The Three Oaks Recreation Area has evolved into a summer attraction for residents of Crystal Lake as well as their guests. The beach is a destination for a summer day, a place for parents to relax and kids to play.
Resident Harold Palmier brought his family from Kansas to Three Oaks when they came to visit him over the summer.
“It’s my family’s first time in Crystal Lake,” Pamier said. “Three Oaks was the only place we could take the kids that we had the time to drive to.”
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The outing organized by grandpa was a success.
“They want to go swimming and play on the playground, there’s so much to do here,” Palmier said as he watched his family play in the combination water park and jungle gym. “It’s taken them a while to bring something like this to Crystal Lake but they’ve finally done it and it looks great.”
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“Three Oaks was an awesome addition to Crystal Lake,” explained Kristie Cunniff, a resident of Cary who is a Nanny during the summer. “The beach is a great destination for us because the girls, whom I watch, and I love it there.”
Three Oaks has something to offer all ages, whether it is kids splashing in clean water, teenagers laying out on the beach or grandma and grandpa watching from the shaded picnic area.
Not only does Three Oaks have a multitude of activities for all ages, the entire area is kept clean.
“This is our first time here, and we think it’s so pretty,” said local middle schoolers Hannah, Leah and Grace, while Cunniff recalled that “everything is so clean from the beach to Culver's and all the employees are very nice.”
Three Oaks Recreation Area is not simply limited to the beaches and jungle gyms, the lake is home to Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass; Yellow and Rock Bass; Channel Catfish; Northern Pike; Walleye; and Pan Fish, and is surrounded by several spots for shoreline fishing.
Father and son David and Ed Delaney, clad with tackle boxes and fishing gear, described that “the catches have been pretty good.” They expressed disgruntlement regarding the “catch-and-release” policy but understand that it’s better for the community.
“I’ve caught bass and blue-gill and my son has caught perch,” said David Delaney. “But we always throw them back.”
Several trails snake around the perimeter of the area and connect back to the local bike trail. Although the trail does not continue around the entire distance of the lake, it is a beautiful diversion for runners or bikers traveling along the bike path.
Jori Harris visited family in Crystal Lake who suggested she run through the new center.
“It looks like a wonderful place to hang out with friends and family,” Harris observed. When asked about her run, she had only positive things to say about the trail and that her workout that day had been enjoyable.
"It’s a great place to run, it would be nice if the path went all the way around though,” Harris said.
Three Oaks has been well-received, however the price for non-residents tends to drive some possible beach patrons away.
Lakewood resident Courtney Hobgood had to pay $5 to park and $10 to enter the Recreation Area.
“When we go in a large group it starts getting really expensive,” she explained. “I have friends who live right by local public high schools who also have to pay, it just doesn’t make sense.”
However, high prices help contribute to a large sum of money the will put towards future additions in the park. Ideas such as scuba diving, wakeboarding, a dog beach, and seasonal festivals and concerts are possibilities.
