Chicago’s Best Beaches: Top 5
Looking to visit Chicago’s best beaches along Lake Michigan? This guide has you covered, highlighting the most beautiful beaches and what makes each one worth visiting.
Lake Michigan is home to many beautiful beaches, but for this list, I focused only on those within Chicago city limits. Each beach was evaluated based on its natural scenery, skyline views, surrounding parkland, photo opportunities, and overall atmosphere.
Admission to all Chicago beaches is free, and the Chicago Park District manages 26 miles of open lakefront for residents and visitors.
Swimming is allowed only in marked swimming areas when lifeguards are working. The regular beach season runs from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, with lifeguards generally on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check the Chicago Park District beach dashboard before entering the water because waves, weather, and water conditions can change during the day.
Montrose Beach
Montrose Beach earns the top spot among Chicago’s most beautiful beaches because it combines a broad stretch of sand with dunes, open Lake Michigan views, grassy picnic areas, and distant skyline scenery. It feels more open and nature-focused than the beaches closer to downtown.
Located near Uptown at Montrose Avenue and Lake Michigan, the beach has food concessions, restrooms, showers, volleyball rentals, kayak rentals, an accessible beach walk, and a launch area for nonmotorized boats. Distance swimming is also available in a marked section north of the boathouse.
What makes Montrose different is the natural area on the eastern side of the beach. The Chicago Park District stopped grooming part of the sand in 2001, allowing dunes and a rare wetland habitat known as a panne to form naturally. The area now supports several threatened and endangered Illinois plant species.
Montrose is also one of the best Chicago beaches for birdwatching. More than 300 bird species have been recorded around the nearby dunes and bird sanctuary. A paved loop provides access through prairie, shrub, and woodland areas.
Come on a weekday morning for more room along the shoreline. The large beach makes it easier to find your own patch of sand than at smaller downtown beaches.
Highlights
- Wide sandy shoreline with plenty of room to spread out
- Dunes, grasses, birds, and beautiful Lake Michigan scenery
- Kayak rentals, volleyball, showers, restrooms, and concessions
- Accessible beach walk leading toward the shoreline
- Separate dog-friendly beach area on the northern end
North Avenue Beach
North Avenue Beach is the beach many people picture when they think about summer in Chicago. The sand curves along Lake Michigan while the downtown skyline rises behind it, creating one of the city’s most recognizable waterfront views.
The beach sits in Lincoln Park at North Avenue and Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Its best-known feature is the blue-and-white beach house, which was designed to look like an ocean liner. The 22,000-square-foot building has multiple levels and overlooks the beach, lake, and skyline.
This is one of the best Chicago beaches for skyline photos, volleyball, people-watching, and an active day by the water. The setting is more social than serene during warm weekends, so arrive early when you want a good spot near the water.
North Avenue Beach also works well for visitors who want to combine a beach day with sightseeing. Lincoln Park’s gardens, zoo, museums, walking paths, and ponds are only a short distance from the sand.
The combination of city architecture and open water makes North Avenue beautiful during nearly any part of the day. Walk toward the southern end of the beach for a wider skyline angle, or head onto the upper parts of the beach house for a higher view.
Highlights
- One of the best Chicago beaches for skyline photography
- Large sandy area near Lincoln Park
- Famous ocean-liner-style beach house
- Volleyball and an active summer atmosphere
- Easy access to the Lakefront Trail and nearby park attractions
Oak Street Beach
Oak Street Beach places you right between Lake Michigan and the tall buildings of the Gold Coast. Few urban beaches put the city this close to the sand, which is why Oak Street is one of the prettiest and most photographed beaches in Chicago.
The beach is located near the Gold Coast and Streeterville neighborhoods at Oak Street and Lake Michigan. Visitors can find chair rentals, bike rentals, volleyball rentals, food, drinks, restrooms, and an accessible beach walk. The Chicago Park District also points to its sweeping city skyline view as one of the beach’s main draws.
Oak Street Beach is smaller than Montrose and North Avenue, but its close-up architecture gives it a look of its own. Stand near the water and look back toward shore to capture the sand, trees, and skyscrapers in one photo.
This is a smart choice for travelers staying around Michigan Avenue, the Gold Coast, River North, or Streeterville. You can spend a few hours at the beach and then walk back toward restaurants, stores, observation decks, and museums without planning a separate trip across town.
Parking close to the beach is limited, so walking, biking, taking the CTA, or using a rideshare may be easier than driving. The Lakefront Trail passes beside the beach and connects it with North Avenue Beach to the north and Ohio Street Beach farther south.
Highlights
- Close-up views of the Gold Coast skyline
- Great location for Chicago beach photography
- Chair, bicycle, and volleyball rentals
- Food, drinks, restrooms, and an accessible beach walk
- Convenient location near downtown hotels and attractions
12th Street Beach
12th Street Beach feels like a small lakefront hideaway, even though it sits near some of Chicago’s biggest attractions. Located on Northerly Island just south of Adler Planetarium, it has a curved pocket of sand protected by surrounding parkland.
The beach is smaller than North Avenue or Montrose, giving it a cozier feel. A beach house provides restrooms, food, and drinks, while the nearby peninsula offers paths, native plant areas, bird habitats, and broad views across Lake Michigan.
This is one of the best Chicago beaches for families who want to pair swimming and sandcastle building with a visit to Museum Campus. It is also a good pick for photographers who want lake views without the larger weekend crowds often found at North Avenue Beach.
The natural area south of the swimming beach contains dunes, native grasses, sedges, and flowering plants. A paved path follows the western side, giving visitors another way to enjoy the water and lakefront habitat after leaving the sand.
Since the beach sits farther out on Northerly Island, you may need to walk a bit after arriving by public transportation. The scenic setting makes that extra distance worthwhile.
Highlights
- Small, curved beach with a more peaceful atmosphere
- Located beside Northerly Island and Museum Campus
- Restrooms and seasonal food service
- Nearby dunes, native plants, and bird habitat
- Great choice for combining museums and beach time
31st Street Beach
Officially named Margaret T. Burroughs Beach, 31st Street Beach offers one of the best skyline views from Chicago’s South Side. Instead of standing beneath the downtown buildings, you can look north and see the skyline stretched across the horizon.
The beach sits within Burnham Park beside 31st Street Harbor. Visitors have access to concessions, restrooms, a beach house, parking, and nearby recreational spaces. The harbor adds sailboats, docks, and open water to the scenery, giving this part of the lakefront a relaxed marina feel.
The nearby park includes an accessible playground, a public fishing dock, and a rooftop picnic area above an indoor parking structure. This makes 31st Street Beach a good choice for groups who want more than swimming and sunbathing.
Photographers should walk toward the northern side of the beach or harbor for a clear view toward downtown. The distance from the Loop allows more of the skyline to fit into a single frame, especially when the air is clear.
The beach is also near the Burnham Wildlife Corridor, a long chain of natural spaces extending along the South Side lakefront. Visitors can combine their beach day with a walk or bike ride through nearby parkland.
Highlights
- Wide Chicago skyline views from the south
- Sandy beach beside a large marina
- Concessions, restrooms, and parking
- Accessible playground and rooftop picnic area
- Good location for fishing, biking, and lakefront photography