Lighthouse Beach

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Lighthouse Beach

Photo: Paul R. Burley · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🏖️ Beach · Evanston

3 hours · $ · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 3.0
1–3 yrs
★ 5.0
3–5 yrs
★ 5.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 65 min drive
    From Naperville · Parking: Small lot beside the Grosse Point Lighthouse and street parking on Sheridan Rd, hard to find after 10am on weekends
  • 🎒
    Carrier recommended
    Terrain isn't stroller-friendly; a carrier is easier
  • 🌳
    Little shade
    Great on sunny days · Handles heat
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 3 hours
    Best seasons: Summer

Evanston's most family-friendly beach, at the foot of the 1873 Grosse Point Lighthouse, with a gentle slope, shallow water, and lifeguards on duty; beside the lighthouse is a free nature play area and a small dune trail.

💡 Tips
Non-residents need a day or season pass during beach season, mid-June to Labor Day (check the Evanston website); lighthouse tours run on weekend afternoons (ages 8 and up). No strollers on the sand.

What this place offers

✓sandy beach
✓lighthouse
✓lifeguards
✓nature play area
✓picnic
✓restrooms
✓dunes

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Evanston

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

☀️
Sat 10/17
Sunny · 38–56°F · 2% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 47–62°F · 0% rain

Location

Evanston, Illinois

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