13 Free Swimming Holes near Gander
first prev 1 next lastShowing Swimming Holes within 50 miles Distance miles of Gander near Antioch, Illinois City, Zip, or Address
Big Foot Beach State Park
Lake Geneva
13.4 miles WA narrow, shallow-entry state park beach on Buttons Bay of Geneva Lake just south of downtown Lake Geneva. No lifeguards; a Wisconsin state park vehicle pass is required ($13 daily with Wisconsin plates).
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Eichelman Beach
Kenosha
20.2 miles EFree, sheltered Lake Michigan beach in Eichelman Park on Kenosha's 3rd Avenue lakefront, a pocket of sand between rock breakwaters with calm wading water. No lifeguards.
Swim
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park
Zion
20.3 miles EIllinois Beach State Park splits into two units along six and a half miles of Lake Michigan, and the public swimming beach is in the south unit, not the eroding north one. Admission and parking are free, there are no lifeguards, and the lake stays cold in
Camp, Hike, Swim
Waukegan Municipal Beach
Waukegan
21.2 miles SEA mile of free public Lake Michigan sand on Waukegan's north lakefront, open dawn to dusk year-round with no lifeguards; summer weekend parking is $20 for cars without a city sticker.
Swim
Muskego Park
Muskego
27.9 miles NWaukesha County's Muskego Park has a roped, unguarded swim beach on a small pond, open sunrise to sunset from mid-May through late September. A $7 county daily vehicle permit or annual membership is required.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Rosewood Beach
Highland Park
31.3 miles SEGuarded Lake Michigan swimming coves in Highland Park's Rosewood Park. Free for park district residents, $10 a day for non-residents plus paid parking, lifeguards 10am to 6pm from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Swim
Kettle Moraine Area
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
32.3 miles NWSwim near Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Swim
Lower Spring Lake Beach
Palmyra
33.2 miles NWFree village swim beach on Lower Spring Lake in Palmyra, Wisconsin, with a small sand beach, buoyed swim area, playground and pavilion. No lifeguard; staffed weekends in summer.
Swim
Kettle Morain South Trail Head
Dousman, Wisconsin
33.5 miles NWOver 30 miles of connected mostly single-track trails through the Southern Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest — the John Muir and Emma Carlin systems linked by a connector trail.
Camp, Cross-country Ski, Hike, Swim
Grant Park Beach
South Milwaukee
33.7 miles NEFree, unguarded Lake Michigan beach in Milwaukee County's Grant Park in South Milwaukee, with soft sand, free parking, a seasonal grill in the 1937 pavilion, and summer E. coli testing.
Hike, Kayak, Swim
Gillson Beach
Wilmette
38.5 miles SEThe Wilmette Park District's main Lake Michigan swimming beach in Gillson Park, with lifeguards Memorial Day to Labor Day. Day passes are $11 for residents and $17 for non-residents, plus parking.
Kayak, Swim
McKinley Beach
Milwaukee
41.7 miles NMcKinley Beach reopened in May 2024 after a nearly four-year closure that followed four drownings in 2020 and a $1.1 million rebuild that hauled in some 12,000 cubic yards of sand to bring the swimming area back to waist depth. It is open for swimming wit
Hike, Swim
Lions Beach
Janesville
43.2 miles WFree, unguarded city swim beach on Lions Pond, a former gravel pit in Janesville, open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, with weekly E. coli testing.
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
