Illinois Beach State Park stretches for 6.5 miles along Lake Michigan and dominates Zion’s lakefront. Here you’ll find camping, hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, picnic areas, and a marina. Oh, and those 6.5 miles of park come with 6.5 miles of beach, too. Sparkling sand against the green-blue waters of Lake Michigan. And with that much beach, you’re guaranteed to get a good spot. The park also boasts a wide variety of ecosystems. Because of this, it is home to over 650 species of plants and a great diversity of wildlife. Cacti, marshland, dunes and forests all in in the same park? Yup. They have all that and more. You may just want to designate a few days to explore.

For those looking to encounter more untouched beauty of Illinois’ lakeshore in one of the last places that it thrives, there are two nature preserves located inside Illinois Beach State Park. To the North the North Dunes Nature Preserve lies untouched, and to the South the Illinois Beach Nature Preserve sits undisturbed, as they have for thousands of years. Enjoy views of marshland, forest, dunes and swales on this wonderfully preserved example of beach ridge shoreline. Leave only footprints. Take only memories.