11 Free Swimming Holes near Waukegan, IL
first prev 1 next lastShowing Swimming Holes within 50 miles Distance miles of Waukegan, IL, USA City, Zip, or Address
Waukegan Municipal Beach
Waukegan
1.5 miles EA mile of free public Lake Michigan sand on Waukegan's north lakefront, open dawn to dusk year-round with no lifeguards; summer weekend parking is $20 for cars without a city sticker.
Swim
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park
Zion
5.1 miles NEIllinois Beach State Park splits into two units along six and a half miles of Lake Michigan, and the public swimming beach is in the south unit, not the eroding north one. Admission and parking are free, there are no lifeguards, and the lake stays cold in
Camp, Hike, Swim
Rosewood Beach
Highland Park
14.1 miles SGuarded Lake Michigan swimming coves in Highland Park's Rosewood Park. Free for park district residents, $10 a day for non-residents plus paid parking, lifeguards 10am to 6pm from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Swim
Eichelman Beach
Kenosha
15.0 miles NFree, sheltered Lake Michigan beach in Eichelman Park on Kenosha's 3rd Avenue lakefront, a pocket of sand between rock breakwaters with calm wading water. No lifeguards.
Swim
Gillson Beach
Wilmette
21.1 miles SThe Wilmette Park District's main Lake Michigan swimming beach in Gillson Park, with lifeguards Memorial Day to Labor Day. Day passes are $11 for residents and $17 for non-residents, plus parking.
Kayak, Swim
Big Foot Beach State Park
Lake Geneva
33.3 miles NWA narrow, shallow-entry state park beach on Buttons Bay of Geneva Lake just south of downtown Lake Geneva. No lifeguards; a Wisconsin state park vehicle pass is required ($13 daily with Wisconsin plates).
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Ohio Street Beach
Chicago
34.6 miles SA free, lifeguarded Chicago Park District beach on Lake Michigan just north of Navy Pier, and the city's main open water training spot, with a half-mile swim along the seawall toward Oak Street.
Swim
12th Street Beach
Chicago
36.6 miles SFree, lifeguarded Lake Michigan beach on Chicago's Northerly Island, just south of the Adler Planetarium, with a beach house, paddle launch and swimming from 11 am to 7 pm in summer.
Canoe, Kayak, Swim
Grant Park Beach
South Milwaukee
37.6 miles NFree, unguarded Lake Michigan beach in Milwaukee County's Grant Park in South Milwaukee, with soft sand, free parking, a seasonal grill in the 1937 pavilion, and summer E. coli testing.
Hike, Kayak, Swim
Muskego Park
Muskego
40.4 miles NWWaukesha County's Muskego Park has a roped, unguarded swim beach on a small pond, open sunrise to sunset from mid-May through late September. A $7 county daily vehicle permit or annual membership is required.
Camp, Hike, Swim
McKinley Beach
Milwaukee
47.7 miles NMcKinley Beach reopened in May 2024 after a nearly four-year closure that followed four drownings in 2020 and a $1.1 million rebuild that hauled in some 12,000 cubic yards of sand to bring the swimming area back to waist depth. It is open for swimming wit
Hike, Swim
