Little Star Beach
Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin · on Little Star Lake · Northern Highland State Forest
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Little Star Beach
Little Star Beach (Little Star Beach Park) is a small town-run swimming hole on Little Star Lake in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, part of the Manitowish Waters chain of lakes. It sits within the footprint of the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest area but is maintained by the Town of Manitowish Waters under an agreement with the Wisconsin DNR. The park offers a sand beach with a roped and buoyed designated swim area plus basic picnicking facilities, making Little Star an easy lake to swim in.
The beach occupies the east shore of Little Star Lake, a small lake in the Manitowish Waters chain of ten interconnected lakes in Wisconsin's Northwoods, reached via a short spur (Park Road) off Highway 51.
Swimming at Little Star Beach
Swimming takes place in a roped-and-buoyed designated swim area off a small sand beach (about 100 feet of shoreline per one aggregator listing); it is a calm, undeveloped lake setting suited to families and casual local swimmers rather than a large resort-style beach.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Highway 51 in Manitowish Waters, turn onto Park Road (the turn is across from the Catholic Church) and continue about 1/3 to 1/2 mile west; the park and beach are on the east side of Little Star Lake.
Parking: Free paved parking lot on site; no Wisconsin state park admission sticker is required since the site is a town park.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Drive-up beach: the paved parking lot sits directly on site off Park Road (about 1/3 mile off Hwy 51), so it is a walk of well under a minute from car to sand -- no trail or hike is involved.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The swim area is a small designated section marked off with rope and buoys, which is good for keeping younger swimmers contained, but no lifeguard is on duty (noted by a low-confidence aggregator, Sandee, though not confirmed by the official Town of Manitowish Waters page). Sandee also separately calls the beach 'not family friendly' citing no restrooms, which is contradicted by the official town page confirming pit toilets on site -- so that specific Sandee claim looks like generic boilerplate rather than a real assessment.
Parking
Free
Free paved parking lot on site off Park Road. Campendium notes a Wisconsin state park parking sticker is NOT required, since the site is a town park managed under an agreement with WDNR rather than a state park unit.
Restrooms
Yes
Pit toilets on site, per the official Town of Manitowish Waters beaches-and-parks page and confirmed by the Campendium listing.
On the water
Campendium describes the park as 'accessible by watercraft on Little Star Lake (part of the M.W. 10-lake chain),' indicating general boat traffic on the lake is normal, but no official source specifies which craft types are permitted or states any motor/no-wake restrictions specific to this lake or beach. Sandee (a low-confidence, templated-looking aggregator already flagged in the prior dossier for boilerplate errors) separately claims there is a boat launch on site, but this could not be corroborated by the official Town of Manitowish Waters page or by Campendium, which describe only a beach/buoyed swim area -- so it should be treated with caution rather than as confirmed. The official Manitowish Waters tourism site states in general terms that local 'partners' offer paddle-sport equipment rentals and pontoon boat rentals somewhere in the area, but names no specific outfitter.
Backstory
The Town of Manitowish Waters has maintained the park under a formal agreement with the Wisconsin DNR since 2009.
Little Star Beach: FAQ
Does Little Star Beach charge a fee?
No fee identified; no state park parking sticker required.
Is Little Star Beach kid friendly?
The swim area is a small designated section marked off with rope and buoys, which is good for keeping younger swimmers contained, but no lifeguard is on duty (noted by a low-confidence aggregator, Sandee, though not confirmed by the official Town of Manitowish Waters page). Sandee also separately calls the beach 'not family friendly' citing no restrooms, which is contradicted by the official town page confirming pit toilets on site -- so that specific Sandee claim looks like generic boilerplate rather than a real assessment.
Do I need to hike to reach Little Star Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Little Star Beach?
Free paved parking lot on site off Park Road. Campendium notes a Wisconsin state park parking sticker is NOT required, since the site is a town park managed under an agreement with WDNR rather than a state park unit.
What are the rules at Little Star Beach?
The Town of Manitowish Waters manages and maintains the park under an agreement with the Wisconsin DNR (in place since 2009); the swim area is marked off with rope and buoys.
What water body is Little Star Beach on?
Little Star Beach is on Little Star Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
