North Point Marina Beach
Winthrop Harbor, IL
North Point Marina Beach is a sandy public beach at Illinois' largest marina, in Winthrop Harbor just below the Wisconsin line. After a winter when its future was in doubt, the marina reopened in 2026 under a new operator. There's a fishing pier, bike and kayak rentals, dozens of fishing charters, and a restaurant and brewery by the water.
A sandy beach with a busy, revived marina scene, though it's far from the Chicago crowd and facilities are marina-focused.
How we score beachesRent a bike and ride south into the North Unit of Illinois Beach State Park, which starts right next door.
Parking at the marina; check posted rules for beach parking.
Paved paths around the marina lead toward the beach.
The county samples the beach for water quality from late May to early September. On summer mornings the fishing charters head out early, and the harbor is lively by 6.
More Great Lakes beaches
Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
Empire, MI · Great Lakes
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
New Buffalo, MI · Great Lakes
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
Sawyer, MI · Great Lakes
Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer has roughly three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and some of the tallest dunes in southwest Michigan. Tower Hill rises about 260 feet above the lake, and climbing it and running back down is a rite of passage. On a hot July Saturday the beach feels like a small city.