Parks and Recreation Review

I've lived in Wisconsin nearly my entire life and I had never heard of Harrington Beach State Park, but it was a short drive away and a new place for us.   It is approximately 30 miles north of Milwaukee, making it an easy day trip.  The $7 daily pass was well worth it, but a Wisconsin State Park sticker would be the better option if you plan to visit this park again.

The scenery on the way there was one of my favorite parts of this trip and worth the drive in itself.  Coming from Milwaukee on I43, it was an easy drive to Belgium where this park is located.  Belgium is a quaint little town with old buildings and a strong sense of history.  If we were to camp at Harrington, I think a stop at Belgium would be in our plans.

There were an abundance of farms and rolling hills like most of Wisconsin, but there were many more stone houses and barns than I normally see.  They were amazing and they were gorgeous and they were magnificent in their simplicity.  I wish we had stopped to take pictures.

The drive into the park was a long, winding road through meadows and woods.  The park personnel at the guard shack was friendly and informative, giving us a map to help us find our way after we paid our entrance fee.

This huge park was a great mix of prairie, woods, and sandy beach.  We had most of the beach to ourselves on this Wednesday in late August.  The beach was clean and sandy, with an abundance of little shells throughout the seashore.  The kids were kept  busy as they collected shells.

The view from the pet beach was spectacular.  The picnic area was elevated on a cliff overlooking Lake Michigan.  Just a few feet off the path, we unloaded our lawn chairs and coolers at a spot equipped with a picnic table and charcoal grills. From there we were able to take a wooden stairway down to the sandy beach, where we noticed a patch of raspberries along the way.

The waves rolled in and out, while the dog leaped over the large ones in order to fetch a stick.  In the far distance you could see a very large ship. Next time we will be bringing binoculars.

The roads were well-kept, the trails were clean and accommodating for all ability levels, and the restrooms, although pit toilets, were new and did not smell.

We  happened to visit on the first day that the brand new campsites were open.  There were group camping sites, tent camping sites, and RV sites with a gravel pad.  Nearly every site had a nice amount of shade to keep things comfortable.  Everything was shiny and neat as a pin.  This whole park looked brand new and very clean and neat.

Near the pet beach was the anchor from a shipwreck in the area. The kids were especially fascinated with this discovery.  The wreck of the ship Niagra happened long ago, as noted by the historical marker on the shore by a large anchor pulled from the ship.

There were other historical markers at various places marking evidence of a small town that used to exist a century ago on this site.  There was the foundation to worker's quarters, an old cistern, and pictures of the quarry business that was the source of the small town.

Through the clear green water in the quarry were remnants of a bridge or a building from earlier days.  Along the shore line were children fishing, and a platform that accomodates wheelchair fisherman was nearby. 

We left this park amazed at the beautiful scenery that was literally miles from the city of Milwaukee.  I am sure we will be back.