MANITOWOC – Who doesn’t like a refreshing dip in a pool or lake on a hot summer’s day?
Lucky for us, Manitowoc County offers everything from sandy beaches along Lake Michigan to a waterpark for those looking for a place to dive into the water this summer
Here’s our list of cool places to swim in the Manitowoc and Two Rivers area this summer.
Manitowoc Family Aquatic Center
The Manitowoc Family Aquatic Center opens for the season June 7.
The center, 940 N. 18th St., will have open swim from noon to 6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through Aug. 17. Children 10 and younger must be accompanied by someone 15 years old or older at the pool.
The Aquatic Center features a heated pool, various spray features, two water slides, a diving board, lazy river and a sand play area. There’s also an 18-hole mini golf course, snack bar and more.
The center also is available for birthday parties or other special events.
Once it opens, the pool can be reached at 920-686-3590.
Neshotah Park and Beach
Neshotah Park and Beach offers a beautiful sand beach on Lake Michigan, 2111 Pierce St., with areas for volleyball and launching jet skis and kayaks.
The park also features basketball courts, playgrounds, the Rawley Point bike trail and more.
The Beach House has a bathhouse/changing area, restrooms and a concession stand.
Shelters in the park can be rented for private parties and picnics.
Two Rivers’ ‘hidden beach’
A little-known sandy beach area along Lake Michigan is gaining more attention as the popularity of the city’s Neshotah Beach swells.
An area called “North Pier Beach” by city leaders near Neshotah provides a quiet sandy beach. It’s meant as a repository to hold sand for Neshotah, but residents are using it as its own space.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers occasionally pumps said dredged from Lake Michigan to the shore. Wind, waves and weather tend to move sand south to Neshotah from the beach area tucked near the U.S. Coast Guard building off Harbor Road and 16th Street, near the Northern Pierhead Light Tower.
There’s a gravel parking lot and portable bathrooms near the beach.
Red Arrow Park and Beach
Red Arrow Park, 1931 S. Ninth St. in Manitowoc, is a large park right off Lake Michigan with a gorgeous well-maintained 30-acre beach.
There are also two large playgrounds, public bathrooms, a baseball diamond and a war memorial.
Dogs and beach toys are permitted.
Lighthouse Park
Dip your toes in Lake Michigan at this small park and groomed beach just north of Manitowoc’s downtown area.
Lighthouse Park, 475 Maritime Drive, has a newly constructed public bathroom and pavilion that makes it a comfortable spot to spend some time at.
The park is on Mariners Trail and is the access point and parking lot to use to walk out to the Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse and the Paws and Play Dog Park.
Contact reporter Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com or call 920-606-2575. Follow her on X @PGPattiZarling, on Instagram @PGPatti and Bluesky @PGPatti.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Here’s our guide for cool places to swim in Manitowoc and Two Rivers this summer
Reporting by Patti Zarling, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
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