Chicago Beaches by Bike: A Lakefront Trail Guide From Calumet to Juneway

The Lakefront Trail does one thing better than any route in Chicago: it delivers you to the water. Park the bike, walk onto the sand, ride on. Plan the rest of your trip in Plan a Ride.

The trail that links the beaches

The Lakefront Trail runs from Ardmore Avenue on the north to 71st Street on the south¹. It connects most of the Chicago beaches and three skate parks². In 2018 the Park District separated the old combined trail into an 18-mile bike trail and an 18.5-mile pedestrian trail¹. Ride on the bike trail.

You can enter at any point, and many Divvy stations stand on or very near the trail⁵. Cross Lake Shore Drive by bridge, underpass or crosswalk⁴. Popular entry points downtown include the Ohio Street underpass, Monroe Street and the Museum Campus⁶. Full trail detail is in our Lakefront Trail guide.

Beach season and swim hours

The beach season runs from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day³. Lifeguards are on duty only during the season, from 11 am to 7 pm³. Admission is free³. The 2026 swim season has ended, and the 2027 season begins Memorial Day weekend³.

Swim only when lifeguards are on duty. With no lifeguards present, swimming is strictly prohibited³. Surfing is allowed in season at Montrose and 57th Street beaches only³. Kiteboarding is allowed at Montrose Beach only³.

Beach rules for riders

The rule that matters most: keep accessible beach walks clear. No bicycling, skateboarding or rollerblading is permitted in these areas³. Lock your bike at the beach house or a rack, and walk onto the sand.

Other beach rules: no smoking, no alcohol and no dogs on the beach³. Montrose Beach keeps a fenced dog area at its north end⁷. Free beach wheelchairs are available at selected beaches with a valid ID³.

Check the flags before you swim. Swim conditions are updated around 11 am for weather and surf and around 1:30 pm for water quality³. A green flag means no swimming restrictions. A red flag means a swim ban³.

Beaches from south to north

The Park District controls 27 beach facilities. One of them, Humboldt Beach, is man-made and sits four miles west of Lake Michigan⁴. The lakeside beaches below run south to north; most sit along DuSable Lake Shore Drive (DLSD)⁴.

Beach	Address
Calumet Beach	9801 S. Avenue G4
Rainbow Beach	3111 E. 77th St.4
South Shore Beach	7059 S. South Shore Dr.4
63rd Street Beach	6300 S. DLSD4
57th Street Beach	5700 S. DLSD4
Oakwood Beach	4100 S. DLSD4
31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)	3100 S. DLSD4
12th Street Beach	1200 S. Linn White Drive4
Ohio Street Beach	600 N. DLSD4
Oak Street Beach	1000 N. DLSD4
North Avenue Beach	1601 N. DLSD4
Montrose Beach	4400 N. DLSD4
Foster Beach	5200 N. DLSD4
Osterman Beach	5800 N. DLSD4
Loyola Beach	1230 W. Greenleaf4
Juneway Beach	7751 N. Eastlake Terrace4

63rd Street Beach is the southernmost beach adjacent to DLSD⁴. Osterman Beach sits near the northernmost point of the 18-mile Lakefront Trail⁷.

Where each beach rewards a stop

South Shore Beach sits beside the South Shore Cultural Center⁷. 31st Street Beach lies within Burnham Park and is known for water sports⁷. 12th Street Beach sits inside the Museum Campus, with easy access to the Adler Planetarium, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium⁷. Ohio Street Beach is a small beach within walking distance of Navy Pier⁷. It is good for open water swimming, especially for triathletes⁶. North Avenue Beach is one of Chicago’s most popular, with bike rentals nearby⁷. Montrose Beach is the largest in the city⁷.

A short North Side ride by Divvy

Divvy’s own suggested ride starts at the Michigan Avenue and Oak Street station. Take the access ramp just west of the station to join the trail at Oak Street Beach⁵. About a mile north you pass North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park⁵. Fullerton Beach has a station at Theater on the Lake, and Montrose Harbor serves Cricket Hill and Montrose Beach⁵. Rental options are in our Divvy guide.

Riding all of them

One Streetsblog Chicago writer rode a route of more than 35 miles from 95th Street/Dan Ryan to Howard Street to wade at every lakeside beach⁴. Plan a full day for that, and start early.

Trail repairs matter for a south-to-north ride. The Park District is patching and seal-coating the trail as necessary, starting at 6300 South and working north one section at a time to Foster Avenue¹. Check the Park District page before you ride, and dismount when posted, especially near underpasses and crowded parks⁶.