Northernmost beach in Chicago, this small, charming public beach attached to Juneway Terrace Park and bordering the city of Evanston offers a quiet, secluded feel, making it a great starting or ending point for open water swims along Lake Michigan’s shoreline. The beachscape was reconstructed after storm damage in 2019 significantly eroded the shoreline, it’s now a boulder beach rather than sandy. Nonetheless, it provides good water access, crowds are minimal, and is a good place to start, finish, or flip turn from a swim connecting to points south. You’ll find few other OW swimmers, so bring a buddy and an open water swim buoy.
Juneway Terrace Beach is less frequented by open water swimming groups, but it’s an excellent spot for solitary training or small groups. As a quieter, neighborhood beach, it doesn’t draw large crowds, especially early in the morning. There are no formal facilities or amenities on site.
The beach is accessible via Juneway Terrace street, and street parking is available nearby, though spaces can be limited. Cyclists will find it easy to reach via the area’s network of bike-friendly streets, and CTA buses along Sheridan road provide convenient public transit options like all the neighborhood beaches in Rogers Park.
Swimming is permitted, but as with most Chicago beaches, lifeguards enforce designated swim areas during summer hours (11 AM weekdays/9 AM weekends). To maximize your swim distance and freedom, plan to start early in the morning before lifeguards are on duty.
For a scenic long-distance swim, head south along the shoreline, where a line of buoys deters watercraft from a generous (100+ yards/meters) no wake zone. A one-mile swim takes you past several small neighborhood beaches leading to larger beaches like Loyola Beach. It would be possible to swim ~4+ miles (>6km) before arriving to a harbor entrance (at Montrose). Swimmers choosing to follow the shoreline north up to Evanston’s beaches, though be mindful both of a variety of obstacles along the shoreline, as well as very different municipal rules regarding swimming access in Evanston.