Montrose Beach

Montrose Beach is the family beach in Chicago. While Oak Street Beach and North Avenue Beach get the tourist traffic and the Instagram posts, Montrose is where Chicago families actually go — because it has the widest sand, the most space, free parking, lifeguards in summer, and an on-site restaurant. It is the beach where you can actually spread out, build sand castles, and let kids run without stepping on someone else's towel.

The beach stretches along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the Uptown neighborhood, about 5 miles north of downtown. The sand is wide — really wide. The distance from the parking lot to the waterline is a legitimate walk, especially with kids and beach gear, but the payoff is that you are not stacked on top of other beachgoers.

Even on busy summer weekends, you can find a spot with breathing room. On weekday mornings, you might have a hundred yards of beach practically to yourself.

The swimming area has lifeguards on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 11 AM to 7 PM. The water is Lake Michigan — freshwater, cold, and clean. The entry is gradual, making it appropriate for wading toddlers who want to stand in ankle-deep water and splash.

Older kids can swim out to where it gets deeper, but the temperature is bracing — even in August, the water rarely tops 70 degrees. Water shoes are recommended because the bottom can be rocky in spots.

The adjacent Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary is an unexpected bonus. This small nature preserve has walking trails through native dune grass and attracts remarkable bird diversity. During spring and fall migration, birdwatchers come from across the Midwest to spot warblers, hawks, herons, and occasionally rare species.

For families with kids who have any interest in nature, bringing a pair of binoculars and walking the sanctuary trails adds a completely different dimension to a beach day. The trails are flat and short — 20-30 minutes covers the whole area.

The Dock at Montrose Beach is the on-site restaurant, with outdoor seating directly on the sand. The menu covers burgers, tacos, salads, and drinks at reasonable prices. It is a real restaurant, not a snack stand — the food is good and the setting is unbeatable. For families who do not want to pack a full cooler, The Dock makes a beach day easy.

Parking is free in the large Montrose Beach lot off Simonds Drive. The lot fills up on hot summer weekends by mid-morning, so arrive before 10 AM. By CTA, take the 78 Montrose bus east to the lake. The beach is about 20 minutes by car from downtown Chicago, or 30-40 minutes by transit.

One important note: the north end of Montrose Beach is designated as a dog beach (Montrose Dog Beach). It is fenced off from the main beach, but be aware of the boundary. Stay south of the dog beach fence for the lifeguarded swimming area and the widest sand.