Hiking
Harrington Beach State Park has seven miles of hiking trails and one mile of Lake Michigan shoreline to explore. Walking the beach along Lake Michigan, hikers can see the remains of a 700-foot pier that was used in the early 1900s for shipping limestone quarried and processed at the park. The old pier is on the point which is the dividing point between the north and south beaches.
Bird Watching
Checklist of Birds recorded in the park from 19xx - 2012
Biking
Biking is allowed on the bus route from the Pucket's Pond area to the Ansay Welcome Center as well as the public park roads.
Lake Michigan beaches and Picnic areas
On hot summer days the prime attraction of Harrington Beach State Park is the mile of Lake Michigan shoreline. Visitors enjoy the refreshing lake breezes while picnicking on the groves of trees within walking distance of the lake.
Beautiful views of Lake Michigan are a feature of the point and south picnic areas. These areas and the Puckett’s Pond picnic area by the upper parking lot have reservable shelters. There are also sand volleyball courts available in the park.
On display in the point picnic area overlooking Lake Michigan is the anchor of the freighter Niagara that was consumed by fire just off the shore in 1856, killing as many as 169 people (the purser did not have records of the number of passengers). Scuba divers will want to explore the remains of this wooden steamship, located a few hundred yards offshore in about 80 feet of water.
Horseback riding
Horse Trailer parking is at the Puckett's Pond lot. Riders can then ride along the park road to the start of the bridle trail near the entrance station. The bridle trail at Harrington Beach runs one mile, north/south, through the park. There is no horse camping at Harrington Beach. Horses are not allowed to ride on the beach.
Geocaching
Geocaching is an outdoor sport that requires a GPS device to find a location or a hidden, preferably waterproof container, also known as a cache. HBSP has several caches available for visitors to find. Grab your GPS unit, hike the trails, and find those caches. Keep an eye on the park calendar for upcoming Geocaching classes and events. For more information on geocaching in general, please visit geocaching.com.
Boating, canoeing and kayaking
There is not a boat launch at the park. Users of small watercraft or floatation devices should be aware of the wind conditions on Lake Michigan. Strong west winds can blow watercraft away from the shoreline. Parents, watch your children at all times. Rubber rafts and other boats require personal floatation devices.
Swimming
Swimming in Lake Michigan is a sure way to cool off during a hot day. Please use caution. The lake can be dangerously cold, so use good judgment in deciding whether to swim and, if you do, how long to stay in the water. No lifeguards are present. Lake Michigan water is tested for bacteria regularly in the summer. Go to www.wibeaches.us for beach closure notices. For information on rip tide danger, check www.weather.gov.
Swimming and boating are not permitted in Quarry Lake or Puckett's Pond.
Fishing
Surf fishing for salmon and trout draws visitors to Harrington Beach and Lake Michigan. Anglers will also enjoy fishing from the shore of the 26-acre Quarry Lake and Puckett’s Pond. People can catch trout, crappies, bluegills and other panfish. Quarry Lake and Puckett’s Pond are part of the urban fishing program.
A fishing license and a Great Lakes salmon and inland trout stamp, available at local hardware stores and other outlets, are required for anglers. Fishing licenses are not presently sold at the park office.
Hunting
Hunting at Harrington Beach State Park
Hunting is allowed in some areas of the park for spring turkey and fall bow/muzzle loader gun deer hunting. Check with the park office or the DNR website, www.dnr.wi.gov for specific dates and regulations. Walkers and bike riders, you are advised to wear blaze orange/pink/lime during these hunting seasons.
Winter activities
Skiers make a cross-country ski trail upon snowfall that runs from the lower parking lot along the right side of the bus trail to the Hardwood Swamp trail and then back east along the service road. Walkers, please stay to the left of the tracks on the road. A snowmobile trail crosses the western end of the park. Even the park’s Lake Michigan beach remains an attraction in the wintertime, when a fantastic architecture of ice rims the shore.