Park Hours:
Jan, Feb, Mar - open 8am to Sunset
April to Memorial Day Weekend - open Sunrise to Sunset
Memorial Day Weekend - Labor Day Weekend - open Sunrise to 8pm
After Labor Day Weekend - October - open Sunrise to Sunset
Nov, Dec - open 8am to Sunset
UPDATE: 01/05/10
- RESERVATIONS are now being accepted for the 2010 summer camping.
- PLEASE REMEMBER that we have limited sites for reservations. The majority of the campground is 1st come 1st serve no reservations required.
- THE RESERVED SITES are as follows: 400R - 412R, 150R - 157R, & 500R - 521R.
- NOTE: A $10.00 Premium Fee is incurred when reserving for the Holiday Weekends – Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day. The total reservation fee for these holidays is $40.00. Please make sure your check is made out for that amount.
- Most reservations will be for $30.00 (IL Seniors, IL Disabled, & IL Veterans Discounts may apply – See Regulations / Camping for details.)
- A partial campground alcohol ban is now being enforced in the campgrounds. The following campsites have now been designated as alcohol free: 99 – 149, 220 – 238, 300 – 307.
- Park Office is open – Tuesday thru Saturday, 8:00am – 4:00pm. The Nature Center is closed indefinitely. Please call for more information.
A full range
of recreation opportunities complement the expansive shoreline of Illinois
Beach State Park. Interested in jogging and bicycling? The trails are
waiting! Or, is physical fitness your current pursuit? Whether you're
an active outdoor enthusiast or just interested in a quiet walk along
some of the Midwest's most scenic beaches, this is the place for you!
Stretching leisurely
for six and a half miles along the sandy shore of Lake Michigan in northern
Illinois, Illinois Beach State Park encompasses the only remaining beach
ridge shoreline left in the state.
Illinois Beach is
a unique and captivating natural resource for all to enjoy. It was created
by the titanic forces of glacial advance and retreat and the steady winds
that breathed across expansive Lake Michigan. The park has dunes and swales
with sprawling marshes, forests of oak and vast arrays of animal life
and vegetation.
The 4,160-acre park,
consisting of two separate areas, offers ample opportunities for swimming,
boating, picnicking, hiking, fishing, camping and just appreciating nature.
More than 650 species
of plants have been recorded in the dunes area alone, including dozens
of types of colorful wildflowers. Prickly pear cactus thrives in large
colonies in the dry areas, and the wet prairies are carpeted with a wide
variety of grasses and sedges. Large expanses of marsh in the swales support
dense stands of cattail, bluejoint grass, prairie cordgrass, reed grass,
big bluestem and sedges.
The sandy ridges are
crowned by black oak forests with an open, savanna-like appearance, and
several kinds of fragrant pines, introduced here a century ago, also prosper
in the southern area.
Just north of these
pines is the Dead River which actually is a stream that is blocked by
sandbars much of the year forming an elongated pond. When the water finally
rises high enough, it breaks through the sandbar and drains the surrounding
marshes. The abundance of aquatic plants and fish flourishing in this
changing environment belie its name.
CULLERTON
COMPLEX
On May 9, 2000, the
area encompassing Illinois Beach State Park and North Point Marina was
officially designated as the Cullerton Complex in honor of William J.
Cullerton, Sr., war hero, avid environmentalist and longtime friend of
conservation.
Cullerton, best known
by the general public for his "Great Outdoors" show, which aired
for many years on WGN-AM Radio, has spent nearly 50 years promoting fishing
in the Midwest and supporting a multitude of outdoor-related organizations
and events.
History
Long recognized for
its complex geological structure, unique flora and spectacular beauty,
the Lake Michigan dunes area originally was, in the 1700s, part of the
"Three Fires" of the Algonquin Nation: the Potawatomi, Chippewa,
and Ottawa. Prior to then the area had been occupied by the Miami.
In the late 1600s
French explorers first visited the area as part of their survey of what
was then known as the Northwest Territory. By the time Illinois became
a state in 1818, the area was full of transient hunters and trappers.
In 1836, a treaty was made with the local Native Americans, who were moved
westward, and the area became part of Lake County.
During the Civil War
what is now the northern unit of the park became Camp Logan, a Union prisoner
of war camp. This installation went on to serve as an Army basic training
center through World Wars I and II (when it provided ideal conditions
for practicing tank maneuvers), and, in the late 1940s, was turned over
to the Illinois National Guard.
Preservation efforts
were considered as early as 1888, when Robert Douglas, a Waukegan nurseryman,
and Jens Jensen, a famous landscape architect, discussed making it a regional
park. With industry advancing from the south, sand mining ravaging the
dunes, and parts of the surrounding countryside succumbing to pasture
and homesteads, legislative efforts to save the area finally began in
the 1920s.
In 1948, the state
finally acquired the first parcels of what is now Illinois Beach State
Park. In 1950, the Illinois Dunes Preservation Society was established
to protect the natural qualities of the area, and through its efforts
and the efforts of the Department of Conservation the area south of Beach
Road was dedicated in 1964 as the first Illinois nature preserve. The
northern unit, from the Commonwealth Edison power plant to the Wisconsin
border, was acquired between 1971 and 1982.
Picnicking
Easy access to Lake
Michigan make this park a relaxing and enjoyable place to picnic with
the family. Both the northern and southern units of the park contain
ample picnic grounds complete with tables. There is a handicap accessible
picnic shelter with access to accessible drinking fountains.
A campground in the southern unit provides 244 Class A Premium
sites with electricity and access to showers and sanitary facilities.
You must obtain a camping permit from the park staff, and MUST
have a camping unit upon arrival.
Reservations
may be made by mail until Labor Day weekend. After Labor Day,
NO RESERVATIONS will be accepted. Send the completed reservation
application, along with a check for $30.00 to Illinois Beach State Park.
This fee covers the$5.00 non-refundable reservation fee plus the first
nights camping fee. Due to the high use of this area from Memorial Day
to Labor Day, reservations are recommended but not required. Campsites
are also available on first come first serve basis but usually fill up
by early Friday mornings. E-mail and phone-in
reservations are NOT accepted. For questions about your
reservation application please call 847-662-4811.
There are three handicap
accessible campsites in the campground near the accessible restrooms
and a dump station.
Alcohol
Ban
Alcohol is permitted
in campground sites: 150 -199, 200 - 217, 400 - 473, and 500 - 521. All
other sites and areas of the park it is prohibited. EXCEPTION
- Illinois Beach Resort.
Concessions
A Concession trailer
(Camp Store) offering refreshments, etc. is located at the main beach
area in the Southern Unit. Hours vary seasonally from May 1 to October
31.
Swimming
Beach
During the summer
season, swimming is a major attraction along the sandy shorelines, and
both units provide ample parking and bathhouse with showers. There are
no on-duty lifeguards, so please be careful.
Pets
We do not allow
dogs on the beach or in the nature preserve. They are allowed in
the campground, in the picnic area, and the remainder of the trails as
long as they are on a leash. Pets are not to be left unattended.
Fishing
Fishing is allowed
along the beach area in both units (except in the swimming areas) and
there are several small inland fishing ponds, including Sand Pond, where
a fishing pier for the disabled is available. A fishing license is required
to fish. No fishing is allowed in the nature preserve.
Hiking
From guided nature
hikes to individual treks, Illinois Beach provides excellent hiking opportunities.
The southern part of the park features 5 miles of trails, including a
2.2-mile loop trail with a graveled surface. In the north, Camp Logan
Trail is a 1.8-mile multi-use loop that cross-country skiers also can
use. Cross-country skiing is not allowed in the nature preserve.
Bike
Trail
Bikers can travel
between the North and South units of Illinois Beach State Park by
utilizing
the Zion Bike Trail, a section of trail connecting 29th Street at the
south end to 17th Street at the north end.
Interpretive
Center
The interpretive center
is a popular spot to start your visit to Illinois Beach. Located in the
nature area, the center has educational displays, a "hands-on"
exhibit area, and seasonal park staff to answer any questions you might
have.
Lodging
For comfortable accommodations,
the 96-room Illinois Beach
Resort and Conference Center is the perfect place to get
away for a weekend or week-long vacation. The hotel features a handicap
accessible restaurant, cocktail lounge,
video game room, an olympic-size indoor heated swimming pool and a giant
whirlpool. A full service health club includes exercise equipment,
and
sauna. Conference facilities include fully equipped private rooms for
banquets and meetings that can accommodate up to 500 people comfortably.
For additional information or to make reservations call 847/625-7300.
North
Point Marina
While in the area,
be sure to visit North Point Marina,
Illinois' newest and largest marina. Located 5 miles north of Illinois
Beach, this full-service marina has 1,500 slips, a boat service center
and food concession. For additional information about slip rental, write
the Department of Natural Resources, North Point Marina, 701 North Point
Drive, Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096 or call 847-746-2845.
Directions
From the South are:
I-294 north to Rt 173 east (approx 8 miles) to Sheridan Road. Make a right
on Sheridan Road to Wadsworth Road, make a left and you will be in the
park.
From the North are:
I-94 South to Rt. 173, east on Rt.173 to Sheridan Road, right on Sheridan
Road to Wadsworth Road and make a left on Wadsworth into the Park.
- While groups of 25 or
more are welcome and encouraged to use the park's facilities, they are required
to register in advance with the site office to avoid crowding or scheduling
conflicts.
- At least one responsible
adult must accompany each group of 15 minors.
- Pets must be kept on
leashes at all times.
- Actions by nature can
result in closed roads and other facilities. Please call ahead to the park
office before you make your trip.
- We hope you enjoy your
stay. Remember, take only memories, leave only footprints.
- For more information
on tourism in Illinois, call the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community
Affairs' Bureau of Tourism at 1-800-2Connect.
- Telecommunication Device
for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Natural Resources Information (217) 782-9175
for TDD only Relay Number 800-526-0844.
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