McKinley Beach
Milwaukee, WI
McKinley Beach is a sheltered swimming beach just south of Bradford Beach on Milwaukee's lakefront, built in the 1980s with rock from the city's Deep Tunnel project. A recent renovation added roughly 1,000 dump trucks' worth of sand, turning it into a shallow wading beach that works well for young kids. The McKinley Marina is next door.
Calm, shallow, and kid-friendly right downtown, though it's small compared to Bradford.
How we score beachesBring the toddlers here instead of Bradford. The water is calmer and the crowd is much smaller.
Parking at McKinley Park and the marina lots.
Paved lakefront paths lead to the sand.
The protected wading area warms faster than open water by midsummer. The county occasionally closes the beach for maintenance, so check before you go.
More Great Lakes beaches
Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
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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
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Warren Dunes State Park
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