Waukegan Municipal Beach
Waukegan, IL
Waukegan Municipal Beach is a mile-long stretch of sand on Waukegan's lakefront, backed by natural dunes. It's a local favorite for its open space and some of the cleanest water in Lake County. The Waukegan Harbor lighthouse and marina are just south.
A long, clean, dune-backed beach that rarely feels packed, though Waukegan is off most visitors' radar.
How we score beachesWalk north past the lifeguard area; the dunes get wilder and the crowd thins.
Parking at the lakefront beach lots north of the harbor.
Paved paths lead from the lot to the sand.
The swimming season runs from late May to Labor Day. The dunes are quiet and beautiful in fall.
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.