Waukegan - all beaches

The beach may be smaller in size, but it's a hit with my kids! They absolutely adore the playground where they can have a great time. Additionally, there are water sprayers for them to run around in, and convenient eating areas and pergolas on the side. It's always maintained well and kept clean, which is impressive. Moreover, the season pass is reasonably priced, making it one of our top choices among the local beaches!

This place is truly a hidden gem. I drove over 9 hours from Missouri to get here, and it was absolutely breathtaking. The water was incredibly cold, so I couldn't spend much time in it, but just relaxing and soaking in the sounds made the trip well worth it.

This place has been revamped—it's clean, less crowded, and free of liquor, vaping, and smoking. There is a $10.00 entrance fee, and police are present during open hours. The venue starts closing down by 8:15 PM.

This beach is absolutely amazing and spacious! I've ridden my bike here several times since I don't live too far from Lake Forest. Residing in Waukegan, Illinois, I took my e-bike on a 7-mile journey to visit this beach, and the lake is stunning. You can see everything, including the Waukegan skyline and the Waukegan Generating Station with its three smoke stacks. The only downside is the parking situation and the $25 fee to enter the beach. You can't park close to the beach unless you have a city sticker. If you want to park for free, you'll have to park a mile away, which is a 30-minute walk from the downtown area. But despite that, this beach is amazing! 😍✨💙

What a fantastic place for all our service members and their families! It even features a sandbar, the first one I've ever seen in fresh water. The area is very clean, and the base itself is simply beautiful. The architecture is from the 20th century, showcasing the pride taken in construction work back then. I would have loved to explore the inside of the buildings to see the old ornamental woodwork and possibly chandeliers still in place. However, since it's an active base with high security, I didn't want to risk getting into trouble. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the base! I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Please take a moment to hit the LIKE button. Thank you!

Yesterday, we stumbled upon this beach and it is absolutely stunning, although it is quite narrow and rocky. The parking lot is incredibly small, with only around 30 spots available. As a result, there were an additional 40 cars parked outside of designated spaces, all of which received a $50 parking ticket. The beach was extremely crowded, with many people barbecuing and filling the air with smoke throughout the entire beach. The path to the beach takes around 6 minutes to traverse and is very steep, so if you're carrying things, you'll definitely get tired on the way back. The trails are also fantastic, but we won't be returning on weekends due to the excessive crowds. It's just too packed, with everyone lining up and not moving, waiting for someone to leave while the police issue tickets to everyone.