Montrose Beach Dunes Natural Area

Formed on landfill, the reserve took shape after the Chicago Park District halted grooming in 2001, allowing natural forces to cultivate foredune and globally rare panne habitat. The site’s footprint shifts annually with Lake Michigan’s water levels, creating conditions for state-listed plants and shorebirds such as the federally endangered Great Lakes piping plover, which first nested here in 2019.

Inside the dunes, routes are restricted to soft-surface sand paths, though the paved trail along the southern border and the eastern pier provide solid-ground vantage points overlooking shorebird activity.