The 5 Most Charming Beach Towns To Visit In Wisconsin, According To Travel Bloggers And Social Media

Mention Wisconsin and a lot comes to mind: catching a Packers game in Green Bay, a family-friendly winter adventure in Milwaukee, perhaps. But "beach town" probably doesn't crack the top five. That's a shame. The Badger State lives up to its Great Lakes billing, with over 15,000 lakes alongside its two freshwater giants, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The upshot of all that water? Some vibrant, charming beach towns. The list of potential destinations is quite long, but we've whittled it down to five that merit a visit, according to travel bloggers and the social media chatter.

The shores of Lakes Superior and Michigan alone create 800 miles of waterfront, a watery footprint comparable to California's 840 miles of ocean coastline. Yet unlike the mostly sandy beaches of the Golden State, Wisconsin's beaches span the spectrum from sandy lakesides to turquoise escapes. That excludes the thousands of lakes scattered across the state, creating a blue-dotted map that, in some spots, resembles a Jackson Pollock painting. (There are also 200 miles of Mississippi River shoreline cutting an elegant outline of the state's western border with Minnesota.)

Saying the state benefits from its watery borders would be an understatement. Roughly $7 billion worth of goods pass through the state's harbors every year. Wisconsinites themselves most certainly know their luck — millions of them live along Lake Michigan. It's a logical choice, considering the lake's shores and towns offer everything from dive-worthy shipwrecks, a charming zoo, plenty of fishing, and enough maritime history to leave you feeling like a pirate. All of this comes with, of course, glistening waters, worthwhile swims, and the relaxing vibes you should find at any beach town. This list includes five towns, but it just as easily could have been five times as many.

Perhaps the premier beachy destination in Door County, Washington Island offers a megamix of Wisconsin's greatest hits, all packed into a community of just a little over 700 residents. It has the low hum of a beach town that feels comfortable in its own skin, surrounded by water on all sides. But that doesn't mean it's boring or desolate. Seafaring types are welcome to avail themselves of the town's fleet of fishing, diving, or tour boats. Those with scuba licenses — or even just a snorkel — have plenty to see. The chilly waters of its harbor include the remnants of the Louisiana, a steamship that ran aground during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913.

Then there's Schoolhouse Beach, on the island's northern side –one of the most distinctive beaches in the Great Lakes region. It offers visitors a rare vista of pebble beaches and crystal clear lake waters, with turquoise fading into a deep navy blue off in the distance. There are only five beaches in the world like it, evoking a stony Mediterranean seaside you'd expect to see in Greece rather than Wisconsin. "With the tree-lined bay curving around, and that beautiful blue water, it's a very pretty place to relax in the sun," noted travel blogger Cathy on mummytravels.com.

The rocky adventure continues a ferry ride away to Rock Island State Park. It includes several stone structures built between 1910 and 1945 by an Icelandic inventor who owned the island. Chester Hjortur Thordarson's impact on the island remains more than eight decades after he left it, with his preservation efforts continuing to this day. He also left behind an arresting stone boathouse.

The town of Sheboygan, population about 49,000, sits between Milwaukee and Green Bay. It also occupies a middle ground between quaint and cosmopolitan. It includes a lighthouse (recurring theme on this list) and a salty-dog reputation. The town prides itself on being the "Spirit on the Lake". But it's not all aquatics. Sheboygan's John Michael Kohler Arts Center takes high-brow art into its renowned washrooms (which include Kohler faucets and fixtures). If maritime history is more your thing, the Lottie Cooper shipwreck's hulking remnants at Deland Park offer a stark reminder of the water's mercilessness. Those same rough waters draw a surf crowd, earning Sheboygan the nickname "Malibu of the Midwest." You don't need to hang 10 to enjoy the waters, though. The town's 8.7 miles of shoreline are spread across 17 designated beaches.

At the heart of Sheboygan's beach culture lies Kohler-Andrae State Park, its crown jewel. Its abundance of shoreline, glistening waters, and natural preserves make it an ideal hangout for locals and travelers alike. The town's charms go beyond beaches, of course. The Sheboygan County Museum offers a broad look at the area's history dating back thousands of years. For maritime enthusiasts, Wisconsin Maritime Museum in nearby Manitowoc offers a detailed history of the town's salty dogs, including a World War II-era submarine that doubles as a bed-and-breakfast. 

Oh, and the lakeside gem is also a perfect place for German flavors, brews, and, namely, brats — hence its title as the "Bratwurst Capital of the World." Travel blogger Theresa Goodrich was introduced to the intricacies of Sheboygan's traditional bratwurst  — "fried" with raw onions and ground mustard on a roll. No exceptions. "They've got a Brat Pledge, for hard roll's sake," they wrote on thelocaltourist.com.

What does a former fur trading outpost with an ideal location along Lake Michigan's shoreline do in modern times? Morph into a bastion of art, industry, tourism, and eco-conscious efforts. Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed two of Racine's crown jewels: Wingspread Conference Center and the S.C. Johnson Global Headquarters. Those looking for a bit of a respite from man's progress can stop by the River Bend Nature Center, a 78-acre complex of hiking trails, an education center, and canoeing along the Root River. Visitors can check out the town's famous Wind Point Lighthouse, a bucolic little nook to relax, take a quick dip, or learn about the area's history. There are plenty of other places to cool off. Racine's 21 beaches spread across 7.6 miles of shoreline.

The town is home to North Beach, a 2,500-foot stretch of sandy Lake Michigan shoreline that's part of a larger 50-acre park complex. The Blue Wave-certified beach remains free and open year-round, allowing Racine residents to enjoy its waters, play volleyball, or jog on its sands. A little farther north, visitors can enjoy Zoo Beach, named after its proximity to the Racine County Zoo. Because who hasn't wanted to check out an Amazon Tree boa and go swimming on the same day? Afterward, don't forget to grab a Kringle pastry. One of the largest Danish-American communities in the country once called Racine home.

"The area is beautiful, especially during autumn," one local wrote on Reddit. "The red leaves on the lakefront are a sight to see. Most of the people around here are kind and generally good to chat with, lots of people will jump to help if you're in need. Some of the best bakeries I've ever been to are here."

Located near the Illinois border, Lake Geneva sits along the eastern shore of Geneva Lake, a roughly 5,400-acre expanse of blue. Confounding name aside, the roughly 8,000 people who call the town home have plenty to enjoy. After a long history of Native American settlement and culture, the post-Civil War era saw the town become a second home for wealthy Chicago families. It's now a hub for adventurous outdoor offerings, with ziplining and a drive-through safari topping a long list of activities that don't involve water. Still, you might as well go for a dip.

The town's Riviera Beach offers a key reason why the well-off flocked up from the Windy City. The relaxation offered by its waters and central location relative to the town's other draws make it an ideal epicenter for any visit. The Shore Path, which circumnavigates the lake, gives visitors a chance to explore the extravagant homes and estates built by those same Chicagoans. But there's one a select few will truly appreciate: Gary's House, the former home of E. Gary Gygax.

Gygax, a Lake Geneva resident, co-created "Dungeons & Dragons" in 1974. His home, marketed as "The Birthplace of DnD", lets visitors play the game where it was originally created (though be ready to shell out up to $200 per person). Dedicated DnD fanatics think Lake Geneva is a worthwhile pilgrimage. "Gary's brother was our [Dungeon Master]," wrote a Reddit user who played in Gygax's home. "Hearing the history from someone who lived it was very interesting and doing the one shot with him as DM was a lot of fun."

While Lake Michigan tends to get much of the glory, the aptly named town of Superior showcases the treasures available along Wisconsin's stretch of Lake Superior, the crystal clear freshwater gem that's also the cleanest lake in America. The town's appeal lies in its wealth of natural gems and myriad ways to enjoy them. Its waters are best enjoyed by boat, with Barkers Island Marina offering access. Be sure to bring a rod and reel with you to snag northern pike, bass, or walleye. Not to be outdone on the maritime history front, Superior is home to the SS Meteor, the last remaining whaleback ship in the world, now preserved as a museum. Together with neighboring Duluth, Minnesota, Superior forms the Twin Ports metro area. 

Those who've had their dose of history can enjoy 7.6 miles of shoreline spread across 15 beaches. Chief among them is Wisconsin Point, one of the largest freshwater sandbars in the world. Visitors can enjoy 229 acres of beach along a nearly 3-mile stretch, as well as bird watching, hiking, and more. (Just be sure to check for beach advisories ahead of your visit.) The point offers lasting memories for visitors and locals alike, who often reminisce about their adventures or mishaps there.

"I have a black mark on my knee from here I earned over 20 years ago from a burnt log I stumbled over during a beach party," one Reddit user wrote in response to a photo of Wisconsin Point. "So many great times were had in younger years up there. I always look back on the Lake Superior shoreline with fondness."

Few people hear Wisconsin and reflexively think, "Oh, beach towns!" That sort of reaction is reserved for the oceanic coasts and the Gulf. But a subculture of lake-loving travelers left a mighty trail of online breadcrumbs to follow, helping cull this list down to a mighty fivesome (though it could've easily been double that). The list intentionally covers all three of Wisconsin's main coasts — the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, as well as its inland lakes — at least once. The inland variety proved most daunting, as the Great Lake State arguably has too many for any one list. We consulted a mix of knowledgeable travel blogs like Fresh 5 Crew and World Atlas, among others.  "Best of" lists, from the likes of Stacker and social media chatter (mostly on Reddit), helped trim the list down to a top 15. From there, it was mostly an exercise in gathering a critical mass of positive online commentary about a destination to make it worthy of top-five placement. Blogs like The Local Tourist and Paulina on the Road helped guide the final choices. The resulting list, we feel, offers a map that covers the many sides of summer in Wisconsin.