Cordwalk crosses Lake Michigan sand dune

A cordwalk parallels Lake Michigan over sand dunes near Sheboygan, Wis.

Kohler Dunes Cordwalk map.
Click for larger version.

Day hikers can walk the length of a sand dune as paralleling Lake Michigan on the Kohler Dunes Cordwalk.

The 2.5-mile round trip hike in Wisconsin's Kohler-Andrade State Park runs entirely on cordwalk – boards tied together with steel cables. This ensures your feet don't sink into the sand and keeps you on the trail so fragile dune grasses aren't trampled.

The trail also passes the Sanderling Nature Center, which provides exhibits on dunes, and offers spurs to an interdunal pond and an overlook of the lake.

To reach the trailhead, from Sheboygan take Interstate 43 south. Exit onto County Road V and take it left/east to the park entrance. After passing through the entrance station, turn left/east. Park in the lot at the road's end.

Spurs to beach
Two spurs head off the cordwalk to the beach; the northernmost one, just 150 feet in from the trailhead, offers a nice overlook of Lake Michigan. Gulls flit about the shore, as sounds of waves crash on the beach. Sailing boats and fishing craft often can be seen in the distance.

Unlike boards nailed together on cement poured into the ground, the cordwalk is ideal for the dunes. Wind and rain constantly shifts the sand’s location, and the more flexible cordwalk can better adapt to the changes.

About 0.2 miles from the trailhead, the cordwalk reaches a roundabout with a depression in the middle. You can go either way, though staying left keeps you closer to the beach than going right. Blowing wind hollowed the depression. Scotch pines growing on the depression’s southwest side were planted as a wind break.

Upon reaching Sandering Lane and the Sanderling Nature Center, cross the road and continue left/southeast through the parking lot and along the trail. The cordwalk here briefly shares a segment with the Creeping Juniper Nature Trail Loop.

Desert vs. beach dunes
While desert dunes tend to be barren, dune grass covers those at Kohler-Andrade. Thanks to the grass, these dunes are more rounded than those in deserts, which rise into ridges with sharp drops. The grass diminishes erosion and even allows wildflowers to flourish.

Another difference with desert dunes is the way they are created. Many desert dunes tend to be sand blowing off a dry lake beds. Kohler-Andrade’s are barrier dunes, created when beach sand is blown inland during storms. Though the prevailing winds come out of the west, during storms the wind direction can switch direction and rise out of the east.

Thanks to the dunes, the Black River is unable to flow into Lake Michigan here. Instead, a wetlands from the river sits west of the dunes, and the river flows north about five miles before emptying into the lake.

At the next trail junction, go left/southwest, continuing on the cordwalk. You’ll pass a spur trail going right/west to an interdunal pond and after that a grove of wind-swept birch.

Along the cordwalk you can see a variety of plants that usually don't appear together. Among them are birch, aspen, the endangered dune thistle (found in only three other Wisconsin counties), goldenrod, milkweed, mullein, white pine wheat-grass, and willow. Beyond the barrier dune, juniper, white pine, and birch grows.

Dune wildlife
There’s a lot of wildlife here as well. You’ll likely see whitetail deer, definitely will spot gulls, and probably will cross pawprints for skunks that come here at night. During summer, watch for monarch butterflies fluttering about the milkweed.

Next the cordwalk passes a spur heading to the right/west. This leads to the group camp area.

The trail reaches its end at Old Park Road; a parking lot sits at the intersection. Once at the pet beach area, retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

As walking on the bare sand can damage the dunes’ fragile (and sometimes threatened) plants, always stay on the cordwalk or designated trail. If you brought Fido or Queenie with you, there is a pet beach area north of Sanderling Nature Center; on the cordwalk, pets must be leashed and stay on the trail.

White sand beach awaits on Lake Michigan

North Beach runs for 2500 feet along Lake Michigan in Racine, Wis.

North Beach map. Click for larger version.

Families can enjoy nearly a half-mile of shoreline at family-friendly North Beach in Racine, Wisconsin.

Boasting 50 acres of warm, white sand and summer lifeguards, the Lake Michigan beach nicely sits above a table of shallow water that makes wading and swimming safe for kids. There's also an expansive nautical-themed playground on the beach's south side, the 27-acre Racine Zoo on the beach's northside, and hammocks, concession stand, and volleyball courts in between. A wheelchair-accessible walkway extends across the sand to the water's edge.

To reach the beach, from the intersection of Wis. Hwys. 38 (State Street) and 32 (North Main Street) in downtown Racine and head north on Hwy. 32. After crossing the Root River, go three blocks and turn right/east onto Barker Street. A parking lot is in two blocks on the street's right/south side or you can left/north onto Hoffert Drive for additional lots. Using either the Barker Street lot or the first lot on Hoffert Drive puts you on the beach's south side.

From there, you have two options – either walk the paved Lake Michigan Pathway (dotted on map) that borders the beach’s west side or head east onto the sand.

The latter is a treat as your bare feet sink into warm white sand. You’ll enjoy great views of Lake Michigan, as sandpipers run along the shore and seagulls dart through the air. With the beach next to a marina, sailboats grace the lake.

Family-friendly
Go ahead and wade into or even take a swim in Lake Michigan. Like other Great Lakes, the water can be icy cold, which is wonderful on summer's hot, humid days.

North Beach’s 2500 feet of shoreline is family-oriented. Kid's Cove nautical-themed playground is on the beach’s southside, the 27-acre Racine Zoo stands on the beach's northside (sometimes the north end of the beach is referred to as “Zoo Beach”), and hammocks, a concession stand, volleyball courts, and plenty of sunbathing space sits in between.

Because of this, North Beach often is recognized as one of the nation’s best beaches. USA Today, Parents magazine, and Midwest Living magazine all have featured it. The National Clean Beaches Council also designated as a Certified Blue Wave clean beach – the first in Wisconsin to receive the certification.

Weekdays are best for visiting, as the beach will be crowded on summer weekends. Lifeguards are on duty from the first week in June through the first week in September. Pets are not allowed.

Other area beaches
North Beach isn’t the only great waterfront in Racine County.

You also may want to try the Quarry Lake Park beach. The 40-acre park is built around a former limestone quarry that is now spring-fed lake. A roughly 600-foot sand beach graces the lake’s south side. The park includes a picnic area and allows swimming and scuba diving; the Karen A. Nelson Memorial Dog Park is adjacent. Quarry Lake Park is located off of Wis. Hwy. 38 east of Wis. Hwy. 31.

In nearby Burlington, the Fischer County Park beach sits on Browns Lake’s southeast side. While the beach is only 400 feet in length, the park includes a dock and picnic tables, and lifeguards are on duty in summer. The park is on County Road E/Durand Avenue west of the Wis. Hwys. 83 and 11 intersection.

Hike to one-of-a-kind Great Lakes lighthouse

Rawley Point Light and the keeper's residence on Lake Michigan.

Map of walk to Rawley Point Light. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can explore the grounds of the only skeletal lighthouse of its kind on the Great Lakes just north of Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

The walk to the Rawley Point Light is a brief 0.15-miles round trip. Access to a Lake Michigan beachfront also is available.

To reach Rawley Point, from the intersection of Wis. Hwy. 42 and County Road O (22nd Street) in Two Rivers, take County O east/north. After passing Point Beach State Forest, turn right/east onto Park Road. Leave your vehicle in the lot on the road’s right/south side just before it curves north. Go to the lot’s east side and walk the trail heading right/south.

After passing through a small grove, the trail opens up to the lighthouse grounds with the beach and Lake Michigan beyond.

Long history of lighthouses
Standing 113-feet high, the lighthouse isn’t your standard brick or sandstone structure that make up so many of Wisconsin’s charming light stations. This light instead is the octagonal skeletal structure of the 1859 Chicago Harbor Light, which was dismantled and then reconstructed on the point in 1894.

The lighthouse and point is named for Peter Rowley, who set up a trading post nearby in 1835. A 1888 government records misspelling of his name led to the current use of “Rawley” rather than “Rowley.”

Records are not entirely clear, but a 75-foot tall light consisting of four poles and a lantern is thought to have been erected on the site in 1853. A wooden tower and house was built soon after. Because the wooden tower was in a poor location, though, a brick structure was constructed in 1874. This tower proved to be structurally unsound, however, so it was replaced with the current lighthouse. Trusswork was added to the steel tower’s base to increase the height, a new service room below the lantern was built, and a better lens installed.

The current lighthouse effectively ended shipping accidents on the dangerous shoals around Rawley Point. Prior to it, 26 ships foundered or were left stranded on the point. In 1887, the steamship Vernon sunk nearby, drowning 36 crew members and passengers.

Name change
The lighthouse was known as Two River Point Light until 1956, when it was given its current name. In 1962, a fire destroyed part of the residence. Then in 1979, the lighthouse was automated.

It continues in service today with Coast Guard personnel using the residence. The light can be seen up to 19 miles away and operates a half-hour before sunset until a half-hour after sunrise.

Tours of the lighthouse are not available, but on occasion self-guided tours of the residence are.

After taking in the lighthouse grounds, feel free to walk to the beach and dip your feet into Lake Michigan’s cold waters. The beach stretches about 300 feet from the lighthouse to the lake, so this can at least double the distance of the hike to a minimum of 0.3-miles round trip.