A Pictorial Guide to Wisconsin Campgrounds, Parks, and Outdoor Recreation Areas

Harrington Beach State Park

Peacefulness and serenity abound. The 636 acres with a mile-long Lake Michigan beach leave room to be alone with nature. Hiking, fishing, picnic areas, nature and cross-country ski trails are available. Campsites are now available. A shuttle bus operates on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day (11:30 AM to 7:30 PM). 531 Hwy. D, Belgium 53004. (262) 285-3015.

Directions: Harrington Beach State Park is located approximately 10 miles north of Port Washington along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Access is off Interstate 43 then east on Highway D for 1 mile.

Features: Visitors to Harrington Beach State Park enjoy summer swimming, fishing at three separate locations, sunbathing, picnicking, horseshoe tossing, volleyball, bird watching, and hiking. The park is open all year enabling access for cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.

Map of Harrington Beach State Park

Map of Harrington Beach Campground

Camping: The park has a new campground, with 31 electric and 33 non-electric sites and a modern shower building. There are five walk-in sites, a group campsite, and a kayak site. All sites can be reserved with the exception of sites 229-233. The camping area is very hilly with predominantly immature trees and shrubs. Mosquitoes should not be a problem here as most of the campsites are open to breezes off the lake. The roads are paved with easy access for RVs of any size. Parking pads are gravel and the camping areas grassy. Most of the campsites are open and sunny, especially those at or near the tops of the hills. Scenic views of Lake Michigan and nearby farms are available from the roads and some of the campsites. I took the photos of the campsites in May of 2010 before many of the trees were bearing leaves, so the foliage around many of the campsites appears much more sparse than it will in summer.
The sites with electricity are the most popular in the park. Sites 100 and 101 are smaller, open an sunny, with little privacy. Site 102 (photo) is a medium-sized drive-through, open and sunny. In the site 103-118 section, medium-sized, open sites include 103, 104-106, 107 (photo), 108 (photo) which is next to the trail that leads to Puckett's Pond and the Observatory, 110, 111 (mostly gravel, very little grass), 112 (larger grassy area), 115 (small grassy area), 116 (larger grassy area), 117 (photo) which is an open drive-through on a small rise. Small, open campsites that are not recommended are sites 109 and 118. Site 114 (photo) is handicapped-accessible with a paved drive. Site 113 (photo) is larger and deeper than the other sites in this section.

The campsites in the 119-131 section are on average larger and deeper than the ones in the previous section. The best sites in this section are 119 (photo) which is a larger drive-through, surrounded by small trees with a boulder in the middle, site 120 (photo) which is a large and deep, and site 123 (photo), a deep site with a large grassy area. Medium-sized campsites in this section are 121, 122, 124, 125 (open and sunny), 126 and 127 (very open with little foliage at the top of a hill), drive-through 128 and 129 (similar to 126 and 127 and near the modern shower building), and open, sunny sites 130 and 131 (handicapped-accessible).

The 5 walk-in campsites have their own parking area with a water pump and portable toilets near the campsites. This land in this area is flat with a lot of small shrubs but few trees, (photo of trail to walkin site 3). Walkin campsite 3 (photo) is similar to the other four sites and located in the center. Sites 4 and 5 are not far from the horse-snowmobile trail and Cedar Beach Road. Walkins 1 and 2 have their own toilet to the north of the parking area. I would not recommend these walkins if there are immanent storm warnings for the area, because there is little shelter at these campsites from strong winds.

In the 200s, sites 201-203 are small and open near the road and are not recommended. If you like a lot of sunshine, grassy drive-through site 205 (photo) may be for you. Site 209 (photo) is larger with a nice view of a farm in the background. Site 212 (photo) is large and located on a small rise, with mature trees for shade. Site 214 (photo) is deep and large with some mature trees and a raised camping area. Site 226 (photo) is a grassy medium-sized site with a path that leads away behind it. Site 228 (photo) is very deep with a large grassy area and is next to a path to the shuttle bus. Other medium-sized sites in this are are 204, 206 (open and sunny), 207 (drive-through that is partially shaded), 208, 210 (open and sunny), 211, 213 (has some larger trees), 215 (opne and sunny), 216 (shady), 217, 218 (open and sunny with a large grasshy area), 219 (has a hill behind it), 220, 225 (open and sunny), 227 (shady), and 229 (shady with a fir tree in the middle of the camping area), 230 (photo) (deep and shady; this site is non-reservable), 232, and 233 (partially shady near the top of the hill).

Trails: Bicycling along the shuttle bus trail in the lower park is another, equally pleasant way to enjoy the woods and get healthy outdoor exercise. The shuttle bus trail also offers an excellent way for people with disabilities to see the woods and its wildlife.
In spring, summer, or fall, take a walk around Quarry Lake on the hiking trail that rings it. The deep, serene waters of this 26-acre lake are surrounded by limestone ledges out of which white cedars grow. Swimming and boating are not permitted in Quarry Lake, but anglers will enjoy fishing from the shore.
The coming of winter doesn't mean the end of enjoyable activities at Harrington Beach State Park. A cross-country ski trail runs from the lower parking lot along the shuttle bus trail to the Hardwood Swamp trail and then back east along the service road. A snowmobile trail crosses the western end of the park. Even the park's Lake Michigan beach remains an attraction in the wintertime, when a fantastic architecture of ice rims the shore. Near Puckett's Pond is the Meadow Lark Trail, an unsurfaced path over open area and some high ground leading to the Quarry Lake picnic area where hikers can access the paved pathway between Quarry Lake and Lake Michigan. Other hiking opportunities in the park include Quarry Lake Trail, a scenic rim trail around the 26-acre quarry, and White Cedar Swamp Nature Trail, half-mile interpretive walk through an aged swamp. The .8-mile White Cedar Swamp Nature Trail loops around the lower part of the park at the north beach parking area with some of the white cedars along the trail over 100 years old. A limestone kiln is located near the trailhead, where settlers burned limestone in the late 1800s.

Fishing: Trout and salmon can be caught from the shore on Lake Michigan. Surf fishing for salmon and trout draws visitors to Harrington Beach and Lake Michigan. A fishing license and a Great Lakes Salmon and Trout Stamp, available at local hardware stores and other outlets, are required for anglers between 16 and 65 years of age.
Anglers also will enjoy fishing from the shore of the 26-acre Quarry Lake.
People can catch trout, crappies, bluegills, and other panfish in Puckett's Pond.

Swimming: The sandy undeveloped beach (photo) features nearby parking, a concession stand and welcome station (photo), toilets, tables, and changing stalls. The beach is usually populated with lots of seagulls. A summer bus shuttle service operates between the beach and an inland parking lot.

Pucketts's Pond: The oval pond (photo) has four paved parking lots, a picnic shelter, picnic tables, and a hand water-pump. A grassy trail connects this area with the Quarry Lake Picnic Area, and the shuttle bus loading zone is at the corner of the southeast parking lot.

Quarry Lake: Quarry Lake is connected to Lake Michigan with a paved walk. The lake is ringed by limestone outcroppings and cedar trees, and has a scenic hiking trail which passes around it.

Wildlife and Nature: Harrington Beach is a popular stop for migrating birds along the Mississippi Flyway. Puckett's Pond and Quarry Lake are popular with waterfowl, and in the open fields hawks can often be seen circling the skies above. Explore the white cedar swamp in the eastern section of the park by following the half-mile-long nature trail that begins behind the North Picnic Area. Before the trees leaf out and shade the woods floor, spring flowers carpet the ground in April and May. Among the earliest to be seen is the marsh marigold with its shiny green leaves and bright yellow flowers.
During the spring and fall migrations, Quarry Lake and also Puckett's pond (by the upper parking lot) are resting and feeding spots for many species of ducks, including wood ducks with their beautiful plumage. Birders will want to visit Harrington Beach for the hawk migration as well.
In late summer the fields of the upper park come into their glory, as Queen Anne's lace, asters, and goldenrod come into bloom. Adding to this colorful spectacle in late August, monarch butterflies gather for their fall migration. Nature photographers will want to bring their cameras and plenty of film, as they walk the ½ mile Meadowlark Hiking Trail.
The park is a wildlife refuge, home to whitetail deer and many similar animals. Around morning and evening twilight at any time of year, you can see deer emerging from the woods and crossing the open fields of the upper park.

Picnicking: On hot summer days the prime attraction of Harrington Beach State Park is its mile of Lake Michigan shore. You can enjoy the refreshing lake breezes while picnicking on the groves of trees overlooking the lake. A hiking trail will bring you to the picnic area on Quarry Lake.
Beautiful views of Lake Michigan are a feature of the Point and South Picnic Areas. These two picnic areas and the Puckett's Pond Picnic Area by the upper parking lot have reservable shelters. Your family or group can enjoy playing volleyball or horseshoes on one of the park's courts. All of the park's picnic areas have charcoal grills.
On display in the Point Picnic Area overlooking the lake is the anchor of the freighter Niagara that was consumed by fire just off shore in 1856, killing as many as 169 people (the purser did not have records of the number of passengers). Scuba divers will want to explore the remains of this wooden steamship, located a few hundred yards offshore in about 80 feet of water.
Walking in park's Lake Michigan beach, you will discover limestone outcroppings rich in fossils. You can also see the remains of a pier that was used in the first two decades of this century for shipping limestone quarried and processed here.

Other Highlights: The park offers seven designated picnic areas with approximately 100 tables, grills, and hand-pumped water. There is a full-service concession near the lower parking lot, two sand volleyball courts, and two horseshoe pits. In winter, visitors can enjoy 2.5 miles of cross-country skiing on park roads and ice fishing on Quarry Lake. Snowmobiling is allowed in the west end of the park.

Storm-Clouds loom over Harrington Beach