Sun, sand a shore thing in Wisconsin...The best places to say "life's a beach"

["Shannon Briggs" <briggssl@michigan.gov>]

Please see the article for an example of positive press for beaches!

This is a printer friendly version of an article from the Green Bay Press-Gazette
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/OSH04/307130001&SearchID=73250640012157
 
A day at the beach can be a great summer adventure. 
 
Sun, sand a shore thing in Wisconsin 

The best places to say "life's a beach" 

By Heather LaRoi 
for The Northwestern July 13, 2006


Wisconsin doesn't immediately spring to mind when the subject of sand and surf comes up, but there is something to be said for flying under the radar. 


Our long Lake Michigan shoreline offers a wide variety of beaches, some complete with dunes, that provide everything for that perfect summer outing. Lolling about on the hot sand, frolicking in the waves, floating in cool waters to beat the heat. 


What's more, many inland lakes - like those at Hartman Creek State Park in Waupaca - also have appealing beaches, places where swimming and sandcastles can add up to great summer adventures. 


Here's a sampler of what we can find in the area. After all, it's hard to beat a day at the beach. 


Surrounded by water on three sides, Peninsula State Park, located just north of Fish Creek, features seven miles of Lake Michigan shoreline along the Green Bay side of Door County. That shoreline includes everything from 150-foot bluffs to cobblestones to sandy beaches. 


Beach fans will head to Nicolet Bay, where the natural sand beach and scenic views make it a hot spot. Lifeguards are not provided at the site, but the area roped off for swimming has relatively shallow water. Beach hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. There are also showers available in the bathhouse. Note that pets are not allowed on the beach or in adjacent picnic areas. 


The park also has more than 20 miles of trails for hiking and biking. Another popular attraction in the park is the 75-foot Eagle Tower, located atop a 180-foot limestone bluff. The observation deck provides great views of the park, Green Bay islands and Michigan shoreline. The Eagle Bluff lighthouse, completed in 1868, is open for public tours all summer. 


For more information, call 920-868-3258 or visit www.dnr.state.wi. us/org/land/parks/ specific/peninsula. 


Located just north of Two Rivers, Point Beach State Forest offers a lighthouse, sand dunes and six miles of white sand beach, some of which are also open to dogs. 


Lifeguards are not provided, and swimmers should beware of potentially dangerous rip currents in Lake Michigan, particularly when large waves are present. 


Picnic areas are located near the lake and also by the Nature Center, with tables, grills, drinking water and restrooms. Concessions are sold in the lodge. 


Visitors looking to get out of the sun can check out the state forest's 11 miles of hiking trails or eight miles of biking trails. 


The Rawley Point lighthouse, with a steel tower that rises 113 feet above the lake surface, is one of the largest and brightest on the Great Lakes. It can be viewed or photographed from the beach but it is not open for tours. 


For more information, call 920-794-7480 or visit www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/pointbeach. 


Whitefish Dunes, located outside Jacksonport on the Lake Michigan side of the Door County peninsula, boasts more visitors than any other day use park in the state. 


The park's shoreline, stretching nearly three miles, has both sandy shoreline and rocky bluffs. But it's the mile-long sandy beach overlooking the stunning scenery of Whitefish Bay and going back 200 feet into the wooded dunes that keeps people coming back. The water is typically cold, but swimmers enjoy the gradual sandy bottom of the lake. 


The park's picnic area, near the parking lot overlooking Lake Michigan, includes charcoal grills, picnic tables, a reservable shelter building and a water fountain for drinking water. 


A boardwalk takes visitors to the top of Old Baldy, the tallest dune in Wisconsin at 93 feet. 


Pets are allowed on the southern part of the beach. 


For more information, call 920-823-2400 or visit www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/whitefish. 


The 1,417-acre state park located just west of Waupaca offers a 300-foot sandy beach on Hartman Lake with a large marked-off swimming area. Unlike Lake Michigan, its water temperatures are usually relatively warm and great for swimmers. 


The beach is adjacent to three acres of multi-use lawn area with picnic tables, drinking water and a combination changing room/restroom facilities. 


For a break, there are about 10 miles of varied trails to choose from in the park, including the 1-mile Dike Trail that circles Hartman Lake. 


For more information, call 715-258-2372 or visit www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/hartman. 


One of the last natural preserves along the Lake Michigan shore, the state park just south of Sheboygan features 2½ miles of golden beach and rolling sand dunes. 


There is a picnic area and playground near the beach, with standing grills and an open shelter. Showers are available in the campground area. 


For exploring beyond the beach, there are a variety of trails available in the park. The Creeping Juniper Nature Trail just south of the nature center winds through the park's sand dune area. The Dunes Cordwalk, north and south of the nature center, features a 2½-mile "cordwalk" (boards and rope) through the dunes with three lookout points and benches overlooking Lake Michigan. 


For more information, call 920-451-4080 or visit www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/ka. 

Testing the waters

This year is the fourth year of the Wisconsin Beach Program, which tests coastline water for the presence of E. coli bacteria.
Put simply, if the levels of E. coli are too high, a beach gets posted with the appropriate sign - the yellow caution or red closed - until conditions improve.
The yellow "caution" sign indicates that E. coli levels exceed the EPA health standard of no more than 235 colony-forming units of E. coli per 100 milliliters of water.
The red "closed" sign is posted when a water sample shows more than 1,000 colony-forming units of E. coli per 100 mL of water or any other conditions that the local health department considers a public health risk.
While E. coli has a relatively low probability of making someone sick, E. coli is considered something of a canary in the coal mine when it comes to water safety at the beach. Its presence can mean there's a greater risk of other waste matter also being present.
Most often the levels rise due to runoff. Anytime there is a heavy rain, for instance, bacteria numbers will go up from the runoff. Such conditions usually clear up within 24-48 hours.
To check out current conditions at Great Lakes beaches, visit www.wibeaches.us.  
 

Stay healthy
To safeguard health at the beach, the DNR suggests a few simple precautionary steps:

Don't swallow lake water.

Shower after swimming.

Wash hands before eating.

Heed the advisory signs.


To help keep beaches safe and clean, the DNR also has a few tips:

Don't swim if you are ill.

Don't feed the birds.

Dispose of trash in appropriate containers.

Change baby diapers before allowing them to swim.

Don't dump household chemicals or wastes in street drains.

Avoid using excess fertilizers or pesticides on your yard.

Report possible sources of contamination to local authorities or the DNR. 

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