Park offers miles of white-sand beach­es where the sand is actu­al­ly white. In sum­mer you can always find a beach to call your own while you swim in the sea­son­al­ly warm lake water. At night you can roast marsh­mal­lows by the lights of the Chica­go sky­line pok­ing above the hori­zon. Add in hikes through ancient oak forests and you’ll under­stand why the region is proud­ly known local­ly as the Third Coast.