Wisconsin's Best Lakes and Waterfronts

Wisconsin has 15,000+ inland lakes, 820 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, and 292 miles of Lake Superior shoreline — one of the richest waterfront states in the US.

Lake Superior (Apostle Islands and Bayfield)
Wisconsin's most dramatic waterfront — the Apostle Islands' sea caves, the Madeline Island beaches, and the Bayfield peninsula's cherry orchards above the lake create an extraordinary combination. The Apostle Islands Wilderness Water Trail (for kayakers) circumnavigates the 21 islands; Raspberry Island Light (one of the finest lighthouse settings in the Great Lakes) is accessible by ferry.

Door County Shoreline
The 300-mile shoreline of the Door Peninsula (combined Lake Michigan and Green Bay sides) — Cave Point County Park's dolomite sea caves (the finest accessible sea cave scenery in the Great Lakes, no kayak required), Peninsula State Park's Green Bay shoreline, and Whitefish Dunes State Park (the highest sand dunes in Wisconsin, on Lake Michigan) define the Door County waterfront.

Lake Winnebago (Oshkosh)
Wisconsin's largest inland lake — 137,700 acres of warm, shallow water, famous for winter sturgeon spearing (a 150-year Wisconsin tradition — licensed spearers cut holes in the ice and wait for lake sturgeon to pass below). The Oshkosh airshow (EAA AirVenture — the world's largest annual air show, held each July) takes place adjacent to the lake.

Lake Geneva (Walworth County)
A luxury lake resort community 75 miles north of Chicago — Geneva Lake (5,262 acres) has been Chicago's summer retreat since the 1870s. The historic mansions on the lakeshore (once owned by Wrigley, Maytag, and other Chicago industrialists) and the Shore Path (a 21-mile public walkway around the lake's perimeter) are the highlights.

Dells of the Wisconsin River
The sandstone canyon of the Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells — the Upper Dells and Lower Dells boat tours pass remarkable sandstone formations carved by glacial floodwaters 14,000 years ago. Stand Rock (a pillar of sandstone accessible by trail from the south shore) and Romance Cliff are the most photographed formations.