As the year wraps up and the Polar Vortex becomes just a memory, it’s time to lather on the sunscreen and head to one of Chicago’s many beaches.
Come summertime, there’s nothing worse than showing up to the beach for a nice, relaxing swim but finding the water filled to the brim with people. Or wanting to read a book, but not being able to because there’s a noisy playground full of children nearby. Or going to the beach for a nice game of volleyball only to find there’s no net.
Spanning 26 miles along the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago’s beaches are a hub for people throughout the city to gather and enjoy the summer season. But with 27 different beaches to choose from, and amenities ranging from restaurants and free Wi-Fi to volleyball tournaments and parks, choosing the right activity at the right beach is crucial.
Best beach you didn’t know existed
Humboldt Beach
Amenities: Privacy, large adjacent park, baseball and tennis courts, soccer fields, museum, fishing
How to get there: Take the Red Line south to Clark and Division. Take the 70 bus west to Division and Humboldt. Walk north on Humboldt Drive to the lagoon and surrounding park.
Off the beaten path of lakefront beaches in Chicago is Humboldt Beach. Located within Humboldt Park and serving as Chicago’s only inland beach, Humboldt is a truly unique beach experience. Nestled around two large lagoons, the beach is surrounded by the many amenities of the 219-acre park, including a replica of Wrigley Field and an artificial turf
soccer field.
Since swimming in the lagoons isn’t quite like swimming in Lake Michigan, head over to the pool located within the park and leave the lagoons for picnicking and fishing, which, unlike the lakefront beaches, is allowed at Humboldt Beach.
Additionally, the beach is located just steps away from the Institute for Puerto Rican Arts & Culture. The museum hosts visual art exhibits, educational courses and festivals.
Best beach to run into your friends
North Avenue Beach
Amenities: Beach volleyball courts, Jet Ski and kayak rental, golf course, boathouse
How to get there: Take the Brown Line to Sedgwick. Walk north on Sedgwick Street to Eugenie Street. Walk east on Eugenie Street until it runs into LaSalle Drive. Follow LaSalle Drive east to North Avenue Beach.
One of the best things about North Avenue Beach is its proximity to DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus. Stretching from the Diversey Harbor to the edge of Old Town and the Gold Coast, North Avenue Beach is one of the largest and most populated beaches in Chicago.
Home to a boathouse that includes the bar and grill Castaways, this beach is one of the most popular beaches in Chicago,
hosting international volleyball tournaments, renting out sporting and boating equipment and housing a concession stand.
If North Avenue Beach is known for anything, though, it’s the crowdedness. Expect to be surrounded by thousands of Chicagoans, tourists and teenagers from the suburbs, who had the same idea to come to the beach.
Best beach for culture
31st Street Beach
Amenities: Public art display, harbor
How to get there: Take the Red Line south to Sox-35th. Take the 35 bus east to Cottage Grove and Woodland Park. Walk south on Cottage Grove Avenue to 35th Street. Walk east on 35th Street until it turns into a path to the beach.
If you’re willing to make the trek down to Bronzeville’s 31st Street Beach, then you’re in for a day full of culture and relaxation.
This beach houses a public art display comprised of the trees uprooted during construction of the 31st Street harbor,
sculpted by artists and re-imagined into a colorful landscape lining the adjacent Burnham Park.
Additionally, beginning June 15, the beach will host another art installation called “The Harbor Classroom,” featuring desks, books and informational material to educate patrons on local ecosystems.
Aside from the public art, 31st Street Beach also boasts one of the best views of the city in Chicago. When facing north, the beach has an expansive view of the skyline, but it is a small enough beach to avoid the crowds that typically gather at the more popular places for skyline views, such as nearby Promontory Point.
Best beach for finals week
Kathy Osterman Beach
Amenities: Beach volleyball courts, beach house, free Wi-Fi, boat rentals
How to get there: Take the Red Line north to Bryn Mawr. Walk east to Sheridan Road, then north to Ardmore Avenue. Walk east on Ardmore Avenue to Osterman Beach.
With summer vacation only a week away, it’s especially difficult to finish projects and study for finals this quarter.
Luckily, Kathy Osterman Beach in the Edgewater neighborhood offers the best of both worlds. You can lounge on the beach while also using free Wi-Fi — which covers the entire beach — so you can get some work done, too.
The beach, located at Hollywood and Sheridan, is also home to a 2,750-square-foot LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) beach house completed in 2010 with concessions for beach patrons.
Additionally, Osterman Beach houses a sandy area for beach volleyball and facilitates lessons in paddleboarding.
Best beach to relax
Foster Beach
Amenities: Bike rental, dog beach, free Wi-Fi, basketball courts
How to get there: Take the Red Line to Berwyn. Walk east to Sheridan Road and continue in the same direction onto a path leading to the lakefront.
A relatively isolated beach, Foster Beach offers some of the most peaceful shore grounds away from the more crowded
beaches closer to the Loop.
The north end of the beach permits dogs, offering Chicago dog owners a place where they can relax with their favorite pets, or a place for people without pets to meet some pups.
Additionally, the beach has a bike rental service (not Divvy) that allows beach patrons to rent a bike for 1 to 6 hours and ride along Chicago’s 18-mile lakefront trail. Prices range from $10 for one hour to $45 for the whole day.