My first trip to Atwater Beach came at an unusual time.
It was early December and lockdown was taking its toll. I craved a change of scenery, and a wide-open, ocean-like space in particular. So my kids and I jumped in the car, headed east toward Lake Michigan and spent an afternoon exploring this beautiful Shorewood beach.
The experience was so magical that when it came time to plan a summer beach day, I knew just where to go. Fortunately, Atwater is just as fun in the hot months.
Part of the five-acre Atwater Park, the beach feels like a tucked-away cove, bounded on both ends by long stone piers. After finding a spot to park on the street, visitors climb a long but pristinely maintained staircase (with bathrooms located about midway) built into a cliffside down to the beach.
On the hot weekend day that my family visited, the beach was full of families, groups and some solo visitors relaxing with a book or headphones. Even though the beach is relatively small, three lifeguards were on duty, keeping everyone safe and reminding kids that tubes and boogie boards aren’t allowed.
Those rules didn’t stop us from having a blast. My kids dug in the sand, and we all swam and splashed in the surprisingly-not-too-cold water and soaked up the sunshine and the endless lake views.
My kids didn’t get bored, but if they had, I would have walked them over to the playground on the northern corner of the beach, where the sand meets the hillside, or up the stairs to the other on the big grassy area overlooking the beach.
That giant staircase looked a bit more daunting when we decided to leave, but we hauled ourselves and our beach gear up, and the panoramic view we got at the top was a stunning reward.
Looking out at the lake reminded us that this is a place worth returning to any time of year.
– Katie Vaughn
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and is always up for an adventure.