Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk

This park is beautiful — I did not want to leave. It’s small but it is well set up. There’s a path you can walk, a visitors center (that we didn’t visit) and a very nice beach with soft sand… quite lovely. Also loved that it was free to park.

We love this beach. It is small and very family friendly. I enjoy being able to sit in the sand not not worry about my daughter in the water, because she is so close. I can always keep an eye on her. This is a great place for the moms to meet up and let the kids hang out.

This is a beautiful convenient location close to home the architecture of the building is gorgeous the roads and trails and Riverwalk are well-​crafted. There are also many sites to be seen such as boats coming in and out JetSki’s fishermen giant ships Seagulls beachgoers etc. Today happens to be a 20 mile visibility day and a person can clearly see the Chicago city skyline. But the big negative the big downside is the cesspool called Burns ditch spilling it’s filth into Lake Michigan and eddying around into the portage beach you can clearly see it from the parking lot and it’s even more evident on Google earth I would not want to swim in it. Visually this place is very appealing.

Lake Michigan! Friendly staff! Snacks and beverages. Petite but great Beach. Go for the views of the Lake and Chicago. Saw a bald eagle there once and peregrine falcon.

Things you should know about me right off the bat:
1. I’m slightly-​to-​moderately antisocial
2. I hate summer with the burning passion of 1,000 fiery suns
So, you know, there’s that.
That being said, my husband & our toddler (the other kids have school) are into checking out beaches, etc. in the cooler seasons because: 1. less people 2. not summer. Today’s journey led us straight to Portage. Holy cow, is this spot gorgeous. We didn’t spend a crazy amount of time here because while we «winterproofed» the baby, we were both freezing our @sses off. The visitor’s center was closed so there was no escape from the elements, but the tranquility & isolation (obvi because no one else* is crazy enough to be out here in the bitter cold) was lovely.
We didn’t get a chance to really explore any of the non-​lakefront area and certain parts on the water were closed due to safety precautions, etc. (the pier [on the break wall, maybe?] was coated in slabs of ice), but even still… it was pretty glorious, especially given the fact that it is seemingly nestled in the midst of an industrial zone.
We’ll surely be back to this spot to explore further, preferably when the weather isn’t quite so encouraging of hypothermia. Definitely worth the trip!
*“no one else” except the one guy in a dry suit who was wakeboarding & surfing. I kid you not. Clearly not his first time out there, but still.

While camping in the area our friends recommended this small beach. While the building was closed, the day was beautiful. We got there early and snagged one of the few parking spaces close to the beach. We trod down the path and we’re graced with amazing views of the lake and, yes, Chicago and factories. The water was cold but refreshing, with drift wood and rocks for the kids to play in the sand with. We saw jet skies and boats, enjoyed walking pretty far out and chasing the waves. It wasn’t too crowded and we had an amazing day.

For a beach that sits between a steel mill and another factory, this is a pretty but little beach. There is not a lot of parking so if you show up late you may be walking from the far parking lots. The beach is very nice sand with a heavy amount of sticks but overall you can find a nice spot. The main building is new and nice and on busy days they have snacks and drinks and ice cream. The bathrooms are small but it’s never been an issue. Plus you can see Chicago on a clear day and get beautiful sunsets from the break wall. I have not hiked, but it looks like there are some trails.
Overall when we head to the beach at Lake Michigan we always head here.