Dawes Park

I spent a couple days in Evanston this week, and while it was too short a visit to get the whole run of the town, I did get to pass a pleasant hour in Dawes Park. The weather was cool for the duration of my trip, but I did get one clear, lovely, sunny afternoon. I cardiganed up and walked to the lake.
My only other time in Evanston was Presidents’ Day weekend 2005, a frigid wintertime visit to my friend Melissa K., who was at Northwestern. I don’t remember everything we did that weekend, but I do remember the lake, which was gorgeous but harder to appreciate when the weather kept us from long periods of time outdoors. I’m glad I got to see it on a more forgiving day – it was beautiful, blue and placid, a kind of view I don’t get often living in Los Angeles. I walked up and down the path winding by it, through the park, admiring the lake and the shore, the greenery and the campus, pausing to sit and read and watch joggers and other idlers go by. There were picnic tables and lots of benches for relaxing, and I even came across a tiny dog beach, where a few dogs were at play.
I don’t know what tourists are supposed to do in Evanston, but I was happy with this outing – it was lovely, free, and peaceful. I doubt I’d go on long walks in Dawes Park on an icier day, but I’m sure the views are always fantastic. It’d be a waste to come into town without at least a short visit to this park.

What a lovely park! I am reminded of our parks along the Hudson in the dirty Jerz, where there is ample street parking, cool peeps, and breathtaking views, only this park is along the Lake.
There are great trails to run or bike, there are ample restrooms, and I cannot stress how important that is in Suburban America, and there is ample street parking. There are also outdoor exercise things for you to incorporate into your runs.
Off the park are a couple of beaches that appear to charge a nominal fee for entry ($ 8), and a dog beach for people with pooches. The sun shining over the puddle is picturesque and I enjoyed my theme here.
Will return for sure.

Chicago and the surrounding suburbs have so much to see and do. Dawes Park in Evanston, IL is a great spot for picnics, art fairs, walking your dog or just going for a stroll on a beautiful night like tonight.
You have Lake Michigan to the east, beautiful homes to the west and a great park sandwiched in between.

Great place for a cookout and a wonderful way to spend a summer day! Parking can be tricky, there are lots of towing zones which they keep a close eye on. There are 3 hr parking areas, but they fill up quickly.

I’ve only been here a couple of times, but Dawes Park beats any other parks out of the water! It’s in a great location in Evanston right off of Sheridan Road. I was just here this past weekend, and there was plenty of side street parking, however, it gets much busier during hot summer days.
I love to come to Evanston as often as possible, so what I usually end up doing is parking in the public parking in downtown Evanston and walking a few minutes down the street until I reach the park/​Lake Michigan. Both times I’ve parked there, it ended up being free.
It seems that Dawes Park is connected to a couple things such as a wonderful dog beach. The park itself has a beautiful lagoon with a fountain and LOTS of room to have a picnic. There are trails to run or bike, or just walk along Lake Michigan and take in the scenery. It’s also a great spot to people watch and take wonderful pictures. On the other side of Sheridan Road, there are old Victorian houses that are breathtaking, but kind of creepy at the same time!
One of the best perks is that it’s free and it’s never too crowded, which makes it great for any occasion. Since it’s so close to Downtown Evanston, there are plenty of dining options.
Next visit, I am bringing my dog… :)

Great park for sitting outdoors and enjoying a last picnic with your oldest friends before moving away from Chicago.
Hypothetically.
Windy by the lake by this time of year, but the fountain is beautiful and the ducks are entertaining and the people-​watching is top-​notch. Plenty of free three-​hour parking, and the park is very dog-​friendly. Pack a lunch and enjoy!

It may only be 42 degrees out, but today, I’m dreaming of hot summer nights. And what are hot summer nights without secrets? Dawes Park may not be a clandestine locale, but it’s still what I’d consider off-​the-​radar.
Last August, one of my favorite bands (Austin’s Del Castillo) played the Starlight Concert Series in Dawes Park. I’ll probably never miss a Starlight Concert here again — you can pack a picnic, bring a few bottles of wine and listen to live music under the stars right on Lake Michigan with killer views of the Chicago skyline. And… the shows are free!
The 2011 series features five shows at Dawes, all on Tuesday nights. If Del Castillo comes back here, I highly recommend you attend. Speaking of «on the QT» (they don’t call me Mrs. Tarantino for nothing, yo), here’s the connection:
Robert Rodriguez scored Kill Bill: Vol. 2 and created Chingon (members from Del Castillo) for the express purpose of contributing to that soundtrack and also for Grindhouse (both directed/​co-​directed by Tarantino). Cool, huh?

Cute park that isn’t too crowded. The view of lake michigan is breathtakingly beautiful. It reminded me of the hamptons with the beach and gentle breeze. There’s also a little man made lake inside the park too.

I honestly think I have died and gone to heaven. It’s the middle of August, and there is this gorgeous lakefront park with running and biking trails, and a dog park, and a lagoon with fountains surrounded by park benches and grass, and a bluff with cool-​ass painted rocks you can sun on like a lizard, and it’s only 70 degrees outside right now, and the park is only 2 blocks from my friend’s apartment, and I can see the Chicago skyline beckoning «come have fun here!»
That’s this visitor’s view of Dawes Park.
What am I doing? Time for a morning run to work off all the deliciously fattening food I’ve consumed over the last 4 days. We’re going downtown for lunch!

This park gets 5 stars for one reason. And that reason is the concrete lagoon smack dab in the middle of it, on the scenic shores of Lake Mission. The lagoon has a nice path around it, and an island in the middle.
Ok, so I might not be convincing you that a concrete lagoon is worth five stars. What’s it going to take? What if I told you that it was the historic starting and ending point of BagFeST? Sigh, that might not do it. But, well, reviews are subjective, so I still think that th lagoon is 5 stars.