Ellison Bay Community Park
Ellison Bay
Canoe, Kayak, and Swim
Ellison Bay Community Park is a small town park and sand beach owned by the Town of Liberty Grove, on the south side of the village of Ellison Bay near the tip of Wisconsin's Door Peninsula. Locals often still call it "The Women's Club." The beach faces north and west onto Ellison Bay, a cove on the Green Bay side of Lake Michigan, with the wooded cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment at Ellison Bluff rising across the water to the southwest. The Wisconsin DNR lists the swim area as Ellison Bay Town Park Beach.
The park's address is 11953 Highway 42, at the south end of downtown Ellison Bay. Coming north on Highway 42 from Sister Bay, the park sits on the left just before the shops and the marina, across the highway from the Parkside Inn. A small paved lot off Bay Lane serves the park, and parking there is free. The Ellison Bay village center, with its restaurants, galleries and Wills Park marina, is a short walk north along the highway.
The beach itself is short. The DNR puts its length at roughly 90 feet of sand, set between rocky shoreline on either side and a town pier to the east. The bottom is sand near shore and the bay here is sheltered from the open lake, so it is usually calmer than the Lake Michigan beaches on the peninsula's east side. Even so, northern Door County water stays cold well into summer, and a north or west wind can push in chop. No lifeguard is listed by the town, so swimming is at your own risk and children need close watching.
The park is free. The town lists it among its public parks with no admission or parking charge. The one exception is the annual Blues on the Bay festival in late August, a fundraiser for Door County Secret Santa that takes over the park for a day and asks for a suggested donation. The town does not post specific hours on its parks page.
Water quality at Ellison Bay Town Park Beach is tested by the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh under contract with Door County. The DNR classes it as a Tier 1 (high priority) beach sampled about three times a week from late May through August. Door County beaches are posted with an advisory when E. coli runs high, which can happen after heavy rain washes runoff into the bay. Check the current status before you swim, and stay out if the beach is posted.
Beyond the beach, the park has a playground, a covered gazebo, picnic tables, grills and restrooms. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards can launch from the rocks just west of the pier, which the town designates as a non-motorized launch. Anglers fish from the pier, and the beach faces west across the bay, so evenings here bring sunsets over the water.
More Information
Beaches
Ashland County Beaches Public Usage Nearest Town Monitored Weekly Frequency Tier Latitude Longitude EPA Beach ID Beach Length (Mi) AmericInn Private Beach Ashland No 0 4 46.6102568 -90.8458800 WI172877 0.040 Bayview Park Ashland Beach Ashland Yes 2 2 46.6028424 -90.8642820 WI883392 0.030 Big Bayā¦
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/sites/default/files/topic/Beaches/2026WisconsinBeachList.pdfEllison Bay Town Park Beach - Swim Guide
This small beach is in Lake Michigan's Ellison Bay across from the popular Parkside Inn.
https://www.theswimguide.org/beach/666Parks & Water Access Sites | Town of Liberty Grove
Official website of the Town of Liberty Grove, Door County, Wisconsin. Find local news, meeting agendas and minutes, town services, forms, permits, events, community resources, and important updates.
https://libertygrovewi.gov/park-picnic-areas/Photo #82175: F5-3 Ellison Bay WI Community Park | America's Byways
An official website of the United States government
https://fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/photos/82175Directions
From Ellison Bay
- Head north on Lakeview Rd toward WI-42 S (167 ft)
- Turn left onto WI-42 S (0.4 mi)
- Turn right onto Bayview RdDestination will be on the right(0.1 mi)
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