116 acres of former fairways turned prairie, ponds and woods on the Lake Michigan flyway, with 2.71 miles of mowed trail and a strip of beach. No dogs.
Eighteen holes of golf used to cover this stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline north of Port Washington, and today Forest Beach Migratory Preserve is 116 acres of prairie, ponds and woods managed for the birds that follow the lake north and south each spring and fall.
The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust looks after it, entry is free, and the mowed trails add up to 2.71 miles. Dogs are not allowed at any time.
Sponsored
Here is how it went from fairways to bird habitat, what the trails cover, when to come for migration, the rules to know, and how to pair it with the beaches nearby.
From golf course to bird stopover
Forest Beach was a golf course that was slated for development before it was protected and turned into a restoration project for migrating birds.
The land trust bought the former 18-hole course and restored it, per The Park Next Door, which notes the old fairways are now native prairie, wetlands and open grassland around a five-acre hardwood forest.
The preserve is dedicated to the memory of Ilma and Joseph Uihlein, the land trust's page says.
The preserve is also home base for the Western Great Lakes Bat and Bird Observatory, which works on bird and bat conservation.
The trails
The land trust keeps a mowed trail system of 2.71 miles that loops through every habitat on the property.
Expect open prairie, constructed wetland ponds, seasonal ponds in the woods and a partially wooded ravine that runs down toward the beach, per the land trust's description. The Park Next Door describes the trails as well groomed and splits them into prairie and wooded sections.
A narrow section of Lake Michigan beach is part of the preserve, reached at the end of that ravine; the land trust's preserve map shows the access.
The mowed paths are flat to gently rolling and can be wet after rain, so waterproof shoes are a good idea in spring.
Birding on the Lake Michigan flyway
Spring and fall migration are the reason to come, when birds moving along the Lake Michigan shore stop over in the preserve's mix of habitats.
A viewing platform looks over the lake and the coastline where birds pass north and south, and The Park Next Door describes a raptor viewing area and tower with Lake Michigan views. The Park Next Door's writer saw a first indigo bunting here, and also recommends the preserve year-round, not only in migration season.
The listing points to wildflowers and pollinators in summer as a second reason to visit once the migrants have moved on.
Bring binoculars and a field guide or a bird app, and come early in the day for songbirds.
When to visit
Any season works, but the preserve changes a lot through the year.
Songbird migration along western Lake Michigan peaks roughly from late April through May and again from late August into October, which is when the woods and ponds are busiest with birds. Summer brings prairie flowers and pollinators, and winter is quiet, with open views across the grassland to the lake.
The ponds draw herons, ducks and geese, so even a short loop past the water usually turns up something.
Check the land trust's hunting page in autumn before you go, since that is when managed hunts can overlap with fall migration.
Rules to know before you go
The preserve has two rules to know, no dogs and managed hunting, plus a building that can be rented.
Dogs and other pets are not allowed at any time, because the land is managed as a migratory bird preserve.
Forest Beach is a managed-access hunting site, and the land trust publishes a separate hunting map, so check its hunting page before an autumn walk.
The on-site building can be rented for special occasions, per The Park Next Door.
Getting there and parking
Park in the large gravel lot on Country Club Beach Road, per the land trust.
The preserve's listing gives the address as 4970 Country Club Road, Port Washington, while the land trust's page places it in Belgium, so it is easiest to think of it as the shoreline between the two.
It is about 5.5 miles northeast of the Port Washington marina and about 3.3 miles southeast of Belgium's town center, measured in a straight line.
Pair it with
Forest Beach works as one stop on a shoreline day north of town.
Farther north near Belgium, Harrington Beach State Park adds a mile of beachfront and a quarry lake, which Visit Port Washington puts about 12 miles from town.
Back in Port Washington, Sauk Creek Nature Preserve is the land trust's oldest preserve and the one that allows leashed dogs, so walkers with a dog can switch there.
For a swim, the two town beaches sit on either side of the harbor about a mile apart.
The preserves, beaches and harbor all fit into a weekend around Port Washington.
Frequently asked questions
Published October 12, 2026
