Two city beaches about a mile apart: stairs from the bluff to North Beach, and a more open paddling shoreline at South Beach, plus three wilder beaches nearby.
A Port Washington beach day starts with a choice between two city beaches about a mile apart on either side of the harbor. North Beach sits below Upper Lake Park on the north side, and South Beach lies below the bluffs south of the harbor, past the We Energies plant.
North Beach is free, per Travel Wisconsin, both face east over Lake Michigan, and neither is far from downtown: North Beach is about 0.6 miles from the marina and South Beach about 0.4.
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Below is how to reach each, what each is like, the gear you can rent in town, and the wilder beaches nearby.
North Beach: stairs from the bluff
North Beach is the one you reach from above, down a staircase from Upper Lake Park or along a paved walkway from Veterans Park.
The listing describes the cliffs above it and compares the setting to a sea coast. Upper Lake Park at the top of the stairs has picnic areas and lake overlooks, and the playground there is Possibility Playground, a fenced, inclusive design.
North Beach is about 0.3 miles from Veterans Memorial Park and its bandshell, so a summer concert and a swim fit into one evening.
South Beach: the paddling beach
South Beach has a more open shoreline, which its listing calls expansive, and it is the one Visit Port Washington lists for swimming, kayaking, surfing and paddleboarding below dramatic bluffs.
The listing mentions paragliders and windsurfers using the beach, and a pet waste station, which signals that people walk dogs there. In 2023, flamingos blown off course by a hurricane turned up on South Beach.
About 0.15 miles northeast of South Beach, the Port Washington Avian Sanctuary has a short path through native plants around a small pond.
North Beach or South Beach?
Pick North Beach for an easy morning with small kids near the playground, and South Beach for paddling, surfing and room to spread out.
North Beach suits families who want the playground (about 0.2 miles away), the bandshell (about 0.3 miles) and downtown ice cream (about half a mile). South Beach suits anyone with a board or a kayak, sunrise walkers and people who want more shoreline to themselves, going by its listing. South Beach mixes sand with rocky patches, so water shoes help on the walk in and out of the lake.
Either way, the harbor's breakwater sits between the two, so the walk from one to the other takes you past the marina and downtown.
Coal Dock Park and the harbor shore
Between the two beaches, the harbor shore has its own walk: Coal Dock Park, a peninsula by the marina that Visit Port Washington describes as a peaceful stroll.
The marina's listing places it near both North Beach Park and Coal Dock Park, which makes the harbor the hinge of any beach day. Coal Dock Park is also where the Fish Days 5K started in 2025 and where that year's fireworks were shot, so it gets busy in July; the July Fish Days festival is the one weekend to expect crowds along the whole shore.
Go there to watch boats come and go and to see the breakwater light from the water's edge rather than to swim.
Swimming safely on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan stays cold well into summer, and the water can change quickly with the wind. Neither beach's listing mentions lifeguards, so treat both as unguarded and swim where you can stand.
Stay well clear of the breakwater and pier ends when you swim. Currents along piers on the Great Lakes are a known hazard on windy days, and the National Weather Service issues beach hazard statements for this shoreline when waves build.
Renting a board or a kayak
The Board Shack on North Franklin Street is the in-town place for gear, and Islands.com reported paddleboard and surfboard rentals there in 2025, with lessons at $25 an hour. Prices and the season may have changed since, so call ahead.
South Beach is the launch spot for boards, since it is the beach Visit Port Washington lists for kayaking and paddleboarding.
Wilder beaches a short drive away
If the town beaches feel busy, three wilder shorelines are within about 12 miles.
About 5 miles northeast of North Beach, Forest Beach Migratory Preserve has a narrow strip of beach at the end of a ravine, reached through a bird preserve where dogs are not allowed.
Farther north near Belgium, Visit Port Washington puts the state park beach at Harrington about 12 miles from town, with a mile of Lake Michigan beachfront, a quarry lake and a campground.
To the south, Visit Port Washington lists Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve just outside town, with a staircase through the gorge to a hidden beach, and Lion's Den Gorge is in Grafton's patch of shoreline.
Before and after the beach
Both beaches are close enough to downtown to walk for lunch or a cone.
From South Beach it is about 0.4 miles to the marina, where the lakeside patios at Dockside and Fork & Tap start; the rest are in Port Washington's restaurants by the water.
From North Beach, the stairs lead up to Upper Lake Park, about 0.2 miles from the 1860 Light Station and one of the stops on the Port Washington lighthouse walk.
Spending the whole day by the lake leaves the rest of the Port Washington harbor and downtown sights for tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
Published September 14, 2026
