Closest Beaches

Beaches Near Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee is built on the Lake Michigan shore, and Bradford Beach sits about 2 miles north of downtown along Lincoln Memorial Drive — that is the default city beach. For a weekend trip, Door County (Peninsula State Park, Cave Point, Whitefish Dunes) is the payoff drive north. Bradford gets posted advisories after heavy rain; check the Milwaukee County water quality dashboard before swimming.

Plan This Week

Tuesday looks like the best day across this list.

Strongest single forecast: Montrose Beach (Chicago) on Tuesday (66).

Within 60 mi

Bradford Beach (Milwaukee)

2.3 mi · ~3 min drive · Milwaukee County, WI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 51°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Monday (46)

Foster Avenue Beach (Chicago)

74 mi · ~1 hr 47 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (63)

Montrose Beach (Chicago)

75 mi · ~1 hr 49 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (66)

North Avenue Beach (Chicago)

79 mi · ~1 hr 53 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (63)

Oak Street Beach (Chicago)

80 mi · ~1 hr 55 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (65)

Ohio Street Beach (Chicago)

81 mi · ~1 hr 56 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (65)

Silver Lake State Park

83 mi · ~1 hr 59 min drive · Oceana County, MI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 50°F air 9 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (46)

12th Street Beach (Chicago)

83 mi · ~1 hr 59 min drive · Cook County, IL

Great day for a beach walk.

Grand Haven State Park

84 mi · ~2 hr 1 min drive · Ottawa County, MI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 49°F air 14 mph wind Best this week: Veterans Day (42)

31st Street Beach (Margaret T. Burroughs Beach)

84 mi · ~2 hr 2 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (65)

57th Street Beach (Hyde Park)

88 mi · ~2 hr 6 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (66)

Holland State Park Beach

88 mi · ~2 hr 7 min drive · Ottawa County, MI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 51°F air 7 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (48)

63rd Street Beach (Chicago)

88 mi · ~2 hr 7 min drive · Cook County, IL

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (65)

Ludington State Park

98 mi · ~2 hr 21 min drive · Mason County, MI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 49°F air 8 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (45)

Warren Dunes State Park

103 mi · ~2 hr 28 min drive · Berrien County, MI

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (61)

Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)

103 mi · ~2 hr 29 min drive · Lake County, IN

Decent day for photography.

50°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (65)

Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)

104 mi · ~2 hr 30 min drive · LaPorte County, IN

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (62)

Indiana Dunes National Park

105 mi · ~2 hr 31 min drive · Porter County, IN

Decent day for photography.

50°F air 5 to 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (62)

Whitefish Dunes State Park

135 mi · ~3 hr 15 min drive · Door County, WI

Great day for a beach walk.

54°F water

Cave Point County Park

136 mi · ~3 hr 15 min drive · Door County, WI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 48°F air 12 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (59)

Peninsula State Park (Nicolet Bay Beach)

151 mi · ~3 hr 37 min drive · Door County, WI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 49°F air 10 to 14 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (44)

Empire Beach (Lake Michigan Beach Park)

153 mi · ~3 hr 40 min drive · Leelanau County, MI

Decent day for photography.

54°F water 51°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (46)

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

171 mi · ~4 hr 6 min drive · Leelanau County, MI

Decent day for photography.

51°F air 10 to 15 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (56)

Petoskey State Park

220 mi · ~5 hr 17 min drive · Emmet County, MI

Decent day for photography.

47°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (63)

Tawas Point State Park

238 mi · ~5 hr 43 min drive · Iosco County, MI

Great day for photography.

51°F air 10 mph wind Best this week: Tuesday (62)

Distance is straight-line, drive times are estimates

Mileage shown is straight-line distance from the center of Milwaukee. Real drive times depend on highway routing, weekend traffic, and where in the metro you start. For summer Saturdays, plan 20–40 minutes longer than the estimates here. The range slider above filters by the same straight-line distance.