McKinley Beach
Near Milwaukee, Wisconsin · on Lake Michigan
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About McKinley Beach
McKinley Beach is a Milwaukee County Parks swimming beach on Lake Michigan, located at 1750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive just south of Bradford Beach and adjacent to McKinley Marina. Milwaukee's oldest public beach, dating to roughly the 1890s, it is an urban swimming hole formed as a sheltered small bay between two rocky breakwaters, and it is one of three beaches in the city monitored under the Wisconsin DNR/EPA Great Lakes beach water quality program, which keeps it on the short list of monitored places to swim in Milwaukee.
The beach sits in a small bay sheltered by twin rocky breakwaters along Milwaukee's Lake Michigan lakefront, just south of the more heavily used Bradford Beach and within sight of the boats at McKinley Marina. It is set within Milwaukee County's lakefront park corridor along Lincoln Memorial Drive.
Swimming at McKinley Beach
Swimming is in open Lake Michigan water within a breakwater-protected bay intended as a shallow wading area (roughly 2-2.5 feet deep by design). Between 2020 and 2024 the beach was closed to swimming after sand erosion deepened parts of the bay to around 6 feet, creating dangerous rip currents that contributed to multiple drownings; a 2023 sand-restoration project restored the intended shallow depth before it reopened in May 2024 with added lifeguards and safety signage. As of a July 2026 Wisconsin DNR advisory the beach was again closed to swimming due to dangerous currents, indicating conditions here can still change quickly and swimmers should check current advisories before entering the water.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located at 1750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee, along the Lake Michigan lakefront just south of Bradford Beach and next to McKinley Marina.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up/walk-up Milwaukee County lakefront beach at 1750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.; no hike is needed to reach the water, just a short walk from the roadside/park area to the sand.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The bay's wading area was engineered to a shallow ~2-2.5 ft depth (per 2023 sand-restoration project), which sounds kid-friendly on the surface, but this same spot has a documented history of dangerous rip/undertow currents that caused six drownings (2020, 2022) when sand eroded and deepened parts of the bay to ~6 ft, and it was closed to swimming for nearly four years as a result. As of a 2026-07-21 WI DNR advisory it was again closed for dangerous currents. Parents should check the live DNR beach-health advisory before entering the water and supervise closely even when open.
On the water
No official source confirming personal-watercraft launching rules at the McKinley Beach swim area itself. A seasonal jet-ski rental operation has been reported located between McKinley Beach and the neighboring Bradford Beach (per a Milwaukee beaches guide), but the operator's name, pricing, and hours could not be confirmed from any accessible source, so it is not listed as a verified rental business below. McKinley Marina immediately adjacent is a full-service recreational boat marina, but that serves docked/trailered boats rather than beach-based rentals.
Backstory
McKinley Beach is described as Milwaukee's oldest beach, dating to roughly the 1890s, and was redesigned by the county in the 1980s after earlier high-water damage. Rising Lake Michigan water levels (highest since 1986) eroded protective sand between its breakwaters, deepening the wading area and causing four drownings in 2020 and two in 2022; the beach was closed for nearly four years and reopened in May 2024 after a $712,190 sand-restoration project and new safety measures (lifeguards, beach ambassadors, increased ranger presence, warning signage, safety kiosk).
McKinley Beach: FAQ
Is McKinley Beach kid friendly?
The bay's wading area was engineered to a shallow ~2-2.5 ft depth (per 2023 sand-restoration project), which sounds kid-friendly on the surface, but this same spot has a documented history of dangerous rip/undertow currents that caused six drownings (2020, 2022) when sand eroded and deepened parts of the bay to ~6 ft, and it was closed to swimming for nearly four years as a result. As of a 2026-07-21 WI DNR advisory it was again closed for dangerous currents. Parents should check the live DNR beach-health advisory before entering the water and supervise closely even when open.
Do I need to hike to reach McKinley Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
What are the rules at McKinley Beach?
The beach is subject to Wisconsin DNR/local health department swim advisories; it has been closed to swimming during periods of dangerous currents (e.g., an advisory recorded 2026-07-21) and was fully closed to swimming from August 2020 to May 2024 following drownings.
What water body is McKinley Beach on?
McKinley Beach is on Lake Michigan, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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