Porter Beach — Attraction in Chesterton

Growing up in Chicago, I have never seen a beach so clean and serene. Parking is ASTRONOMICAL, but I think it's worth it for the day if you have a good plan. The sand is fine and the beach is very clean. Even though it was crowded, groups were socially distant. I enjoyed every minute of it, but be prepared to find sand in your vehicle for weeks, lol. It was a great place to spend Labor Day. Update- (Father's Day weekend 2022) I took a star away because of the parking lot attendant. Not only did parking increase another $10 for parking (making it 30$ to park there) but the parking lot guy was SUPER RUDE and threatened to tow my truck. From the beach, he called out the wrong model of my truck which caused me to ignore his threats. Once I realized what was going on, I walked over to the lot and he screamed at me that the lot closed at 7 pm, there were no signs (only that the beach closed at 9 pm so we assumed that it was open until close, especially with the price of parking. The parking pass didn't have a time, and he locked us in screaming at us that he was calling a tow truck. It almost ruined my experience completely. I'll be back to the beach but NEVER to that parking lot. If you do decide to go, make sure to ask what time the lot closes. UPDATE OF THE UPDATE- That privately owned parking area is gone now which gives a much more enjoyable experience. Please enjoy the beach and...

I wanted to go to a close beach from the Chicago suburbs with my family. I decided on this beach based on reviews. We were happy with this pick and would come back.

Pros: Soft sand, flat stones wash up on shore that kids loved picking through and skipping in water. Shallow soft sand that went far out into the lake.

If you are able to get a good parking spot than then the lake is very close and finding a nice spot isn’t too far. Bathroom was available, but we did not use.

Cons: PARKING—— We got there on a Monday at 3pm and the little lots we passed and the little lot up close to beach were FULL and plenty of cars were still looking for spots. We decided to pay $20 to the house on the left right on the beach.

No regulations on drinking, people had liquor out in the open. By the time we were leaving, the younger crowd were definitely...

Some people may or may not know this, but the state park of Indiana, which is next to the beach doesn’t allow anyone to swim when the lifeguards leave. In fact they will actually call the Rangers to remove you from the water. This beach is nationally owned and allows you to swim at your own risk, which is very important for someone who doesn’t want to be in the water during lifeguard Times can’t make it during lifeguard hours, so thank goodness that there’s still a piece of land in this country of the brave and the free that allows you to swim at your own risk however, one thing I will say is please pick up your trash every time I go people leave their trash that’s the one thing I would say really sucks about people in general, but the beach itself is...