illinois beach state park

very nice nature trail with places to rest and recreate, observing birds and other animals, taking professional photographs

For years I have wanted to stop at this park after seeing the signs on I-94. Now having seen it I don't ever have a reason to go back. We took a walk along the lakeshore path on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The place was deserted. Both of the two buildings along the path should we torn down. They are in terrible shape. With the view of the nuclear power plant in the background, the grass growing in the parking lot, trash everywhere I felt like I was in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster.The place has tremendous potential. This is the worst beach I have seen on the Great Lakes.

The small casual restaurant at the Illinois Beach State Park Lodge has a wonderful view and very friendly servers. Service was good and the food was a little above average. Their 2 for 1 Prime Rib or Filet specials on Wednesdays and Saturdays are a great bargain. In the winter months there is a nice fireplace going for warmth and atmosphere. We like going there two or three times a year during different seasons for the views. The long drive to the Lodge is through part of the Park and is wooded with a chance of seeing deer.

The park offers nice access to Lake Michigan with beautiful preserved adjacent dunes and marshes. Whether to visit the beach or hike the trails or look at the variety of birds living there, it is a worthy destination. With such a nice place to draw people, it is a mystery that the state's website is so pathetic. Minimal detail and no maps. Upon entering the park there are no maps to guide visitors. Signs are there, but many visitors like to have a mental picture of the area that they are visiting. Furthermore there are two sections to the park that are not connected internally and no guidance at either entrance for what things are at which when you enter the park. Illinois has lots of great resources but doesn't do a good job of marketing them.

This beach is long and quite nice, however the park is lacking facilities and is poorly maintained. There is a closed up shower building where the water has been turned off, and just a few outhouses scattered around. The parking lot was giant, making me think this was once a popular destination, but most of it is full of weeds and clearly unused. Too bad, this spot has potential.

As campgrounds go, this one is pretty average. The campsites are HUGE! And the campground hosts and conservation personnel are friendly. But on busy weekends in particular, the place gets overcrowded and dirty. The shower houses, in particular, are not very clean. There's also a lot of deferred maintenance going on. The beach itself is fine. I mean, it's a beach in Illinois, so you can't really expect it to be Sandals or anything, but it's pretty nice. It's also one of the only Illinois State Parks that you can (legally) drink in the campgrounds. Nobody seems to get too crazy, and if they did the conservation police are driving around a lot, but it's all in all a decent place to camp, as long as your expectations aren't too high.

We visited the beach on a weekend, and a storm was moving in, but the area was beautiful. The weather moving in made for amazing pictures. The area we were in was clean, with close parking. The picnic areas were nice. I love Lake Michigan, and this are is part of why!

There are lots of camping spaces, wonderful trails, and places to walk in the park. The best reason to come here is just to have the peace of staring out at the lake and hearing the waves. There is really ample parking. You'll probably see deer on the way driving to and from the parking lot.

Tried checking in one hour before reservation on a Saturday afternoon. The room was not ready for three hours more. We were told by hotel staff we could use the beach, picnic, cook out, have drinks on their private beach and come back in three hours to check in. We went to the beach did our ice bucket challenges in our group all of us are adults over 40 years old and all have little kids. We get a $120 dollar fine on the beach for consumption of alcohol that we were told was a private beach from the hotel staff right in front of the hotel steps from the hotel. The ticket was issued from the conservationist on a four wheeler. The hotel does not have ANY signs anywhere saying no drinking on the beach. There are no signs on the beach that say no alcohol. We were told this is a private beach and then this happens. Total entrapment. We talk to the hotel staff and the manager fights with my husband screaming at us in front of hotel guest's and yells to my husband- "I HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR OVER 20 NO 30 YEARS like a child! It was insane. Then they give us the keys to look at the rooms- they put us overlooking a parking lot. WE CHECKED OUT! THEY LIE AND TELL YOU YOUR SAFE ON THIER BEACH TO DRINK BUT YOU ARE NOT! FOUR WEDDINGS GOING ON THAT DAY I WONDER HOW MANY WERE TICKETED FOR DRINKING ON THEIR SO CALLED PRIVATE BEACH!

Beautiful park, well-maintained. We were there on an unusually blustery, cool August afternoon. The stark beauty of the Great Lakes is always something to behold. That particular afternoon, there were kite surfers out on the lake. Very easy access from Zion or Waukegan, right off Sheridan Road. Enjoyed.

The beach is wide open. There are no life guards, so swimming is at your own risk.The sand tends to be rocky near the water line, which can be painful for children or for those with sensitive feet.Parking is free, close to the beach, and always available. What's not to like?

The beach was a very nice beach the view was spectacular there were trees here and there.My family and I enjoyed the experience. The only thing was the bathrooms they were a little messy, but at least they had them.

Whether you live in the area or further away, this is a great spot for getting away for a weekend. The park has hundreds of tent and/or RV/trailer campsites available. You can stay for a night or two or weeks at a time. The sites are wooded or open lots, have electricity on site, water nearby, bathrooms and showers available, and wood & ice for sale within the park. Some sites are close together and others have large lots for room to spread out. Some sites are separated where no alcohol is permitted and can be great for families with small children to have their own play space. Some sites are near the beach and are great for access and ambiance. If you love to hear waves at night book a site on Circle 3. Of course, camping in the woods is not the Ritz so the bathrooms are not sparkling. They were cleaned twice a day while I was there for two nights, three days. It is the beach and you expect sand, water, and even mud at times. They were clean, had full rolls of paper and the hand dryers were in working order. Bring your walking shoes and walk the trails and the park. The beach is great though there are little to no concessions available. The Illinois Beach State Park Conference Center is nearby and does have a restaurant. We stayed in the camping site and on the beach only. Just a short ride outside the park are a few fast food places and a convenience store for firewood if you want. I have already booked another weekend before the summer is over.It is $25.00 each night and a $5.00 booking fee. For a weekend getaway, very affordable. Bring your own food and drinks and lay back and relax. Don't forget mosquito repellant.

The beachfront is nice. The kids enjoyed walking along it playing in the water and the sand. As far as the area, it could be kept up more, but considering there is no charge, I would say it was worth the time to visit.

My 1st and last visit! Weed covered parking lots, the outhouse women's door stuck (yes a woman couldn't get out) looking at the door the hinge was broken. The once concession stand and store is boarded up looks like it should be condemed. The views were nice but you needed to watched where you stepped because of litter and yes men's dirty briefs! The park office has the bells and whistles but nope your not allowed in there..Instead your directed to use 2 port a potties in the parking lot and read brochures taped to the window.