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It’s too bad Chicago and Milwaukee (I forgot about that one) are not on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The beaches on the Michigan side absolutely do compare to California, Florida or the Carolinas. Seems good beaches favor the eastern shores of all the Great Lakes. Temperature of the water is the big pitfall however, no getting around the fact that it is cold.
Hawaii??? Ain’t no place beating that.
Th beaches in Michigan are unbeatable. All that and they get those sunsets over the lake. Chicago’s flat lakefront proved to be the perfect locale for building a great public lakefront. Milwaukee’s lakefront is a great setting with bluffs overlooking the lake
I love Wisconsin. It is a beautiful state, much like Michigan. But Wisconsin’s lakefront on Lake Michigan is not that great. Even in Door County, it is the Green Bay side of the pninsula that is most desirable. If Michigan were a warm weather state, the beaches on Lake Michigan would be mobbed from across the nation.
It’s too bad Chicago and Milwaukee (I forgot about that one) are not on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The beaches on the Michigan side absolutely do compare to California, Florida or the Carolinas. Seems good beaches favor the eastern shores of all the Great Lakes. Temperature of the water is the big pitfall however, no getting around the fact that it is cold.
Hawaii??? Ain’t no place beating that.
No one is beating Florida and Hawaii for beaches. But Chicago does have beaches in its core and along 26-miles it boarders Lake Michigan. They get cleaned with sifters all summer. One thing to realize too. Chicago had to re-create its lakefront with new parkland, harbors and beaches. The Industrial Revolution and neglect of the era had it all lost. So all it has is man-made. But they did a hellofa job.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70
LMAO even though the Baltimore mayor's office claims the Inner Harbor is officially clean enough for swimming!! The Chesapeake Bay borders Baltimore suburbs like Essex and Dundalk and people swim in the Gunpowder River near Middle River, and there are freshwater swimming holes north of Towson too though not immediately downtown.
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City all have sandy beaches within the city limits. Miami Beach is a separate city from Miami but very close. I don't know how cold Lake Michigan is in the summer but there are always pictures of people swimming in the lake in Chicago.
Some people in New Orleans swim in Lake Pontchartrain but I wouldn't recommend it due to the water quality and the presence of sharks and alligators.
By August waters are warmest. But still cool most if the summer till then.
California beaches are not known for the warmest waters either.....
Never tire of my favorite videos.... Chicago's North Ave Beach.
I'll take it and others. But it is missing that smell of the ocean.
But close in other ways. Summer of course is required for best option.
Montrose Beach last year' lake Michigan at record high levels had
shrunk it some filling in its center from a few years before.
But still seems to satisfy......
But for nearly 1000 miles from the true ocean ....
Chicago's in city and downtown beaches sure ain't too shabby.
Even in the western side of the lake, as the eastern was boasted better .....
Waters still blue-green but not that fluorescent glow and not as white a sand.
The best time in terms of water temperature for Lake Michigan is July, August, September when water is at the warmest temperature around 70 degrees
Around Indiana Sand Dunes and Warren Dunes, MI feels the warmest to me - like Santa Monica, CA warm
Also, the trick is to go to the beach/water when is not super hot outside, so the temperature difference between atmosphere and water is not too high; Days in 80s is ideal.
I went one time when was around 100 outside and I felt like stepping in a bucket of ice.
Last edited by Di3s3l_Pow3r; 06-01-2019 at 09:33 PM..
Reason: Typos
I tried to do a little digging on this, looking up as much info as I could about swimming in different bodies of water. Here are a few that haven't been mentioned:
1) San Diego. It seems that some people have discussed swimming in San Diego Bay. It may not be the best idea as it can be quite polluted at times, but it's been done.
2) Indianapolis. A decade ago there was a triathlon organized with the swimming portion in the canals downtown. Not sure if they've continued to do that or not and I don't think it's permitted outside of such events.
3) St Petersburg. If this counts since it's not the main CBD of its region, but downtown St Pete is decently urban and it appears people swim in North Shore Park right by downtown.
4) San Francisco. Assuming we're not talking about downtown as in an actual neighborhood called "downtown" but more just the concept of a very urban part of a major city, then I think SF could count. Didn't actually do any research on this one, but I know for the Rugby Sevens World Cup in SF last year, they had a floating field next to Oracle Park where players could dive into the harbor, so jumping in the water is ok. I feel like I've seen people in the water to get baseballs too, but not positive.
how long does the swim season last for in chicago until you die of cold or need a wetsuit?
Ehhhh, 4 months of the year (June-September). Though I should point out that despite growing up here in Chicago and still living here, I've only been to one city beach in my life. The times I've been to the beaches on Lake Michigan have almost all been in either the northshore, the Indiana Dunes, or SW Michigan. City beaches are normally a complete zoo and in many cases are just too much.
BTW do people really think that swimming in Lake Michigan is going to freeze you, literally to death in the summertime? It's colder than the beaches in Florida for sure, but it's not as bad as a lot of people here are making it out to be. You get used to it after like a minute. And it's extremely refreshing especially in July and August.
4) San Francisco. Assuming we're not talking about downtown as in an actual neighborhood called "downtown" but more just the concept of a very urban part of a major city, then I think SF could count. Didn't actually do any research on this one, but I know for the Rugby Sevens World Cup in SF last year, they had a floating field next to Oracle Park where players could dive into the harbor, so jumping in the water is ok. I feel like I've seen people in the water to get baseballs too, but not positive.
Is SF warm enough to swim? I would just think it's so cool to finish a day up, head home and change quick, and then head out to the local water body and swim. I wonder if Olympia, WA has clean, swimmable water?
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But it is missing that smell of the ocean.
