Grant Park Beach — Attraction in South Milwaukee

Grant Park Beach in South Milwaukee is one of those rare spots that feels like a hidden gem. It offers a refreshing mix of nature, relaxation, and family friendly charm without the packed crowds or overdone feel of more commercial beaches.

The beach itself is clean and surprisingly spacious. You’ll find soft sand mixed with pebbled areas and plenty of room to stretch out, even on busier weekends. What makes this beach special is how much there is to explore beyond the water. The surrounding bluffs, wooded trails, and natural beauty make this more than just a place to swim. It’s a full-on experience.

One of the most beloved features is the Seven Bridges Trail, which winds through forested ravines and leads right down to the beach. It’s scenic and peaceful, perfect for a morning walk or just taking in some quiet views of Lake Michigan. The trail itself is well-maintained, though parts can be uneven, so good footwear helps.

For families and casual visitors, the beach has a relaxed, welcoming vibe. There’s a playground near the beach entrance, clean restrooms, and plenty of shaded picnic areas. During the summer months, Ferch’s Beachside Grille serves food, drinks, and even hosts live music. It’s a nice bonus to be able to grab a bite or a cold drink without leaving the park.

One of the most unique parts of visiting Grant Park Beach is the chance to find beach glass. Many visitors bring bags or buckets just for collecting. You’ll find smoothed bits of green, blue, brown, and even the occasional rare color, along with fossils and old pottery shards. It adds a layer of adventure to an otherwise peaceful outing, and it’s especially fun for kids or anyone who enjoys beachcombing.

Another highlight is how easy it is to access. There’s plenty of parking right by the beach, which is a big win, especially for those with kids or hauling gear. The park itself is large, but well laid out, and signage makes it easy to find what you're looking for.

If there’s one area for improvement, it would be expanding ADA access to make the beach and trail areas more navigable for everyone. During years with high lake levels, parts of the beach can also be a bit narrower than expected, but those conditions change seasonally.

Overall, Grant Park Beach stands out for its natural setting, laid-back vibe, and family-friendly design. It’s a great place to relax, explore, and enjoy the lake without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Whether you're coming for a swim, a walk through the trails, or to spend a couple hours looking for beach glass, this...

Worst beach Ive been to! This beach has no lifeguard, an extremely sharp and rocky beach. There really is no good area for kids to play in the sand. The sand was burning hot on a day when it was only 77 degrees out and the sand was just filled with rocks everywhere. The beach was littered with garbage and the waves were very rough that day. There was no roped off section or any signs posted about the tide. When you do go in the water the beach itself has so many sharp little rocks on it you HAVE to wear shoes or risk getting cut up. But once you get in the water the rocks closest to the beach hurt too. It just was not a good experience for us as a family. There are bathrooms to change in, but they were dirty and not well maintained. An outdoor shower would have also been nice seeing as that sand just gets everywhere! Its also a fair hike back to your car if you do get up close to the shoreline through some deep sand, so I dont reccommend bringing a lot of stuff. We have five kids. If youre going to go to this beach, I would recommend it more for adults or older children, not for kids under 5, unless you've only got one because its hard to keep an eye on little ones in the water and make sure they have actual life preservers not just floaties because floaties don't do much to keep you up in that...

Nice sandy beach but the first 15-20 feet going into the water has a huge layer of rocks so you have to walk carefully through them or bring water shoes with but we were barefoot and had no problems, once your 30 feet or so out then it’s nice sandy bottom and no weeds, lots of area for your own privacy if you don’t wanna be close to others. Also has trees and benches spread out down the beach for picnic or grilling with friends and family! :) there’s a pier on the far right side looking towards the water then a little peninsula it looks like far to the left also. Seen a few people with poles coming from the far left down the beach so possibly could fish also, I would’ve gone off the pier though if I was fishing. Hope you enjoy and stay safe, no life guard on beach that I saw but there’s a nice bar and grille at the entrance of the beach with a bunch of tables outdoor and bathrooms and showers, also can rent reclining sun bathing chairs for ten bucks each and 5$ extra for a cushion. Also we got lucky and there’s a guy on a side by side helping people with rides and hauling your stuff which was really nice of him and saved us a long walk with our cooler and bags and backpacks. Hope this helps you all :) take...