Lake Forest - Forest Park Beach

By: DKrivoshik 08/01/2017

Forest Park Beach, the Lake Forest Beach, houses 4 beach cells.  This large beach boasts a park on top of the bluff, rentable pavilions, concessions stand, multiple swimming beaches, 21+ swimming area, and a boat launch.  It is an amazing beach!

Top 4 Reasons to go to Forest Park Beach

1. To go for a swim
2. To go for a walk
3. To launch your boat
4. The cleanliness

To go for a swim - Forest Park is broken into four beaches.  Each beach is enclosed by rocks curving out into the lake.  This prevents massive waves from striking the shore line but still enabling personal watercraft to enter and leave.  Out of the four cells, three of them are swimmable while the other is for the previously mentioned boat launch. There is a 21+ beach meant only for adults which is the north most cell. Finally, there are the two middle beaches which are used the most and are the main swimming beaches.  Forest Park has got loads of beach!

To go for a walk - Along the lakefront runs a stone footpath. This pathway also snakes up to the top of the bluff for more walkways to enjoy.  There is minimal space up there for picnicking but there is still really nice places to walk and a beautiful view of the beach and lake from the top of the bluff.  This footpath also juts out to make a pier going in between two of the beach cells.  This pier can be used for fishing or simply enjoying the cool breeze from the lake.  

To Launch a Boat - This boat launch has two forms of launching: the ramp (in between the boat storage and boating pavilion) and the cranes close by.  Lake Forest can store boats right there on the beach.  The permit for boat storage space can be purchased at the Lake Forest Recreation Center. To use the boat launch, a permit is required.  For a resident, this beach perfectly accommodates recreational a sailor.

The Cleanliness. Cleanliness is a key aspect to the Forest Park Beach.  With many regulations relating to watercraft, what you are allowed to bring to the beach, and the amount of staff keeping the beach clean crafts a recipe of a clean and safe beach.  This might seem like a small detail but it's extremely important for the health of the beach and the patrons.  Beach cleanliness is very important and makes for an enjoyable visit to the beach.

Overall Forest Park Beach is a great place.  It has boating, swimming, loads of beachfront, and the beach is clean.  This makes the beach both enjoyable and satisfying for all your recreational needs.

Important note: for non-residents parking is not allowed at the beach and must be done at the Lake Forest train station over a mile from the beach. Additionally on weekends an holidays it cost 10 dollars for a non-resident to access.

Funding for this project was provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources