Beach · Lake Michigan · Illinois
Thorndale
A public beach on Lake Michigan in Cook County, Illinois, about 190 feet of shore. The state samples the water for bacteria 5 times a week through a 105-day swim season.
The beach
On the record
- Water
- Lake Michigan
- Location
- Cook County, Illinois
- Length
- about 190 feet
- Owner
- Public
- Access
- Public Access
- Water sampling
- Yes — 5 times a week in the swim season
- Swim season
- 105 days, as reported
- Monitoring tier
- Tier 1 — the state’s highest monitoring priority
- EPA beach ID
- IL586992
- Coordinates
- 41.9900° N, 87.6540° W
As the state reported it to EPA for the 2025 season. Sampling schedules change year to year. How beach monitoring works →
Down the shore
Nearest Michigan beaches
- Kathy Osterman Beach0.1 mi · sampled · IL
- Foster Avenue Beach0.7 mi · sampled · IL
- Hartigan Beach0.9 mi · sampled · IL
- Rogers Avenue Park Beach1.0 mi · IL
- North Shore Avenue Beach1.0 mi · sampled · IL
- Pratt Blvd And Park Beach1.1 mi · sampled · IL
Straight-line distance.
On the horizon
Lighthouses nearby
- Wilson Avenue Crib Light3.6 mi
- William E. Dever Crib Light5.1 mi
- Grosse Point Light5.2 mi · deactivated
On shore nearby
Worth the stop
- Chicago Lakefront Trail7.2 mi · drive
Off the beach
What to fish on Lake Michigan
Source
Facts on this page are from the EPA BEACON profile for beach IL586992, the record Illinois files under the federal BEACH Act, retrieved 2026-10-10. The county is placed from the beach’s own coordinates. A blank field means the record is silent. Parking, fees, lifeguards and dog rules are set by whoever runs the beach; check with them before you go.
Chart shoreline generalized from Natural Earth (public domain). Not for navigation. Something wrong or missing? Write to contact@greatamericanlakes.com.