Chain O'Lakes (Illinois) Insider Q&A — Answers Travelers Actually Ask

Getting there & around

Logistics

How many lakes make up the Chain O'Lakes?: Roughly 15 named lakes, connected by the Fox River and man-made channels, covering more than 7,000 acres of water in northeastern Illinois. Only three — Grass Lake, Lake Marie, and Nippersink Lake — are natural; the rest are Fox River-connected or channel-formed.
What's the closest airport to the Chain O'Lakes?: Chicago O'Hare International (ORD), roughly 55–60 miles southeast, has by far the most flights. Milwaukee Mitchell International (MKE), roughly 45–50 miles north, is often a shorter drive from the Antioch side.

Groceries, gas, urgent care

Where's the closest grocery store to the Chain O'Lakes?: Jewel-Osco on US Route 12 at the edge of Fox Lake, a full-service grocery store with a pharmacy, bakery, and deli.
Where's the closest emergency room to the Chain O'Lakes?: Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital in McHenry, a 24-hour, Level II Trauma Center emergency department. Vista Medical Center's Lindenhurst campus, sometimes cited, permanently closed its ER in 2024.

What's worth doing

Is Blarney Island really only reachable by boat?: Yes — it sits about a mile offshore on Grass Lake with no vehicle access; visitors arrive by private boat or a shuttle boat from the mainland Port of Blarney dock. It has operated in some form since 1901.
Did Al Capone actually spend time on the Chain O'Lakes?: The Prohibition-era connection is documented: the area was a known getaway for Chicago mob figures including Capone and George "Bugs" Moran, and a mob-related shooting took place at Fox Lake's Manning's Hotel in 1930.

On the water & on the trail

Is the Chain O'Lakes good for pontoon boats?: Yes — it's regionally known for heavy pontoon and party-boat traffic, and several marinas, including Pistakee Marina, Spring Lake Marina, and Fox Lake Boat Rentals, rent pontoons specifically for chain-wide day trips.

Seasons & weather

When's the best time to visit the Chain O'Lakes?: Memorial Day through Labor Day, when the marinas, Blarney Island, and the lake towns' restaurants and farmers markets are all running full schedules. Richardson's Adventure Farm shifts to its fall corn maze and pumpkin season mid-September.