Sturgeon Bay Beaches

Robert LaSalle County Park

Cty. U, Town of Clay Banks, approximately nine miles south of Sturgeon Bay, 920-746-2890

The park marks the 1679 landing of the French adventurer, Robert de LaSalle. It has a unique three-tiered landscape, including a pebble-strewn Lake Michigan shore, a grassy upland stretch and a higher wooded upland area. Steep sandy bluffs separate each tier. A small stream cuts through an interesting sandy ravine along the southern side of the park.

Potawatomi State Park

3740 Park Dr., Sturgeon Bay, 920-746-2890

Located on the shore of Sturgeon Bay, the 1,200-acre park has a gently rolling upland terrain bordered by steep slopes and rugged limestone cliffs. More than two miles of shoreline provide many scenic vistas and recreational opportunities. A 75-foot observation tower rises above the forest canopy giving a panoramic view. On a clear day, the view from the park's observation tower reaches 16 miles across Green Bay.

While taking in the expansive view, look for a small island in the bay; it is a private year-round residence.

Otumba Park

N. Joliet Ave., Sturgeon Bay, 920-746-2890

This three-acre park includes a beach, walkway that connects to the waterfront and a beautiful view of the shoreline looking toward Green Bay waters.

Sunset Park

747 N. 3rd Ave., Sturgeon Bay, 920-746-2890

This extensive park is a popular location for shore fishing or just enjoying the sunset over the bay. It includes a swimming beach, two-lane launching ramps, transient docking pier, ½ mile walking trail and two areas with playground equipment.

Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve

Lake Ln., Sturgeon Bay, 920-746-1359

Just south of the Hwy. 42/57 (Bay View) Bridge, turn south onto Cty. U (Claybanks Rd.) and continue 2 miles. Turn left (east) onto Lake Ln. There are 2 parking lots 1-2 miles ahead. Enjoy a small, white sand beach that’s quiet, secluded and surrounded by rolling sand dunes. Take a hike along the Ship Canal for a unique view of the lighthouses and Coast Guard Station. Plus, enjoy two scenic overlooks.

Added in 2026

View from the Potawatomi State Park tower toward Sawyer Harbor. Photo: TravelingOtter, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Two updates matter here. The 75-foot observation tower in Potawatomi State Park closed in December 2017 because of wood decay and reopened in spring 2025 after restoration, so the 16-mile view described above is available again. And Sunset Park is a better stop than the 2012 text lets on: about 500 feet off its shore lies the wreck of the steam barge Joys, which burned in 1898 and was listed on the National Register in 2007.

Robert La Salle County Park is named for the French explorer's 1679 landing, as the old page says, and sits about nine miles south of the city on County U. The Ship Canal Nature Preserve beach is on the Lake Michigan side of the canal; the two canal lighthouses are a walk along the shore from there.

Sources: Wikipedia articles on Potawatomi State Park and the list of Great Lakes shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places; Wisconsin DNR and Sturgeon Bay Historical Society on the Potawatomi tower (2025).

Questions visitors ask

Can you climb the Potawatomi State Park tower again?

Yes. It reopened in spring 2025 after being closed since December 2017. A state park vehicle sticker is needed to drive into the park.

Which Sturgeon Bay beach faces Lake Michigan rather than the bay?

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve and Robert La Salle County Park are on the Lake Michigan side. Sunset, Otumba and Potawatomi face Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay, which is usually calmer.

Where exactly is the Joys wreck?

The National Register gives its location as about 500 feet west of Sunset Park. It rests in shallow water close to shore.

Original text restored from the Wayback Machine capture of June 29, 2015. Typos and dead links were tidied; nothing else in the original section was rewritten. How this archive works.