Atwater Beach
Shorewood, WI
Atwater Beach sits below Atwater Park in Shorewood, about 50 stairs down from the bluff top, with a ramped path for anyone who can't take the steps. It's a natural, uncrowded sandy beach, loved by Shorewood families and anyone who wants a break from Bradford Beach's scene. Up top, the park has a playground and Jaume Plensa's Spirit of Shorewood, a large seated figure made of steel letters looking out at the lake.
A natural, family-friendly beach under the bluff, though it's a walk down and back up.
How we score beachesUse the ramp path if you're bringing a wagon or stroller down to the beach.
Street parking near Atwater Park.
About 50 stairs lead down to the beach, with a ramped path as an alternative.
The water warms to swimmable by mid July. The village sometimes closes the stairs for maintenance in the off-season.
More Great Lakes beaches
Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
Empire, MI · Great Lakes
Freshwater Lake Michigan surf below towering sand dunes, some over 400 feet tall, with water clear enough to rival a coastline and a hike back up the dune to burn it off.
New Buffalo City Beach
New Buffalo, MI · Great Lakes
New Buffalo City Beach is the first real Lake Michigan beach you hit crossing from Indiana, a wide stretch of sand at the end of Whittaker Street beside the harbor and the Galien River channel. Chicago weekenders fill it in summer. The town's shops and restaurants are a five minute walk back up the street.
Warren Dunes State Park
Sawyer, MI · Great Lakes
Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer has roughly three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and some of the tallest dunes in southwest Michigan. Tower Hill rises about 260 feet above the lake, and climbing it and running back down is a rite of passage. On a hot July Saturday the beach feels like a small city.