Park Ave Boating Facility | Park District of Highland Park

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Park Ave construction begins in July. See new parking configurations.

8 Park Ave | 847.432.0970

Now Open!

Daily

Dawn to Dusk

Park Avenue Boating Facility is Highland Park’s destination for sailors, paddleboarders, fishermen, powerboaters, and leisure visitors. The facility features a new concrete ramp and breakwater, sand launching ramp, two parking lots, and three boat storage areas. Park Avenue is also home to the North Shore Yacht Club an affordable membership organization that offers Learn to Sail, Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP), and kayaking lessons to the public.

Park Avenue’s north storage area accommodates boats up to 25’, power boats, sailboats, and personal watercrafts. The south storage area accommodates sailboats up to 18′. Additional space is available for sail/mast storage as well as rack/cable storage for kayaks and sunfish. Park Avenue Boating Facility and north beaches are non-swimming beaches. Lakefront swimming is only allowed at Rosewood Beach.

Portions of Park Avenue are owned by both the Park District and the City of Highland Park. The property to the south is owned by the City of Highland Park, which includes the road, parking spaces, and land where the south storage pad, yacht club building, and concrete boat launch are located. The site is also home to the Highland Park Water Treatment Plant, which provides safe drinking water to Highland Park and surrounding communities. The breakwater and concrete boat ramp, owned by the Park District, are located adjacent to the south property.

Boaters must have a season pass or a daily pass for entry and follow our facility guidelines.
Parking at the Park Avenue Boating Facility is only available to boaters and patrons who have purchased a parking decal or a daily pass (see below).
Please contact Debbie Pierce at [email protected] with questions on purchasing storage and launch passes.
You must have a current lakefront parking decal to park at the north beach.

current lake & weather conditions Usage Guidelines

2024 Park Avenue Boating Season

Seasonal Storage, Launch, and Parking Fee Information

Daily Boat Launch Passes

Vehicular Traffic

Two-way Traffic at Park Avenue Boating Facility

The west roadway of the plant is closed. All boaters, residents and visitors are to follow the two-way traffic pattern around the water plant.
There are three boat turnaround areas on the east and south side of the water plant.
Please adhere to parking regulations as signed.

Parking and Traffic Assistance

The seasonal parking restriction signs have been placed and enforcement will be limited to warnings (with the exception of handicap areas) until mid-May.
A Lakefront Parking decal is required for parking at the North Lot
A Park Avenue season parking decal is required for parking in the south lot

Vessel Safety Checks

The Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla provides free safety checks for Park Avenue boaters in May and June. Important federal regulations relating to safety equipment are reviewed online and/or when setting up your appointment so that you will be prepared to pass your vessel safety check.

Boaters towing their vessels can schedule safety checks in Deerfield. Contact Donna Feldman at 847.597.8125. Please slowly and clearly leave your name and phone number. Please allow one to two days for a response.

To schedule an appointment for a home visit, please email [email protected] or text 312.933.1740.

If you have any questions about the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla vessel examination program, please feel free to contact Donna.

All USCG Vessel Safety Checklists must be PASSED prior to launching motorized vessels.

North Shore Yacht Club

NS Yacht Club

The North Shore Yacht Club (NSYC) is an affordable membership organization for sailors, kayakers, power boaters, stand up paddlers and fun social events. As a volunteer organization, the yacht club is open to residents of all communities.

Learn More About Memberships

Lessons at NYSC

NSYC offers Learn to Sail, Kayak, and Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) lessons for members. Sailing lessons run June-July. Kayak and SUP classes run throughout the summer season.

Learn to Sail

The North Shore Yacht Club offers a seven-week Adult Learn-to-Sail Program for beginners and returning students using single-handed dinghies. Students learn the fundamentals of rigging and sailing using club-owned Sunfish sailboats in classes led by US Sailing certified instructors and experienced NSYC volunteers.

Kayaking

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned paddler, NSYC offers classes throughout the summer season, including stroke & technique development, rescue skills, and more. Each class is taught by our volunteer instructors who have been certified by the American Canoe Association, the nation’s premiere paddle sports organization.

Stand Up Paddleboarding

The NSYC offers several paddleboard classes and events for beginners to intermediate paddlers. Each class is taught by an ACA certified paddleboard instructor. Board, paddle and life jacket (PFD) are included. Classes are available to adult members and those ages 13-18 when taken with an adult member.

Rentals & Parties

The clubhouse is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, is open to the general public for rentals and is the ideal venue for your celebration, birthday party, rehearsal dinner, graduation party or your corporate outing.