Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve — Attraction in Lake Forest

Been here numerous times to relax and enjoy nature with my husband. With the renovations its getting better but still needs more. This past time we went on 7/17/2022 the whole bathroom building was gone and the portapotties were closed. So nowhere to go to the bathroom. The walkway along the beach needs improvement as its a thin path and what little concrete is left is crumbling and unsafe. From what I've heard there are still live rounds of ammo in the lake so hopefully that will be cleaned up before somebody gets hurt. Its still a beautiful place though with the many species of birds and plants and wildflowers. The views of the lake are amazing of course. Its cool they put out nature info and the old military vehicle is still there with info. The extra large hawk nest is still there and thats a cool attraction to check out. The campus is beautiful too, old mansions they converted into apartments and rooms for military members. Hopefully once this next restoration phase is done everything will be in much better condition. Just like anywhere it needs upkeep that has been put off for too long, so soon it will be...

Preserve is pretty with lots of nice trails but we have usually only come to see the lake and enjoy the beachfront. It's a small but nice open beach. Mostly rocky but some sandy spots if you go early you might grab one. Break walls help to soften although not totally eliminate the waves and can be a bit treacherous if you swim too close so be careful with newer but overconfident swimmers. As the water levels have risen recently the beach is more worn away or missing. Keep in mind this is a public free beach so it isn't all pretty and racked and everything like a paid beach. Still worthy of a trip on a hot summer day or a fall walk to see the lake and toss some skipping stones. Parking lot is located a short albeit steep walk down to the beach. Without much pavement beyond the beachfront don't bother with a stroller or wagon unless it's got those larger sand...

Nice place to unwind, relax or kill time. Wide open space gives you more than enough real estate to contemplate on your place in the universe. Walk, bike, run, walk the doggies (don't forget to scoop the poop!), such a nice place to get active and sweat it out. Most especially beautiful and breathtaking in the fall/autumn when the trees show their best colors. And did I mention that it is very near to that historic place called Fort Sheridan? There's also an old building nearby previously used as a military stockade but is now home to Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, an excellent place to bring your kids for orchestra experience if your kids...