Illinois Beach State Park
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park, part of the Illinois state park system, is located along Lake Michigan in northern Lake County in northeast Illinois. Together with lands to the north, including Chiwaukee Prairie, it forms the Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain, an internationally recognized wet-land of importance under the Ramsar Convention. The park is broken into two units that encompass an area of 4,160 acres (1,683 ha) and contains over six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. In 2010, it was renamed for former state senator Adeline Geo-Karis.
| Illinois Beach State Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature) | |
Map of the Illinois showing the location of Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park | |
| Location | Lake County, Illinois, United States |
| Nearest city | Zion, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 42°25′02″N 87°48′42″W |
| Area | 4,160 acres (1,683 ha) |
| Established | 1948 |
| Visitors | 1.2 million (in 2015) |
| Governing body | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
U.S. National Natural Landmark | |
| Designated | 1980 |
Ramsar Wetland | |
| Official name | Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain |
| Designated | 25 September 2015 |
| Reference no. | 2243 |
Recreational activities at the park include boating, swimming, hiking, bicycling, camping, bird watching, and picnicking. Known primarily for the beach, the park also includes dune areas, wetlands, prairie, and black oak savanna. The area at the far southern end of the park is a designated nature preserve, which was named a National Natural Landmark in 1980.