Welcome to Three Oaks

The City of Crystal Lake reclaimed the long-abandoned Vulcan Lakes quarry and turned it into an amazing recreation experience. Enjoy pristine waters, natural habitat, and incredible fishing. Rent rowboats, canoes, kayaks, sailboats, and paddle boats. Plan a picnic, and overlook breathtaking views of the water and lake islands. Make memories at the kid-friendly spray park, and eat a lakeside lunch at our outdoor dining patio. Experience recreational scuba diving, or become certified through various community scuba schools in our Scuba Zone.

To view current wind conditions and projected forecast at Three Oaks click here. To see a live view of the beach, click the WeatherBug image above. 

Entrances and Parking

Crystal Lake residents receive free parking into the Three Oaks Recreation Area. Please have your driver's license or a state issued ID showing your Crystal Lake residency to receive free access at the parking gate. The parking gate will scan your ID to confirm that you reside within the incorporated limits of the City of Crystal Lake. All non-resident vehicles that enter the park will be charged $5.00 per vehicle.

Vehicles may enter from the West or North entrance. From the West, enter the park through the Main Street entrance, which is located by Mayfair Furniture and Carpet. To enter the park from the North, come in through the Highway Route 14 entrance, which is between BMO Harris Bank and Cooper Tire. Pedestrian pathways are available on the East, West, and North access points.

Personal Watercraft Prohibited

Guests are prohibited from using personal kayaks, canoes, or row boats at the Three Oaks Recreation Area lakes. This is to prevent invasive species from entering the water from outside watercraft. Only watercraft from the boat rental Marina may be used on the water.

History of Three Oaks

Starting in the early 1950’s, Vulcan Materials began extracting sand and stone from the site known today as the Three Oaks Recreation Area. After four decades of mining, the water table was exposed and created two lakes. When Vulcan Materials completed mining in the late 1990s, the site became the property of the City of Crystal Lake. The City then began years of development planning to construct a passive recreation area. In the fall of 2010, Three Oaks Recreation Area, named after the road that once ran through the land, opened to the public.