entry to the beach is usually from a parking area on its north side: north of this carpark is usually the most crowded area in the summer time. South, the beach is less crowded and a mile of shoreline extends to an inlet into a wetland. Depending on weather conditions this inlet may be blocked by a berm from the lake waters, and again depending on weather conditions the water inside the berm may be significantly warmer than Lake Michigan which is rather cold until August. Gallery See Also List of Ramsar sites in the United States References External links Trails at Illinois Beach State Park Beaches of Illinois State parks of Illinois Protected areas of Lake County, Illinois National Natural Landmarks in Illinois Protected areas established in 1948 Landforms of Lake County, Illinois Ramsar sites in the United States