Atwater Beach is a community park and beach located on the mid-north side of Milwaukee, WI (technically in the village of Shorewood), and features a gorgeous sand beach with a wooden walkway, and a switchback trail up to a small park area with a playground and the best local views of Lake Michigan. It's also my favorite local beach here.

Overview

At Great Lakes Coastal, we're the gold standard in Great Lakes beachwear, and we're fortunate to have so many beaches right next to our basecamp in Southeast Wisconsin. Even the very urban parts of Milwaukee have a handful of good options, and this is one of them. For my money, it's the best place to go without straying too far from town, and is perhaps the best south of Door County.

View out over Lake Michigan from the top of Atwater Park.

My Thoughts

Atwater Beach (part of Atwater Park) is technically located on the east side of Shorewood, a village just north of downtown Milwaukee, and home of Lake Effect Surf Shop (no affiliation with us, just a great little shop). Parking is available along 32nd Division Memorial Highway, which is all residential, but I've never had an issue finding a spot within a few blocks, even on a busy day.

At the top of the park is a small playground, sculptures, and some gorgeous views out over the lake. Just beneath, you'll find a gatehouse which is open during daylight hours, and leads to a large traversing path and optional stairs down the bluff to the beach. As with the rest of the area, there are large embankments (I'd say 40-80 feet tall) at the edge of the lake, providing spectacular scenery- something notably absent from the Michigan side of the lake, which features more sloping beaches and sand dunes.

Atwater Beach during a gorgeous July day.

This place is popping pretty much any day of the week in the summer, especially on weekends. As one of the only beaches around with a dedicated lifeguard and two playgrounds, it's definitely popular for families. The actual swimming area is roped off in the summer to prevent anyone from going too far out, although the depth slope is pretty gradual. This also keeps swimmers away from the large decaying rock and metal pier structures in the water that help contain the sand- I've had to watch out for these while surfing.

Being right on Lake Michigan, the water's bound to get choppy at times, but it's shallow and usually pretty warm in the summer. I've seen people paddleboarding this beach, but it can be tough to stand up given the usual level of chop and waves, and you're kind of confined to the roped-off swimming area. Both sides of the beach are chained off and clearly labeled as private property. I've visited a handful of times during the summer and enjoyed the scenery, even if it's not remotely quiet.

It is quiet, however, in the fall and spring, and is a great spot to get a little surfing in. My only issues here were due to lack of judgment on my end- exhausting myself paddling around and then forgetting I had an uphill climb after. Most of that's down to my lack of cardio, but that's neither here nor there. I also collected myself against the pier structure that's only 1-2 feet underwater and features some pretty rust metal protrusions- keep an eye out for this if you're surfing.

Another Lake Michigan view from Atwater.

As far as negatives go, it's in the middle(ish) of the city, so unless you're already there for some reason, or a local, there's probably no reason to find yourself here. It's also bound to be packed with people, which can be good or bad depending on what you're looking for. 30 minutes north of here near Port Washington, it's easy to find much more isolated beaches. This is a great place for a blanket or a chair and possibly your own shade. Finally, while there is a lifeguard, you won't find a cabana bar or any similar amenities- it's just not that kind of place.

Conclusion

Sand: 8/10 - Nice, less muddy than other local beaches

Water: 7/10 - Would be better if it was more open

Scenery: 9/10 - Unmatched for Southeast Wisconsin

Amenities: 5/10 - Not a whole lot here

Overall: 7/10

That's more of my overall feeling than anything data driven, but this is a beautiful, semi-hidden gem of a beach, especially for being in the middle of town. Definitely worth a stop by if you're in Milwaukee for the day and looking for a less rowdy vibe than the more party-centric Bradford Beach.

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