Beat the Heat at Chicago’s Beaches!

Much of the activity during Chicago summers centers around the beaches along Lake Michigan. eATLAS has several Adventures in neighborhoods and parks adjacent to many of those beaches, including Hyde Park, Navy Pier, the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, and Uptown. Check them out and more here.

By Dave Lifton (@daveeatschicago)

In 1836, a year before Chicago was incorporated as a city, a map created by the Illinois and Michigan Canal Commission declared that a section of the city fronting Lake Michigan was to be “Public Ground. A Common to remain forever Open, Clear, & free of any buildings, or other Obstructions Whatever.”

That parcel would eventually become Grant Park, and it established the tradition of the lakefront being used for recreational, rather than commercial, purposes. It was extended to the entire city in Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett’s landmark 1909 Plan of Chicago.

“The Lake front by right belongs to the people,” they wrote. “Not a foot of its shores should be appropriated to the exclusion of the people. On the contrary, everything possible should be done to enhance its attractiveness and to develop its natural beauties, thus fitting it for the part it has to play in the life of the whole city.”

The plan called for a system of parks, lagoons, and as many beaches as possible. Today, all but four of the 30 miles of Chicago along Lake Michigan are reserved for public recreation, with 26 beaches (and even one that’s inland—see below) that allow Chicagoans and visitors the opportunity to keep cool all summer long.

Naturally, the most prominent are those found downtown. Located at the southern base of Lincoln Park, North Avenue Beach is identified by the massive beach house shaped like an ocean liner, where visitors can enjoy a meal and drink at the newly remodeled Castaways Beach Club; rent kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, or jet skis; and purchase beachwear and sundries. It’s also the most popular place to view the Air & Water Show in mid-August.

Accessible by an underpass at the northern end of the Magnificent Mile, Oak Street Beach provides the best of both worlds—a waterfront oasis surrounded by one of the world’s great skylines. Get a beachside massage at Coups de Main, eat at Whispers, and check out Jeff Zimmerman’s “You Know What You Should Do,” a 280-foot-long mural that advocates for environmental awareness while at the beach.

Only half a mile south is the small, but very popular Ohio Street Beach, known as “The Playpen” for the boats that congregate in the no-wake zone. But it’s more than simply a floating party; Caffé Oliva has cabanas for rent and the adjacent Milton Lee Olive Park offers exceptional views of the skyline. Plus, it’s only steps away from Navy Pier.

Up in the North Side neighborhood of Uptown, Montrose Beach is Chicago’s largest. Stop by The Dock for light beach fare, drinks, and live bands nightly. Dogs are welcome to enjoy the water at Mondog, provided they have the necessary paperwork showing that they are healthy and vaccinated. The nearby dunes and bird sanctuary have been essential in protecting the ecosystem, and have turned the piping plovers who live there in the summer into local celebrities. Montrose Beach is the only spot in Chicago that allows kiteboarding on Lake Michigan.

A few miles north, at the top of the Lakefront Trail, is Kathy Osterman Beach, which has a reputation for being LGBTQ-friendly due to its proximity to Andersonville. Have a meal at Aura, a café from the team behind the popular local wine bar, Uvae.

In 2015, the 31st St. Beach on the South Side was renamed after local artist, historian, and civic leader Margaret T. Burroughs. Have a drink at Pier 31, where they have live music on Wednesdays and a DJ spinning classic R&B and hip-hop on Fridays. Nearby is a playground and a skate park, and you can also rent boats, jet skis, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards at the southern end of the harbor.

Promontory Point isn’t a beach, but a man-made, 40-acre peninsula that juts out onto Lake Michigan a few blocks north of 57^th Street Beach. It’s an ideal, serene place for a picnic, with a meadow surrounded by trees, pavilion, and terraced limestone that allows for gorgeous views of the skyline and Lake Michigan.   

Chicago’s only inland beach, Humboldt Beach reopened in May 2024 after being closed due to the pandemic and subsequent staffing issues. The man-made beach is small, but the lagoon across Humboldt Dr. offers other water activities, including a fishing pier and swan-shaped pedal boat rentals.

The beaches are a major reason why the city comes alive in the summertime, especially after the long, cold winters. Check them out when you come to town!