The official word hasn’t come down yet, but it appears the Chicago lakefront east of Lake Shore Drive is finally reopening, at least in a sort of soft reopening.

Chicago Police officers patrol the Lakefront Trail near North Avenue Beach as the city closes the area to pedestrians amid fears of the coronavirus pandemic, Thursday morning, March 26, 2020.

It appears the Chicago lakefront east of Lake Shore Drive is reopening in a sort of soft opening.

Officially, the word has not come yet, but on Friday the gates were open at many places for access, according to multiple birders. (I forgot to whip in last evening and get a photo, so I would love if somebody could send me one.)

The lakefront east of LSD has been officially closed since March 26, 2020, because of pandemic restrictions. The lakefront trail reopened in June 2020 for those who kept moving.

Please note that Navy Pier is separate from Chicago Park District land and Navy Pier remains closed to access for fishing other than a small piece at the west end of the north slip by the bus turnaround. Click here for details on that.

If I get more formal word on the lakefront reopening, I will either add to this or make a separate post.

[UPDATE] Apparently soft opening or necessary opening for equipment would be right.

Leslie Borns, volunteer site steward at Montrose, sent this word around on IBET, the birders network, “Chief operating officer Patrick Levar wrote that the gates to the parks east of Lake Shore Drive were recently opened to facilitate snow removal and that the parks would officially open ‘next week.’ “

Stay tuned.

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The official word hasn’t come down yet, but it appears the Chicago lakefront east of Lake Shore Drive is finally reopening, at least in a sort of soft reopening.