Illinois Beach State Park, Illinois, United States
4.0 (187 reviews) Saturday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent Ranking #1 in Lake County State Parks • Beaches
Beautiful lake front park & campground.
This is a gorgeous state park with mature trees, miles of paved trails, and lovely sand beaches. I'm here camping at the Adeline Jay campground. The only reason the park didn't get 5 stars is because of the showers/washrooms. They are clean, but old and need repair. Some broken tiles, leaking taps, leaking toilets and shower curtains that must be 40 years old and barely hanging on. It does the trick though, & the water pressure is better than I have at home. The sites aren't very level, but they are spacious and gorgeous. The campground hosts, Bonnie & her husband, were absolutely wonderful. I'd definitely come again. Also, they are building a new beach store/ concession that will be open in 2022. This park is a treasure.
Address
Lake Front Dr, Zion, IL 60099
Mobile
Website
https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/parks/pages/adelinejaygeo-karisillinoisbeach.aspx
Working hours
Monday :
Tuesday : 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday : 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday : 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday : 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday : 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday :
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 11, 2024, 15:55
User Ratings
4.0 based on (187 reviews)
Reviews
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5Mitch 5:00 PM Sep 22, 2022
I’ll be back
The mixed reviews here had me unsure what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the park. I think I would leave 4.5 stars if I could, but I rounded up. I won’t pretend it’s the greatest park in the world, but it’s truly special. Lake Michigan shines on this more natural landscape. The lake prairie is stunning and worthy of a great hike. The Dead River feels like a window into what the Chicago River might have looked like centuries ago. Diverse wildlife, clean and spacious campsites. I can’t speak for the hotel, but that’s not why I was there. I was there to camp. I don’t need a park to impress me. I just want it to get out of the way and let the environment speak for itself. Illinois Beach State Park does this well. Considerations: The bike path if a lot of sand near the lake and parts of it have eroded due to high water in recent years. Great for hiking but I had some challenges on my bike.
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4Taccc123 5:00 PM Oct 2, 2020
Pleasantly Surprised!
Visited this beach on a Friday during the early afternoon until about 4. It was not crowded at all. Ample parking. This was our first visit and we did not know what to expect bc of the split reviews. Thankfully, we were pleasantly surprised! The water was clear and blue, almost ocean like. The beach itself has sand to lay out in, but the closer you get to the water, it is all rocks. We were happy we brought water shoes as advised by previous reviewers. This was a nice place to sit and relax, look for rocks and walk along the shore. Not especially for swimming bc the water is freezing. There are a few oddly vacant rundown buildings, but for a completely free beach, it was great. We went to the Beach Hotel right in the park for dinner & dined outside. Great end to the day.
