Located along the shores of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee offers beach and water-based activities throughout the year. From swimming and paddleboarding in the summer to freshwater surfing in the winter, here are Milwaukee’s best beaches and what makes them so great.
South Shore Beach
Best beach for adults and an ice-cold beer
What could be better than a day at the beach? A day at the beach with an ice-cold beer. At South Shore Beach in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, lovers of sun and sand are welcome to bring a cooler full of cold ones to the beach, but you can also swing by the adjacent South Shore Terrace Kitchen and beer garden for a wide selection of crisp, crafty goodness. Grab a picnic table overlooking the water or head back to the sand to enjoy your drink.
Bradford Beach
Best beach for all-day activities
Perhaps the most famous in Milwaukee, this half-mile stretch of sand stays packed on weekends during the summer because it is beautiful and easy to get to, with a parking lot nearby. Should you prefer to visit without a fuel-filled vehicle, Bradford Beach is right off the city’s Oak Leaf pedestrian and cyclist trail.
Watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan in the morning, join a game of volleyball in the afternoon, and then picnic on the beach in the evening. Pack your own food or grab burgers and custard from MooSa’s waterfront restaurant before finding a spot of sand to spread out on. Not only is Bradford Beach great for swimming, paddleboarding, and surfing, but the beach, located on Milwaukee’s East Side, is near the Milwaukee Art Museum, one of the city’s top attractions.
Grant Park Beach
Best beach for families with little ones
Most Milwaukee beaches are family-friendly, but Grant Park Beach is especially great for families with young children because it has a large playground for kids to explore. On-site bathrooms and a concession stand specializing in burgers and ice cream mean that families can enjoy the day without extensive pre-planning or packing.
Adults and older children can make use of the beach’s volleyball nets during the summer, but you’ll have to bring your own ball. Grant Park also has stunning wooded trails throughout the park, so if the kids get restless from swimming and playing on the playground, you could drive five minutes to the Seven Bridges trailhead.
Doctors Park Beach
Best beach for peace and quiet
Nestled within Doctors Park in the village of Fox Point, Doctors Park Beach is one of the quietest and most secluded beaches in Milwaukee County. The 49-acre park, named after a doctor who donated his private home to public recreation, sits atop a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Follow the path (which includes stairs) down to the beach and you’ll find a serene stretch of sand to swim, read, or relax to the soothing sounds of lapping waves.
Since the beach is bordered by wooded parkland, has no lifeguard, and offers only portable toilets from Memorial Day to Labor Day, it receives fewer visitors than most Milwaukee beaches, making it possible to enjoy the beach in solitude. Additionally, this section of the lakeshore is along a migratory bird path, proving to be a good place for birdwatching. The native plants populating the park nourish migrating birds. If you want to support bird, bee, and butterfly populations, consider volunteering with Doctors Park to remove invasive species and plant more native species around the beach and park area.
Atwater Beach
Best beach for surfing
Wisconsin might not be the first US state that comes to mind when you think of surfing, but Lake Michigan is home to a vibrant freshwater surfing scene. While most people associate surfing with summer, sun, and warm weather, Wisconsin’s surf season runs from September through May, when the wind and waves are at their best. The water can be frigid, so if you want to surf in the cold of winter, a wetsuit is essential. Experienced surfers will enjoy the thrill of wild waves in winter, but novice surfers should stick to surfing in August or September.
Milwaukee’s only surf shop, Lake Effect Surfshop, is the place to rent boards and suits or sign up for weekend surf lessons. Rental hours align with business hours, which vary by season, so it’s recommended to reach out for overnight and long-term rentals. The shop is less than a mile from Atwater Beach.
Moreover, Atwater Beach hosts yoga sessions, sandcastle competitions, and various events during the warm months. Since the beach is slightly removed from the city center and requires visitors to climb down a long staircase, it typically attracts smaller crowds than Bradford Beach, which is also popular for surfing.
