Lakeshore State Park

Lakeshore State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Lakeshore State Park
Map showing the location of Lakeshore State Park
Map showing the location of Lakeshore State Park
Map showing the location of Lakeshore State Park
Map showing the location of Lakeshore State Park
LocationMilwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Coordinates43°1′56″N 87°53′44″W / 43.03222°N 87.89556°W / 43.03222; -87.89556
Area22 acres (8.9 ha)
Established1998
Governing bodyWisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Lakeshore State Park is a 22-acre (8.9 ha) Wisconsin state park located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the city of Milwaukee.[1] It is situated adjacent to both Discovery World and Henry Maier Festival Park.[2][3] It is the only urban state park in Wisconsin and features restored prairie and a pebble beach.[1][4] In addition to the prairie, portions of the park are planted with Kentucky bluegrass.[4]

The park has a paved trail that connects to both the Hank Aaron State Trail and the Oak Leaf Trail.[1][3] The park features a fishing pier overlooking a basin, on the side opposite Lake Michigan.[4] There are also boat slips at the north end of the park that can be used overnight.[2][4] The park itself is perched atop an artificial bed of limestone rock material removed from the Deep Tunnel Project in the 1980s.[4]

In the 1990s, the peninsula was known informally as Harbor Island or Summerfest Island. It was set aside for "public use and enjoyment" by Milwaukee mayor John Norquist in October 1991, 16 years before becoming a state park.[4]

  1. ^ a b c "Lakeshore State Park". Milwaukee Recreation. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Lakeshore State Park". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Lakeshore State Park". Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Taylor-Carlson, Cari (December 3, 2020). "Milwaukee Walks: The Loveliness of Lakeshore State Park". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved July 29, 2022.