Glencoe Beach

And I thought New Jersey was the only place that required payment to enjoy public property. A lake, like an Ocean, does not belong to anyone. It is the the People’s Puddle. Thanks, but next time I’ll hop Metra to the city and hang with the masses.
Your puddle is nice, Glencoe, but it’s free in the city.
Nevertheless, I grant you three stars. I like to people watch here. Very interesting sights to see.
Tips:
Very big hill to climb. Pack minimal goods or bring a chair that you can carry on your back.
Small «beach», SandBar, whatever. Gets quite crowded during prime time. Consider using as a backup beach if you need SPACE.
Ample Parking Day or Night.
Cute town not far from the beach area.
If you like to look at real estate, nice to walk around the area.
I shall return to you.
**EDIT: You get one more star Glencoe. You don’t fine people $ 75 to park to visit your luxurious puddle. I’ll live with the $ 10 entry fee.

I love this beach, it’s so beautiful. But there are way too many stones in the water. You really have to wear water shoes. I think for the $ 10 they charge to get in could maybe pay to remove these stones so kids don’t hurt there feet. Please fix the situation so we can go back please…

bring water shoes if you plan to go into the water b/​c there are a lot of rocks throughout that hurts to walk on.

Nice Beutiful beach
My fist time there you don’t feel you are in chicago I feel I’m in Mexico all look diferent and feel diferent
I just get of the metra train and explore around beutiful houses so I decide walk down the street and I fined the beach l love it I walk there and take this pictures

I think this is the worst beach I’ve been to. Here are the reasons:
— a very small area for swimming, it’s so crowded and it looks ridiculous, all these people bumping into each other. It’s like a swimming pool in your fitness club, but with all the members going there at once (including the ones who signed up only for a gym).
— with so many people, there is not enough shade, you either book a cabin (probably, a few months in advance) or stand in a public place waiting for hours someone to finally leave, so that you can get a piece of a table in the shade!
— It’s filthy, so many flies, and they bite really badly.
— They have umbrellas for rent, except the fact that they don’t. They say they have them, but there are TWO BROKEN umbrellas in the stock. It’s just laughable.
— They have the worst manager I saw in Chicago. True, I don’t often ask to see a manager. But when I did this time, it felt like a classic movie’s line. — Can I see a manager? — I am the manager! Doesn’t matter what you say, the answer is no, if you lucky he may add ‘sorry’.
— No refunds, cash only. Just to remind you, it is 2015.
They have a playground for kids, but is it really enough to justify a visit there? I really wanted to like this place, it’s the closest beach to my new house (still about 30 minutes driving), but I visited hundreds of beaches all over the world, and this is worst I’ve seen so far.

The area is really nice and clearly wealthy however I wasn’t too happy with the beach. The admission is expensive and you only get to swim in a tiny area. However the playground and concession stand was great. I would much rather pay the same price to go to the Jersey Shore where the beach is wide and you can swim as you please.

Lovely beach! I am training for my first triathlon with open water swimming and was looking for a quiet beach to get some more experience. Headed to Glencoe this morning and went for an 8 mile run to Highland Park and back before going down to the beach. I got there at 8:00 am had no trouble parking. I walked down about 10 am just as they were opening. There was an announcement over the loud speaker about someone coming around to collect fees for those who came down before the cash register was set up at the entrance. Although their were only a few people there at that hour I wasn’t self-​conscious about wearing my wetsuit. At other beaches I’ve been starred at and even questioned about it?!
I saw on another review the «swimming pen» was small. I asked a couple people who worked there about length and depth and no one could give me an accurate answer. I walked it off with my GPS watch and it’s about 35 yards in width and the depth varies (some places were definitely over 6 ft) — certainly not for the competitive swimmer but for someone just starting out it wasn’t bad. Their were however a number of people swimming outside the pen and the life guards said nothing. I felt safer in the pen though for some reason and it made it easier to gauge how far I had swum to have a rope stopping you every 35 or so yards!
Other reviews have mentioned the rocks. They are ridiculously large and slippery from algae and stuff growing on them. Making it hard to get out after a long swim!
I left around 11 am and the lot was packed! I put in about a half mile today and will definitely be back.

This place is terrible.
You are basically forbidden to enjoy the lake on this beach. For $ 10 you get a swimming pen the size of the average living room, and the nazi lifeguard that will yell at you via loud speakers anytime your head touches the water. If you dare to go deeper than you knees outside the designated area, you are risking being expelled from the beach. You would think that one of the wealthiest suburbs plus 10 bucks could pay for two lifeguards…
Also, this beach was created most likely from construction dust. It’s definitely not a sand.

As a Floridian I’ve always been skeptical of these sand filled areas that you Chicagoans call beaches. I spent many days in my early 20s soaking up the sun at North Beach, but was never impressed. I’ve stayed away from the beach frat party the past few years because figured it wasn’t quite appropriate for my little ones.
Now that I“m in Glencoe I have a whole new appreciation for the «beaches» out here! The Glencoe beach is the perfect spot for a family outing! There’s a huge playground literally right on the beach that kids go crazy for (at least mine does!). Even my 7 month old lights up when I push him in the swing here.
When the kids get hungry from all the playing there’s lots of food option. I’ve enjoyed their soft pretzels and my little one likes the pizza.
While you won’t catch me swimming in the lake here, my husband and daughter seem to enjoy it.
There is an admission team (we bought a resident pass for the summer). You can find the rates here:
Pack light because as many Unilocalers have mentioned you have to go down a long flight of stairs (or ramp if you have a stroller) to get to the beach. Going down isn’t so bad, but when it’s time to go home pushing a double stroller filled w/​50 lbs of kids is quite the workout.

Join the boat club, its a blast…
I prefer that side of the beach away from the crowds and people… the beach isnt that large as compared to others, but will certainly do on a hot day… prices are steep for single use, summer passes are where its at if you are looking to go a fair amount…

I hate this beach! The park district lied to me regarding ⁷⁄₄. They told me they will serve free food at 6:30pm when I called several days before. I get there at 6:15 pm and they tell me that they are not serving free food anymore that day. They have all these restrictions and they are «barking» out rules that are not needed. Who gives a shit if someone stick their toes in the water at beach that people usually swim at anyway! The cops treat you like a criminal if you smoke cigarette! Shit I should have smoked a joint then! There are better beaches that are cheaper and free. Stay away from Glencoe beach! You may as well get arrested for farting!

It was Sunday on Memorial Day weekend and we decided to go to the beach. We headed to our usual Chicago spots, but after getting stuck on Lake Shore trying to exit at Montrose for more than 40 minutes (40 minutes!), we abandoned the beach idea. Frustrated and hot, we threw out other ideas until my cousin suggested we go to Glencoe Beach. Why didn’t she say anything sooner?
This is a really great beach on the North shore. You do have to pay admission but street parking is free. Even though you have to pay, it’s worth it. The beach was busy that day, but not crowded. I felt like I was transported to the Hamptons or something. It’s really pretty here… and the beach is a nice size so I didn’t get paranoid with my kids running to and from the water. Wide view of the lake, backdrop of the beautiful homes, and it’s well-​maintained and clean.
Our favorites here:
— Long pier at one end of the beach. We hung out there for a bit looking out at the water.
— Playground for kids including a huge sand castle center
— Concession stand
— Beach house with restrooms
— Boat rentals
Not so favorites:
— Rocks. Lots of them. Near the water and in the water… they hurt. My kids wanted to wear their flip flops even in the water (and it wasn’t fun chasing down the sandal once it escaped their foot)
— The hill to get down to the beach. Once you pay, you can head down the double-​ramp/​hill to the beach. Not awful going down, but not fun going up. Not really a complaint, but just a suggestion if you have a stroller or rolling cooler… try to pack it light for the way back up.
We had wanted to come back at least one more time over the summer but didn’t have a chance to… we’ll definitely visit again next year.

This place could be so much better. It has an incredible location, great parking and the ability to serve food and concessions. It’s too bad that they charge you so much to get into a beach, the food is barely edible (it made us sick) and the rocks at the water’s edge begin to feel like shards of glass digging into your feet, especially after you spend an hour in the water. Thanks for trying, Glencoe, but we’ll stick to Gilson and Langford.

I absolutely LOVE this beach. Coming here makes me feel like I’m on vacation. It’s a great beach for families/​couples/​friends but not really for college aged kids looking to get drunk and act like slobs (this is why I avoid North Ave Beach) Glencoe Beach is extremely clean and just simply beautiful! I’ve been there already 5 times this summer and plan on making some more trips.

This beach is a cool spot. It’s very clean and the parking is very practical. There are great volleyball nets and lots of people engaging in water sports.
I wish there were more choices for food near the beach. Also, the sand wasn’t very soft so I felt like I was sunbathing on a hard mattress.
Overall– it wasn’t too crowded and I had a nice visit.

This place will always hold a special memory for me.
You have to pay to get in sometimes as the money collectors aren’t always there and you can just walk down to the beach. Odd.
The beach seems well kept and it’s never too busy. A great place to hang out for a lazy afternoon, with a semi-​pier with benches along it. Very peaceful and tranquil with great views.
Later at night there are bugs galore though but I guess anywhere semi-​green will have the same issue.

I love this beach. It has many uses from enjoying a hot day with the kids, playing with school buddies, early morning run destination, dog social center off season, sailing launch site, outdoor group picnics and even a beautiful setting for wedding pictures. The fee clearly goes back into the facilities; the play equipment is fun and safe; the beach house well kept up and overall, very clean and secure.

My family and I LOVE this beach. We have not been to them all just yet, but have been to several, and out of all of them, this one is pretty darn good. During prime season, they charge if you do not live in town. Pricey admission so NOT a fan of that. Best tip — free in the off season and dog friendly.

Make no mistake. This beach is not free.
Their daily admission fees are as follows:
Glencoe residents pay $ 6 for adults and $ 4 for youth. (1 – 17 years of age.)
Non-​residents pay $ 9 for adults and $ 7 for youth. (1 – 17 years of age.)
A guest over the age of 64 or under the age of 1 receives free admittance. They only accept cash.
The admittance fees are pricey, but the advantages of a private beach are second to none. The beach offers shaded trellis’ for picnics and parties with a canopy for rainy days, a concession stand, play equipment and water/​sand play areas, chair and umbrella rentals, Kayak and sailboat rentals, year-​round sailboat storage, and limited beach cart service. They also offer shower facilities in the beach house.
This is the perfect beach to go to if you have young children. We did not have to worry about vagrants, riff-​raff or security. I did not feel uncomfortable walking away from my belongings. The beach is extremely well kept and small enough that you can keep an eye on your child at all times. The lifeguards took their duties seriously and also doubled as security. They did not allow bullying or throwing of rocks, or any action that they deemed dangerous to a guest or others. There are lots of rocks on this beach as most do, but I did not notice the edge to be rocky at all. My 4 year old loved this beach because of the abundance of sand to rocks.
There is a very steep incline that you must use to enter the beach. Immediately after the entrance are very, very steep steps made out of rocks. Going down was cake, coming back up was another story. I used muscles that I forgot that I had. If you are lugging chairs, a picnic basket, toys, or your child, be forewarned. It can be excruciating.
If you like this beach, I highly recommend purchasing their season passes before June 7^th. It costs $ 125 for 2 non residents, and it will pay for itself in 8 visits.
There is plenty of free parking spaces.

The best! This beach is so beautiful! You have to walk down a very steep ramp to get down, but it’s worth it. It’s a nice escape from all of the city beaches.