WAYS TO PLAY
Sailing Beach, Boat Rentals & Permits
Location
800 Gillson Park Drive
North Entrance
Lake Ave & Michigan Ave
South Entrance
Sheridan Rd & Michigan Ave
POINT OF CONTACT
Emin Jakupovic
Lakefront Beach Supervisor
PHONE NO.
POINT OF CONTACT
Conor McCormick
Lakefront Park Supervisor
PHONE NO.
POINT OF CONTACT
Megan White
Lakefront General Manager
PHONE NO.
Season: Sailing season begins May 4 and ends October 13
Hours
- May 4-24: Limited hours
- May 25 through September 2: 8 am-8 pm
- September 3-15: Limited hours
About the Sailing Beach
The Wilmette Sailing Beach houses personally owned vessels from stand up paddleboards to catamarans. Access is restricted to boat owners and their guests. Boat rentals are offered to the general public on Fridays and weekends, more info can be found below.
Sailing Boat Space Waitlists
Would you like to keep your boat on the Sailing Beach? All spaces on the Wilmette Sailing Beach are currently filled. Click Here
to add yourself to the waitlist of your choosing.
When registering for the waitlist, only select the number of family members that match the number of spots you want. Example; only select 2 family members if you want 2 SUP spaces, only select 1 family member if you want 1 catamaran space. Waitlist vessel types are: stand up paddleboard (SUP), windsurfer, monohull (which includes kayaks, sunfish and lasers), laser II, and catamaran.
Check Your Waitlist Status
You can now check your Waitlist Status online! Click the link below to login to your household account and be automatically redirected to your “Pending Enrollments” page. On this page you can see your Waitlist number and where you “stand in line”. To see your status on the Sailing Boat Space waitlist, Click Here
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Boat Rentals
- Rental boats are only available on Saturdays and Sundays through mid-August.
- Staff is on hand to help visitors evaluate their skills and to assess weather conditions. For safety, staff reserves
the right to refuse rentals at any time. - All boat rentals must be reserved and paid for online. Click Here to search available time slots.
Kayak & Sup
90-minute rentals
- Stand Up Paddleboard or Single Kayak R-$60 / NR-$81
- Double Kayak R-$89 / NR-$120
Hobie & Sunfish
60-minute rentals
- Sunfish R-$62 / NR-$74
- Hobie Wave R-$87 / NR-$105
- Hobie Getaway R-$102 / NR-$121
Rental Regulations
- Anyone who is looking to rent a vessel must be 18 years of age or older, or must be accompanied by a guardian.
- Parking is not included in the rental price.
- 2 individuals per vessel are granted access into the sailing area for the rental time only.
Experience the joy of sailing with personalized instruction tailored just for you!
Wilmette Park District offers private, one-on-one sailing lessons suitable for all ages and skill levels. Our experienced instructors design each lesson around your goals—whether you’re looking to build confidence, refine techniques, or master new skills on the water.
Each course includes four one-hour sessions on our versatile fleet of sailboats, with options including Sunfish, Hobie Waves, and Getaways. You’ll gain hands-on experience, learning at your own pace in a supportive and engaging environment.
Please note that once lesson schedules are finalized, make-up sessions are not available for missed classes. Registration opens in February alongside our summer camp enrollment, so be sure to secure your spot early!
- No swimming or wading allowed at the Sailing Beach.
- ID cards are required for access to the Sailing Beach.
- No dogs allowed on the Sailing Beach.
- The sailing road is for pickup/dropoff only. Vehicles must park in designated parking areas outside the Sailing Beach gate.
- Glass bottles, alcohol, portable grills, tents, canopies, tables, or E-Z Ups are not allowed at the Sailing Beach.
- DNR registration is required for all sailing vessels, i.e. Catamarans, Lasers, Sunfish.
Details about Trail-in Permits
- Trail-In fee includes vessel sticker only.
- Kayaks and stand up paddleboards are the only vessels able to be launched at Gillson Park.
- Trail-in launches are permitted every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- Launch and land area is on South Beach north of the pier. Vessels may not land and exit on the sailing beach at any time.
- Vessels are not to operate near or enter the swim area.
- Lifejackets are required and patrons must follow all Coast Guard regulations.
- Permit stickers must be affixed to vessels.
- One Trail-in permit sticker per vessel, permit stickers are not transferrable.
- Only season Trail-in permits are available. No daily passes are available.
How to Purchase
OVER THE SUMMER: Season trail-in permits can be obtained at the Gillson Beach House or Administration Office.
IN THE OFFSEASON: Season trail-in permits can be purchased online here and picked up in person at the Gillson Beach House starting in May.
- Beach House Hours: 7 days a week 9 am-6 pm
- Address: 101 Lake Ave Wilmette, IL 60091
Trail-In Permit Fees
- $177 for residents
- $266 for non-residents
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