Leonard J. Yahr County Park
West Bend, Wisconsin · on Erler Lake
Verified · 2 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Yes, see below
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Leonard J. Yahr County Park
Leonard J. Yahr County Park is a 65-acre Washington County park in the Town of Farmington, just outside West Bend, Wisconsin, opened in 2007 on land donated by the Yahr family. It sits on Erler Lake and has an official, unlifeguarded swimming beach, making it one of only three designated swimming beaches in the Washington County park system.
The park occupies former farmland along County Road A: a sawmill and sulfur match factory site in the 1800s under the Erler family, then a dairy farm and apple orchard run by Leonard and Ruth Yahr from 1943 until the family donated it to Washington County in 1999. The developed grounds around Erler Lake include a prairie area, a wooded hiking/trail system, and lakefront picnic and shelter areas.
Swimming at Leonard J. Yahr County Park
Erler Lake has a designated swimming beach with no lifeguard on duty, sitting alongside a fishing pier and a carry-in-only boat launch on the same shoreline. It reads as a small, family-oriented county-park lake beach rather than a backcountry swimming hole, suited to casual wading and swimming rather than deep-water or cliff-jumping use.
How to get to this swimming hole
The park is located at 7999 Orchard Valley Road in the Town of Farmington, just north of County Road A, West Bend, WI 53090.
The hike in
- Time on foot
- 1-2 minutes walk from Lakefront Parking to the beach
Difficulty: easy (flat paved path from parking to beach)
No hike is needed to reach the beach - it's a short paved-path walk (roughly a minute, well under 0.1 mi) from the Lakefront Parking lot. The park does have separate short recreational trails unrelated to beach access, per the official 2016 park map: an unmeasured loop 'Prairie Trail,' a 0.2-mi 'Lake Trail,' and a 0.1-mi 'Old Orchard Trail.'
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Designated sandy swimming beach on a small, calm county-park lake with no waterfall, cliffs, or current, but the official park map explicitly warns 'Swim at Own Risk - No Lifeguard on Duty,' so adult supervision is needed rather than relying on staff.
Parking
Paid, $7.00 daily vehicle park pass (or annual pass: $35 WI resident / $50 non-resident / $25 senior 60+ or veteran)
Two paved lots per the official park map: 'Lakefront Parking' near the entrance, beside the Yahr House (ADA ramp), connects via a short paved path directly to the swimming beach; a separate 'Carry-In Boat Launch Parking' lot serves the boat launch and Shelter 3 picnic area at the south end of the lake. A Washington County vehicle park pass (daily or annual) is required for entry; the carry-in boat launch itself has no additional launch fee.
Restrooms
Yes
Heated flush restroom building at the north end near the beach/picnic/playground area (adjacent to Lakefront Parking and the Yahr House with ADA ramp), plus a second restroom near the Carry-In Boat Launch Parking / Shelter 3 picnic area at the south end of the lake, per the official 2016 Washington County GIS park map.
On the water
Restrictions: Carry-in only - the park's boat launch does not accommodate trailered or ramp-launched motorboats; no separate launch fee is charged (the vehicle park pass still applies).
The carry-in boat launch sits on the same shoreline as the swimming beach and fishing pier.
Rentals nearby
Paddle Break Adventures
Kayak/paddleboard rentals for use on Erler Lake, bookable through a FareHarbor online-booking widget ('paddlebreaks') that is directly embedded/linked from the official Washington County park page for Leonard J. Yahr County Park
Erler Lake, Leonard J. Yahr County Park, 7999 Orchard Valley Road, West Bend, WI
Backstory
The land was owned by the Carl Erler family from the late 1800s, operating first as a sawmill and later (late 1870s) as a sulfur match factory. Leonard and Ruth Yahr acquired the property in 1943 and ran it as a dairy farm and later an apple orchard before donating it to Washington County in 1999; the park opened in 2007.
Leonard J. Yahr County Park: FAQ
Does Leonard J. Yahr County Park charge a fee?
Washington County requires a vehicle park pass (daily or annual) for entry to the park; the carry-in boat launch itself has no separate fee. Exact daily/annual dollar rates were not available on the accessible county pages.
Is Leonard J. Yahr County Park kid friendly?
Designated sandy swimming beach on a small, calm county-park lake with no waterfall, cliffs, or current, but the official park map explicitly warns 'Swim at Own Risk - No Lifeguard on Duty,' so adult supervision is needed rather than relying on staff.
Do I need to hike to reach Leonard J. Yahr County Park?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Leonard J. Yahr County Park?
Two paved lots per the official park map: 'Lakefront Parking' near the entrance, beside the Yahr House (ADA ramp), connects via a short paved path directly to the swimming beach; a separate 'Carry-In Boat Launch Parking' lot serves the boat launch and Shelter 3 picnic area at the south end of the lake. A Washington County vehicle park pass (daily or annual) is required for entry; the carry-in boat launch itself has no additional launch fee.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Leonard J. Yahr County Park?
The carry-in boat launch sits on the same shoreline as the swimming beach and fishing pier.
What are the rules at Leonard J. Yahr County Park?
The swimming beach has no lifeguard provided. The boat launch is carry-in only (no motorized/trailer launching implied). The park closes to the public for about a week each mid-July for a family reunion event, per the terms of the 1999 donation agreement with the Yahr family.
What water body is Leonard J. Yahr County Park on?
Leonard J. Yahr County Park is on Erler Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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