Illinois: Three Oaks Recreational Area
5517 Northwest Hwy,
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
July 5th, 2025
A nice, but small facility that is a part of the Crystal Lake Park district. Once you arrive, non-residence pay a $5 parking fee and then follow the road down to the North Boat Marina to check in for diving. Cost to get in is $20 a person and they will hold on to your cert card and driver’s license until you check out. It is about a 500-foot walk to get to the pavilion and the water’s edge so a cart is highly recommended to help schlep gear.
Once at the pavilion there are several tables that can be used to set up and stage gear, about half of which are covered by a large awning. There is a porta potty next to the pavilion, but indoor toilets are located at the marina for changing. The site also has a water fountain and freshwater shower which is nice for gear rinsing. Divers are required to carry a dive float while diving, and the marina does not rent any equipment or have a compressor for air fills.
Entry to the water is easily done via the shore over some shifting rocks. A short swim will take you to the first of the three buoyed platforms, all of which are connected by a line that can be easily followed to the different attractions. Visibility is on par with most freshwater lakes, and the bottom is mud silt, so good buoyancy is required. The entire site can easily be seen in a standard dive, the “hardest” item to locate is the pirate flag roughly due west off the bow of boat 2.
While the site doesn’t have a lot to see, blue gill, sun fish, and bass will cruise around the site, and other divers are working to slowly make the site more interesting with new things being added each year.
