Lake: Shoreline, Nature Trails and History

Lake offers a range of starting points for planning your trip: Lake Michigan shorelines, wetlands, forests, trails and museums each provide a different focus. When looking for hotels in Lake, consider which of these themes you’d like to include in your stay. The places and activities below range from nature experiences to history and vibrant culture.

Shorelines and distinctive natural areas

Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park stretches for 6.5 miles along the sandy shore of Lake Michigan. Illinois Beach is the state’s only remaining beach-ridge shoreline. More than 650 plant species have been recorded in the dune area. The park offers opportunities for swimming, boating, picnicking, hiking, fishing and camping. Fort Sheridan offers free public access to Lake Michigan, providing another access point to the lakeshore.

Volo Bog State Natural Area offers a very different landscape: it is home to Illinois’s only open-water quaking bog. A floating boardwalk leads through the bog’s different stages of vegetation to its open-water eye. The shoreline and the bog therefore represent distinct natural landscapes—from a sandy shore with dunes to the distinctive vegetation of a quaking bog.

Prairie Crossing also combines landscape and education. More than 175 acres there have been restored with native vegetation. Experiences at Prairie Crossing Learning Farm teach visitors about the value of healthy food, land and community. More than half of Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area is designated as an Illinois Nature Preserve. It is also home to one of the finest examples of a northern flatwoods forest, a rare landscape in northern Illinois.

Trails, water and outdoor activities

At Independence Grove, 7.5 miles of trails circle the lake. Trails at Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area cover more than 6.5 miles through the woods to the Des Plaines River. The routes differ in more than just their stated length: one circles a lake, while the other leads through the woods to the river. Seasonal rentals of bicycles and various watercraft are available at the Independence Grove marina. Check before your visit whether rentals are available for your dates.

The Des Plaines River Trail connects to the Millennium Trail, the Lake County Division of Transportation’s North Shore Bike Path and the McClory Trail. Thirty-three miles of the Millennium Trail are open to pedestrians, cyclists and cross-country skiers; the extent may change as additional sections open in the future.

Chain O’ Lakes State Park is located in McHenry County and Lake County. As a water-focused recreation area, it offers activities for boaters, anglers and skiers, as well as 8 miles of horseback riding trails. The region therefore offers both land-based trails and water-related activities, with options for different interests in outdoor recreation and nature.

Museums, history and regional culture

The Dunn Museum’s collections include nearly 20,000 artifacts and 1,000 linear feet of archival materials. The Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie features a permanent exhibition on Waukegan’s history—from the last Ice Age through the 21st century. The Haines House Museum at Bowen Park is one of the oldest buildings in Lake County. At the annual Oakwood Cemetery Walk, costumed performers portray notable local figures to bring history to life.

Individual historic sites offer their own points of interest: Adlai E. Stevenson Historic Home was built in 1938. Those interested in vehicles, film history and Americana will find more than 200 collector vehicles, iconic movie cars, exhibits on crime, history and Americana, and a military museum at Volo Museum. Jurassic Gardens adds more than 40 life-size, moving, roaring dinosaurs in a fully immersive prehistoric world.

As you plan your trip, weigh the options: shoreline and bog, trails and water, or museums and historic sites. This can help you tailor your search for hotels in Lake to the themes that matter to your stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Deerfield, Mundelein, North Chicago, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, Antioch, Lake Zurich, Riverwoods, Gurnee, Waukegan, Libertyville, Lake Bluff, Deer Park, Vernon Hills, Tower Lakes, Zion, Bannockburn, Grayslake, Round Lake, Highland Park, Winthrop Harbor

For the main travel overview: Illinois.