If you like to take a relaxing walk around the beautiful nature trails or visit the quarry to see what wild life you can spy, Harrington is a pleasant place to go.
We went to Harrington last Sunday, it was hot when we started but it is cold when we reached the park, I would take a jacket next time just in case. not many benches in picnic area. if you want to walk thru the park then its a huge park to walk.Beach is nice! we wished it to be a little hotter on that day but we still had fun...
We spent the day here for a family reunion, it was really nice, beach close by, picnic areas and deer roaming freely close by
We visited the park on a weekend with two young children. The trails are lovely and the beach well maintained. There are showers to remove the sand, but the water is very cold and require you to continue pushing the button, which can become tiresome after a while.
Nice quiet beach when we were there in the middle of August. The beach has gotten somewhat smaller from what I remember some 15 years ago. I believe it is due to the low water this past decade ( overgrowth and brush On the lakeshore ) and now with water slowly rising it made the beach area smaller. Will eventually even out with time. Nice pick nick areas and plenty of room for kids and pets to play and roam. Kids enjoyed fishing pier at the old quarry. All in all just a nice relaxing day at the beach. Will be going back soon!
Im a big fan of Harrington in summer. The beach is lovely (depending on how much natural debris/algae/alewives might be around at any given time), the water filled quarry is something to be seen, and it's nice to have concessions on site. I finally visited tonight for one of the candlelight night hike/ski. It was absolutely gorgeous. The roughly 1 mile trail is lined with tiki torches, the stars and moon are brilliant so far from the city, a bonfire was roaring behind the nature center, and food, baked goods, and hot beverages were available. I highly recommend checking out the Friends of Harrington Beach's website for future night hikes.
There are lots of fun activities for everyone. Go on-line and check out what is happening! A handicapped accessible cabin is almost brand new. The campsites are only a few years old. There is Puckett's pond as you drive in. There is great fishing in the Quarry lake area. Lots of different nature trails. A dog-fun beach in the south park area. Lots of areas to grill and a covered pavilion area for larger family reunions. Daytime and evening activities all year long. Stargazing with expert guidance. Check ahead to make sure the Lake Michigan Beach area is open for swimming.
The weekend we went, there were a bunch of dead fish washed up on the beach and the stink meant the beach was a no go. Some park guy tried to tell us it was all natural and that it happens every year - maybe, but still a turn off. Even without that it was a scrappy looking beach, go 20 miles north to Sheboygan to find a much better one.The hiking trails were ok - the main one around Quarry lake was pleasant without being spectacular. The other trailheads near the nature center were very poorly marked and hard to find, they need to fix that.Left after a couple of hours, wouldn't recommend it as a great park.
We visited mid week in September so the beach was absolutely deserted - we saw one other person in 3 hours. The beach was spotlessly clean and very obviously well maintained.We had no problems parking.Would happliy return here in the future.
I took our two kids out to Harrington Beach for the day and had a great time! Parking is very close and convenient to the beach (we went to the North Beach). My 3 year old had a fun time finding seashells and collecting driftwood and pebbles. The Welcome Center was nice and the concession stand was very reasonable in price and run by super-friendly volunteers! We are headed back here to camp in October and can't wait for the trip! A couple pieces of advice - the North Beach sidewalk access is under construction near the beach due to a washout of the asphalt path, making stroller access very difficult. In addition, the sand is SUPER soft, so all-terrain strollers are highly recommended (jogging strollers, etc.) for easier beach-going. Enjoy!