North Avenue Beach

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North Avenue Beach

Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🏖️ Beach · Chicago

3 hours · Free · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 3.0
1–3 yrs
★ 4.0
3–5 yrs
★ 4.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 50 min drive
    From Naperville · Parking: North Ave beach lot (about $20–30 on summer weekends, full after 10am); bus 151 / 72 to LaSalle & North
  • 🍼
    Stroller-friendly
    Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
  • 🌳
    Little shade
    Great on sunny days · Handles heat
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 3 hours
    Best seasons: Summer

Chicago's most famous beach, with snacks and restrooms in the boat-shaped beach house, sand wide enough for kites, and a row of skyscrapers as the backdrop; the shallows go out a long way, so kids dig while grown-ups watch the boats.

💡 Tips
Very crowded on weekend afternoons; arrive before 9am for a close parking spot and clean sand. The lake stays cold until late July. A 15-minute walk from the Lincoln Park Zoo.

What this place offers

✓sandy beach
✓free
✓lifeguards
✓boat-shaped beach house
✓snacks
✓restrooms
✓skyline

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Chicago

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

☀️
Sat 10/17
Sunny · 36–57°F · 3% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 48–63°F · 0% rain

Location

Chicago, Illinois

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