The shoreline of Illinois Beach State Park stretches for six-and-a-half miles.
East from Illinois Beach State Park, Lake Michigan glistens and beckons anyone seeking summer fun in the sun. Plenty of beach lovers answer the call, if packed parking lots on the weekends are any indication.
Tucked into the far northeastern part of the state, the park offers a variety of outdoor activities four hours from Springfield. It also hosts the state’s last natural shore of Lake Michigan, according to Chase Firth, the park’s natural resources coordinator.
“It is unique in that it is the last chunk of dune and swale in all of Illinois,” he said. “Every other piece of lakefront in Illinois has been developed.”
The park features more than 650 plant species, including wildflowers, cacti, grasses, sedges, black oak and pine trees in dry and marshy areas and aquatic life in ponds.
Firth said it is the second most visited state park in Illinois, behind Starved Rock. The 4,160-acre park features 6.5 miles of sandy shore, nature trails, fishing, camping and picknicking. Also part of the officially named Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park Cullerton Complex is the North Point Marina, owned by the state but leased out.
You can learn about the park’s features and its unusual history at the visitor center/nature center, open Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the park’s south half. You can pitch a tent, park your RV or book a room at a resort hotel on site if you want a longer stay.
The southern part of the park became Illinois’ first nature preserve.
The big draw, of course, is Lake Michigan in the last few Illinois miles before its waves lap in Wisconsin. Native Americans, hunters, trappers and explorers tromped across the dunes, and preservationists such as landscape architect Jens Jensen recognized the area’s value.
The U.S. Army also liked the spot, turning the northern part of today’s park into Camp Logan, training riflemen and tank crews during World Wars I and II. Firth said the FBI also used the rifle ranges. The Illinois National Guard took over the land in the late 1940s, and the state started working on the first park parcels in 1948.
In 1964 the southern part became Illinois’ first nature preserve, but it took until 1982 for the state to get the northern part, which stretches from a decommissioned Commonwealth Edison nuclear power plant to the Wisconsin border.
Today, the two park units have separate entrances off Sheridan Road in Zion and Winthrop Harbor with a third entrance to North Point Marina. Entry at any leads to those seemingly endless Lake Michigan views, trails and picnic areas. Park entrance and parking are free.
The south unit includes the nature center, campground with showers and electricity, camp store in season and hotel. Some campsites can be reserved but most of the more than 200 are first come, first served. Firth acknowledged that maintenance of the heavily used campground had drawn complaints in previous years but says past staff shortages are resolved and bathrooms have new doors and locks.
Scenic view of Dead River that winds its way through the park.
The state pumped more than $70 million into park improvements, he said, pointing to more water safety signs and rings, bilingual signage, 23 new breakwaters to stop erosion and 50 acres of beach replenishment in the last two years.
Renovation of the hotel, built in 1958 and leased by the state to a private group, is ongoing with an indoor pool remodel and other improvements. Until those are made, visitors can expect rooms that are a little dated, weeds in the courtyard and some areas blocked off. The onsite restaurant, Nolan’s, remains popular for meals and events and affords the best views of the lake from the hotel.
Like the south unit, the north one has parking for the beach, showers and restrooms and also Sand Pond for fishing.
Head to the North Point Marina to find two restaurants, large and small boats, fishing charters, a playground and an outdoor pool. Firth said it is one of the biggest marinas on all of the Great Lakes with 1,500 slips and a boat service center. The marina is a good place to sit back, admire the many boats and gaze at Lake Michigan’s sparkling water and far-off horizon.
And if you are in the mood for a quintessential Wisconsin supper club, you can slip over the nearby border and find one within a few miles.
For more information on Illinois Beach State Park, go to https://dnr.illinois.gov and search for the link to the park.