favorite beach in Chicago. It's vast, and even on the big summer holidays (memorial day, the 4th, labor day) you can find a spot to grill with your friends and still have plenty of room to play frisbee. The people that come to Montrose I have always found to be friendlier than at other beaches, and there's plentiful beachfront to swim. The dog beach portion is well maintained and I believe it is the largest dog beach in the city proper, so plenty of room to either let your pup run around or watch them play if you don't have a dog. There's also a decent beach bar (The Dock) which has good food and drinks. Overall, I am lucky to live a 10 minute walk away, because in the summer, I'm here all the time! read more

Visited Montrose Beach today for the first time with friends and co-workers. Of the beaches in Chicago, I don't mind this one so much. It does get a bit crowded and free parking is nearly impossible to find (there are so many people that visit this park and beach!). But overall, I did enjoy when was there today. We had enough room to sit and enjoy the sun without being overcrowded or cramped next to another group of people. The area near the water was very crowded, especially with families and little ones. So plan ahead if you've wanting to visit. The sand here is ...well.. I would say typical of the beaches in the Chicago area. Tough to walk through barefoot as there was a lot of rough objects (rocks, glass, etc.). If you are sensitive to this bring flip flops or shoes. Other than that though, there is PLENTY to do here -- jetskiing, paddleboarding, volleyball, and room for any other beach games you and your friends like to play (handball, frisbee, bags, etc.) I'm happy with the variety of activities and the availability of the food in the restaurant nearby. read more

Nice place to launch and land a kayak though it's a bit of a carry. Good break wall near the bird sanctuary. read more

Montrose Beach - Launching a nash kayak at Montrose beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Montrose Beach is probably my favorite 'major' beach in the city. The beaches more south, specifically North Ave, tend to get super busy and chaotic - which I'm not a fan of. The beach here is fairly long with lots of space to set up for a day in the sun. There are guys with ice cream carts walking up and down the beach as well (cash only). You can also stop at the restaurant for some drinks and food, or the concession stand for a quick snack. Since the recent influx of rain, much of the beach is covered in water - still plenty of sand to lounge - they have a long elevated ramp to allow people to cross this mini lake and get to the real beach, however, it smells terrible! People, especially kids, like to play in that water...I wouldn't recommend that. The views at the beach are great and if you walk around to where the boats are docked, you can see the beautiful Chicago skyline. Another perk? Free parking all around the beach. I haven't come here on a weekend in awhile, but weekday parking is easy. If you haven't had a chance, this is definitely a beach to check out! read more

Don't matter how many garbage cans Are ,there ppl still drop their trash on the beach All kind trash grrrttttt read more

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It's not that far from my place so I like shooting here. Specially family sessions. The beach. The sand. The rocks. The woods. Beautiful trees. Everything is here. As a photographer I enjoy this place. Meeting with my clients and sometimes I stop by just For fun! P read more

Don't know if I've ever been to this beach before or if it had been a while. It's very close to a park and when I was walking up I'm like is this beach even here?? It has a dog beach next to it. Went here for a drumming event it was most chill. Hippies dancing and playing drums, sand was cool beach was clean. read more

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Chicago in the summertime is where it's at!! I'd never been during this time of year before, and it was wonderful. I'm never coming in early spring again. We decided to stay in Uptown this time since we were meeting up with my brother who was in town for Lolla (and I'm a procrastinator and didn't decide to come up until 2 weeks prior). Normally I stay around Millennium Mile, downtown, and wander a bit into West Loop, but accommodations there were sky-high or non-existent. I'm SO glad we ended up having to stay in Uptown, only a short walk away from this beach. There is a cute dog beach here where the puppers looked so happy to be running around on the sand and into the water. We stayed on the human side. Even though it was a toasty 95 degrees that day, it didn't feel it, and the lake made cooling off too easy. There were a lot of people out, but the beach never seemed too claustrophobic. Visiting was really the perfect weekend activity to start our day with. read more

The lakefront is one of Chicago's greatest natural amenities. Enjoy it every chance you get! Montrose Beach is a pleasant place to exercise (walk, jog, bike, etc.) or to just relax and have fun with your friends and family. At night you may run into a raccoon or two. read more

Montrose Beach - Raccoon near Montrose Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So I'm rating this as a 3 star only because I have never been to any of the other beaches in Chicago for comparison. I also have no idea what the beach is like during normal beach hours since I arrived a little before 9AM on a Saturday morning. The plan was to get to North Avenue early so that we could get a good spot for the air and water show but the lot was closed by 8:30 and there were so many vendors that the area just seemed highly unappealing. We then aimed for Foster Beach but ended up here instead when I walked the wrong direction from the parking lot. Parking was super easy due to the early hour. Basically nobody was around except for dog owners and their dogs at the dog beach. Quite a sight to see actually. The actual beach itself is huge. I'd say it's somewhere between 1/4 to 1/2 of mile in width, and maybe 80 yards in length (from water to rocks). The beach was pretty empty when we got there. Basically just a few Hispanic families. The sand was reasonably clean, and it seemed like it had recently been combed. However, a big portion in the middle was randomly wet, so perhaps the water table does something weird there. Over the course of the next two hours, more or more people streamed in but it never felt that crowded. Eventually, some younger people came and I assume that further down the beach there may have been more younger folk rather than families. All in all a pleasant enough experience. More families than I prefer, but I'll take that over towel to towel crowds. FYI: No dog poop in the water, though the water was freezing so I didn't explore that far. read more

After spending many a summer fighting the crowds at North Avenue beach, competing with teeny-boppers and muscle dudes pounding volleyballs in my face, I was pretty pleased to finally make it to Montrose. (That being said, Chicago, you never fail to impress and surprise me even after all these years.) I hadn't been here and after finally finding the group of friends, breathed a sigh of relief to see there was plenty of space to stretch out, find a spot of your own and overall relax with out someone screaming, "Like! Oh my God!" from two beach blankets away. Only downfall, there isn't a bar at this one -- but you can pack your own cooler, save some cash and Chicago Police will not be on you like they are at that "other" beach. Then again, I'm disappointed anywhere I go and there isn't a bar. read more

Montrose Beach - Montrose Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I know I speak for my doggies when I say that "Montrose Beach is the bestest beach ever!" Well, specifically, the separate dog portion of the beach. They also wanted me to say that there is just so much open beach to run and play... and then of course, there's all that beautiful water to swim in and even drink -- yum! Other dog owners do a pretty good job of keeping an eye on their dogs and making sure that they pick up after them, but the occasional owner is well, quite frankly, just a slob. I have spent countless hours here trying to convince my dogs that playtime is over... and this beach will always hold a special place in my heart with all of the great memories of those wonderful times! ****FOUR STARS**** read more

This beach is okay but can be crowded and dirty. On weekends public free parking can be difficult. Spacious area to go. Would give this beach 3.5 stars honestly but that isn't an option. read more

Montrose Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If I had no choice but to pick one beach in Chicago to be a mermaid and live under the sea, I probably wouldn't pick a Chicago beach. But, since I do not have that luxury, and the point of my game is to pick one, I choose Montrose beach. The beach, volleyball, jet ski rentals, that awesome little lakeside restaurant , The Dock, the surrounding park and dock for boats and ample FREE parking..that's enough for any mermaid read more

There's lots of doggie bombs and babies so watch out when playing Frisbee. Your amount of fun can definitely be determined by whether or not you fall into shit or kick a toddler in the head. Fortunately I avoided both on my last trip up this way so it wasn't a bad experience, but this beach is pretty crowded, kinda dirty, and doesn't have close to the same eye candy you'll find at the others. There's free parking which is a benefit, but other than that it's a sandy crotch. read more

Yeah, it's kinda dirty. Maybe a little ghetto. But it's a beach and it's free. When I go I enjoy the view of the skyline north of the beach and I don't spend my time gauging whether or not people are fat as some other reviewers seem to do. I have yet to go in the water here, so I can't tell ya if dog crap is going to be floating your way. My only gripe is about the bathrooms. I realize that there's not a whole lot that can be done here, but someone should just dump a few buckets of water on the floors every now and then to get that wet mud/sand and smell out of there. read more

Love this beach! It's not my favorite, but it's pretty good. First good thing about it? Parking! Tons and TONS of free parking! There's even parking for my bike at a bike rack. Next, there's a lot here. There's a harbor with boats and athletic fields. It's not JUST a beach. Third, the beach itself is not that crowded. As a result, it's decently clean. You don't have to worry about trash and broken glass. Fourth, there are nice facilities. There are lockers, bathrooms, a bathroom, and a fountain for drinking water AND cleaning sand off of your feet. Fifth, there are water sport rentals. You can get a jet ski, kayak, or paddle board. It's a nice option if you want to mix up your beach activities. Oh - and besides that, there are good places for fishing off of the harbor. Sixth (and this really isn't a plus for me), it's a dog beach. read more

I'm getting pretty tired of reading these reviews saying the beach is "dirty" and "gross". People! It's a Lake Michigan beach!! If you want white sand and clear blue water, start saving and head to Jamaica. This beach has free parking, and it's huge both length and width-wise. What more do you expect from a public beach? I usually go alone or with a few friends, but there is definitely plenty of room to bring the family and play volleyball, soccer, or build sand castles. read more

I love Montrose cause of the whole parking set up. Normally I'm always able to score a free spot. With that said I kinda find this beach boring. Don't quote me but I even feel like there's less sand here than other beaches and the view of the skyline isn't as great. A beach is a beach though so I'll be back. read more

Montrose Beach - Sunset at the beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There was trash everywhere, from broken glass to dirty diapers. The small rocks were everywhere I walked. I almost stepped on a needle!!! The water was suspiciously warm. read more

Great large fenced in dog beach filled with friendly frolicking well behaved pooches and their human chaperones. Lovely spot to enjoy these good natured butt sniffing companions being happy dogs. As the sign at the entrance states, "there is no poo fairy" and the beach is remarkably clean. read more

Montrose Beach - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Skinny dipping at 3am. Solitary, Invigorating, Cold. Makes one feel alive. Oh yeah and during the day.... Great place to grill, picnic, bring your dog, fly a kite, roll around in the grass, build a sandcastle, swim, watch the boats, you know...normal stuff. read more

Well one weekend decided to run long and woke up around 8.30 am and started running and walking and reached this place with lot of people who motivated to further run and finally reached this place which is pretty calm and with huge stone blocking the waves and few people relaxing and fishing. Well the sky scrappers seems to be a little far but not actually. The place is nice and serene to relax. read more

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There's no reason to be hating on Montrose Beach. If you somehow manage the unpossible (me fail english?) and can walk with your nose up in the air while scouring the ground for trash you probably won't enjoy your day at the beach or your life in general. Why not look at the boats on the water or the gorgeous city skyline instead? It's a decent enough beach to lay on the sand or toss a disc in the water. Go pay $10 for the same lake in Evanston if you can't deal with the plebes. And for the record: anyone who doesn't think the Montrose Dog Beach is the happiest place on earth needs to have their soul checked. read more

I had to laugh at Micheal P's review, because the day I went I witnesses the exact same thing. For some reason, a big portion of the sand (right in the middle of the beach) and turned into a semi-swamp. It was all wet and mushy with a few inches of water. I'm assuming the build up was due to the torrential down pour a few days earlier . . . which is just nasty. Stagnant rain water. Sick. Even sicker? Children frolicking in the nasty mess. But whatever. What other people want to do with their children is none of my business. So we found ourselves a nice dry patch of sand by the water and set up shop. The sun was bright, the water was cool, and there were no annoying yuppies prancing around. And for me, that is really all I ask for in a beach. I think some of the reviewers might be using the word "ghetto" to simply mean non-white. And shame on them. Because this is a perfectly nice beach filled with nice families and cute kids. Sure, maybe it isn't the white sanctuary that is north ave beach...and to that i say thank god. read more

I think some of these reviews are a little harsh. This is a FREE public beach in Chicago on Lake Michigan. Throw in free parking to boot. It's family oriented and if you get there early, I find there have never been cleanliness issues. I think many of these reviews might have been in the early evening to late afternoons after the hoards of large families show up. That's no excuse for not picking up after yourself or your children, but, folks, it happens. I enjoy going here on hot days to just enjoy the sun and our beautiful lakefront and read with a picnic lunch. read more

This was my neighborhood beach growing up. Never had crowds like North Ave, plus tons of free parking. The sand is thicker than at North avenue beach (less likely to burn your feet, and you can run and jump on it more easily). There's also a bird sanctuary nearby and lots of volleyball poles. read more

I am absolutely biased because I live a mile away from here. ...but I really enjoy this beach because it isn't crazy crowded like North Avenue and it's tucked away from all the sounds of Lake Shore Drive. I enjoy that there are some opportunistic people along the beach or grass selling tacos, mangoes, ice cream, beer and pop. I enjoy the diversity of this beach as well, singles, couples, families, young, old...it makes me appreciate living so close to a mini-city getaway. read more

The good points.... The beach is huge.... there is some parking there.... and has many of the same amenities that North ave beach without the crowds The bad points.... weird swimming so close to dogs, worry about the cleanliness issue with that. Also, people don't control there kids, still too busy to feel like you have any privacy. Lastly, be nice if there was some eye candy. read more

A nice beach that doesn't get too crowded. There is also a pretty big park area outside of the beach where a lot of people picnic and grill. I used to play volleyball on this beach and I always thought it was a nice mix of families and young people relaxing and having a good ol' time on a summer night. read more

This beach is mediocre. I mean, all beaches can get kind of dirty, right? But Montrose Beach is probably the most nastiest so far. I mean, the washrooms are DISGUSTING! Most people take a nasty a** sh** and don't even bother to flush. Bottles, condoms and urine, etc, can be found ALL over the floor. But all beach bathrooms are nasty so... Yeah The little restaurant/bar is cool to go see a band performance. But don't ask me how the food is, because I did not eat there. I believe we even spoke to some of the band members when we went this past Summer 2014. LOL The water is, kind of gross to be honest. And I could barely even swim, even though it was around 60°F to 70°F. The swarm of seagulls, FREAKED ME OUT! And I have a phobia of seagulls, so, I was trying to avoid them the best of my ability. But, that swarm/cage/area for them is quite pointless to me. And they just come snapping at you, and snatch food from people left and right. We where trying to eat our food in peace! Foster is definitely my go-to beach. It is WAY cleaner, and better for barbecues/picnics/parties in my opinion. Overall, just skip it, if you're a germaphobe I guess. read more

Ahhhhh! May day at the beach Light breezes Powerful sun A solitary red beach chair An expanse of soft white sand And that I've-been-to-the-beach smell Bring on summer,all you gods of prairies and dunes! read more

Came here late on a Friday night after grabbing some tacos. It was windy, but still a perfect night out for tacos and conversation with a pretty girl. Plenty of free street parking and no harassment from the cops, even though it was after closing hours. read more

Just got back from a great afternoon at Montrose beach. I met up with some friends to play some ultimate frisbee, then we grilled some food, relaxed for a while before finishing out with some volleyball. I was at North Ave. beach yesterday (a Saturday) and it was much more crowded. There were open volleyball nets at Montrose the whole time I was there today (midday till about 5pm), whereas at North Ave the volleyball nets usually fill up by around 11am. The sand was fine, although there were some shells and pieces of glass where we set up to play ultimate. I did not find any littler in the sand, and whilst I only paddled in the water, I did not find anything in there either. Also worth noting is that whilst there is a lot of parking, it does fill up since most people drive to the beach. By midday, it seems that parking was hard to come by. However, I cycled and locking up my bike was not an issue; they have some bike racks, but also a lot of poles supporting the boathouse that can be used to lock your bike to. All in all, an excellent day. read more

This was our first outing to this beach and I must admit it will not be our last. We left our home early enough to get a great parking spot [which was free], noticed the crowd began to come around 11:00 am. Don't have a dog but it was pretty awesome to watch the dogs enjoy their day at the dog beach. Definitely worth a visit or two. read more

Montrose Beach - Serene. - Beaches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the place to head if you're looking for a little fun and sun without sexy bodies prancing around... The sand is hard (take that for whatever you will)...and there can be debris...however, at any of the Chicago beaches, there is debris. You deal with it. Big city? Big garbage. Eh, just watch where you're stepping! (That being said, I haven't noticed any more garbage here than at any of the other Chicago beaches.) I love this beach because there's room to spread out. You don't feel like your group of beach towels is being eavesdropped upon by the next because there is room to park yourself away from others. If you get bored just laying around, you can take a walk a bit north and check out the doggie beach. Montrose bus heads straight there during the summer, drops you off just where you need to be. Bring a cooler, your friends, and some sunscreen...this is part of the making of a perfect summer day! read more

Fun! I'm a fan because we can bring our dog here. I love it! We went for the PAWS Run for Their Lives event, which was super fun. The non-beach area is clean and large, great for barbecues and hanging out. There's a lot of sporting areas like soccer fields, badminton and volleyball courts and places to rent kayaks. The dog area is nice and clean (surprisingly - no poop!). I like that there's a place at the beach to take dogs so they can have fun in the sand and swim in the water. I didn't notice any weird garbage on the beach or anything, but I think there was some broken glass. A few dogs on the PAWS walk had been on the beach and later had to have things cleaned out of their fur and paws... I'm not really sure what was going on, but there was probably something dangerous in the sand. Overall, a good dog-friendly place in the city. Great for parties and dog-related fun activities. read more

Nice beach, free parking, only issue can be some over-crowding. Come early to avoid it and you should be fine. The beach is rather large here and you can always find a spot not too near anyone else to set up camp. Many people stay the day and have coolers and food nearby. I enjoy the the dog beach is right next door. I've brought my pup over to the dog beach, then crossed the fence over to this beach for a picnic (without dogs getting into the food). Lots of families, lots of groups of friends. There is food available nearby and there are always vendors walking around the beach itself. I've never had any issues with the beach being unclean. All in all, a great way to spend a lazy summer day with friends. read more

I don't find this beach to be "ghetto" at all. There was a bit of trash and debris, for the most part out the outskirts of the beach, but nothing too horrible. I'm not going to pretend to be Adrien Monk and spray everything with Lysol and wear a body condom to avoid contact with bacteria. This is the city and you're going to have assholes tossing beer cans and paper cups. I was there in the morning until about 1:00 PM and not once was it obnoxiously crowded. It was so laid back that I set up about 100 yards from the beach and I hardly heard a peep from the 100 some people, kids and adults, kicking soccer balls, throwing frisbees, splashing in the water. I sat on the beach reading a book. I was only disturbed once by a man walking by saying, "You're a little far from the party." I replied: "It's quieter out here." It may not be the same crowd as North Avenue Beach, but I prefer the relative solitude to the overcrowded jerky beaches any day. read more