Pick North Avenue for the scene and the skyline, Montrose for room to spread out, Loyola or a Rogers Park street-end beach for quiet, and 57th Street for the calm South Side version. Parks and beaches are public, so the sesh happens at home first.
North Avenue Beach: the scene
This is the one on the postcards. Volleyball nets, the big beach house and the best skyline view of any beach in the city. It gets packed on summer weekends, so go early or go on a weekday. Walk in from the Lincoln Park side, and read the Lincoln Park guide for the free zoo on the way.
Oak Street and Ohio Street: beaches next to skyscrapers
Oak Street Beach sits at the top of Michigan Avenue and Ohio Street Beach is a small, calm curve just south of Navy Pier. Both feel slightly illegal, like somebody dropped sand next to an office tower. The Red Line's Chicago and Grand stops get you close. See the River North and Loop guide.
Montrose Beach: the room to breathe
Bigger and calmer than North Avenue, with a dog beach and the Magic Hedge, a bird sanctuary on the point. Walk out toward the harbor for the long look back at downtown. Parts of the dunes close in season to protect nesting birds, so stay on the paths. More in the Andersonville and Uptown guide.
Loyola and the Rogers Park street ends: the quiet ones
Loyola Beach is the long local favorite, right by the Red Line's Loyola stop. North of it, Rogers Park has a whole string of tiny beaches at the ends of residential streets. No volleyball, no crowd, just the lake. See the Rogers Park guide.
57th Street: the south lakefront
57th Street Beach is steps from the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, and the path north gives you a long skyline view with a fraction of the North Side crowd. Take the Metra Electric to 55th-56th-57th and walk east. See the Hyde Park guide.
The beach with no lake
Humboldt Park has its own inland beach on the lagoon, open in summer only, with big lawns and barbecue smoke all around it. It's a strange and very good time. See the Humboldt Park guide.
Can you smoke at a Chicago beach?
No. Beaches, parks and the lakefront path are public places under Illinois law, and the Chicago Park District bans smoking and vaping in its parks. So sesh at home, then head to the water. The lake looks exactly the same. The full rundown is in where you can sesh.
How to do a high beach day
Water, sunscreen, snacks, and more water than you think you need. High in the sun gets heavy fast, so find shade by early afternoon. Lifeguards and swimming run through summer and wrap up around Labor Day, and the lake can flip from flat to rough in an hour, so respect the flags. Cooler by the lake is real, so bring a layer even in July. Finish with a beef or a dog. See Chicago munchies and Chicago by season.
Next up: the Chicago neighborhood guides.
