Clark Street Beach
Evanston, IL
Clark Street Beach is Evanston's biggest and busiest beach, at 1811 Sheridan Road just south of Northwestern's campus and steps from downtown Evanston. Lifeguards watch the swim area in summer, and there's a beach house with restrooms. The Evanston Dog Beach sits just south.
The liveliest beach in Evanston close to downtown, though nonresidents pay to get in.
How we score beachesBuy your day pass on the VIPLY app before you arrive to skip the gate line.
Street and garage parking in downtown Evanston; beach lots are limited.
Paved paths from Sheridan Road lead to the sand.
Admission is required from late May to Labor Day; nonresidents buy daily passes. Evanston expanded free passes for residents in 2026.
More Great Lakes beaches
Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
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Freshwater Lake Michigan surf below towering sand dunes, some over 400 feet tall, with water clear enough to rival a coastline and a hike back up the dune to burn it off.
New Buffalo City Beach
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New Buffalo City Beach is the first real Lake Michigan beach you hit crossing from Indiana, a wide stretch of sand at the end of Whittaker Street beside the harbor and the Galien River channel. Chicago weekenders fill it in summer. The town's shops and restaurants are a five minute walk back up the street.
Warren Dunes State Park
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