Kohler-Andrae State Park

A hidden gem in Wisconsin! This place is absolutely stunning — you get to enjoy both sand dunes and Lake Michigan at the same time. The beauty of the natural surroundings is truly breathtaking. In the summer, the sand can get extremely hot, but they’ve built boardwalks that make walking much easier and more enjoyable. One important thing to note: there’s poison ivy in some areas, so be sure to stay on marked trails and avoid restricted spots. Also, don’t miss the nature center — it’s really well done and definitely worth a visit!

Quite possibly the state park with the best beach in Wisconsin, with miles of open sandy beach. There are multiple parking lots, with a cordwalk trail connecting them all. This state park is a delight for beach goers, as well as hikers, with some stunning views of Lake Michigan all along the trail. There is a nature centre at the North Parking lot, with a couple of restrooms, and a small gift shop. State park stickers are needed for entry, and there are also plenty of campgrounds available for booking.

🌳 A Pleasant State Park Escape This state park offers a surprisingly relaxing beach experience, even when it’s packed—there’s a lot of space for everyone to spread out. The sand is fine and soft, though the water is frigid and occasionally affected by seasonal issues like allergens and a few dead fish. The boardwalk trails looked inviting and well-kept. Overall, the park is clean and thoughtfully maintained, though it can get busy and parking lots fill up quickly. 💵 Entrance is $12 with a Wisconsin plate.

Very beautiful and clean. Bathroom could be a little better also there's no place to put your trash the dog side there's less parking but overall worth the trip

Awesome state park. Make sure before you go that you look into beach conditions. If it isn't good here go down the road to kings beach I think Its called. Restrooms always had more than a few spiders. But other than campground was phenomenal

Wonderful dunes, beautiful beach, plenty of camping spots with wash facilities. We took part in a candlelight hike that was wonderful. Get out and enjoy yourselves, people. You're missing all the fun.

Beautiful soft sand beach. Lots of room to spread out. Nice accessible trail through the woods, very pretty and flat on crushed gravel.

I absolutely love this park. its so beautiful and there are so many different locations where you can take amazing pictures. The campsites are great too. Everyone is super friendly and you are right on the lake if you feel like dipping your toes. It has many trails to take the long walks, overall its an amazing park.

On a warm October day we headed for Kohler~Andre Park beach for some beach combing. The sand is incredible soft and barefoot walking is a must. The sounds of the waves is peaceful and I can sit on the shore for hours appreciating the lake views and the solitude. Leaf peeping was perfect!

What a beautiful space in our world! Stunning views of Lake Michigan, sand dunes, trails, camping, and more! We've been here on a couple of occasions. One of our more memorable trips here, we enjoyed a walk on a path that took us through a wooded area and then the sandy dune area with stunning views of the lake. We also enjoyed a walk along the beach. The beaches are sandy and the water is stunning. On our last trip here we wanted to check out the campground. There are some really amazing campsites here and some that aren't so much my jam (but could be yours!). There are several that are nestled in a wooded area, which are great. They also had sites where the table and fire ring are in a wooded area but your trailer would be in a cutout on the street. These weren't so much my jam but if you have a difficulty backing in, this could be the perfect solution! Gorgeous state park in our gorgeous state. Get to it!

It's a great experiences walking through the sand dunes that hang right on the bluff of Lake Michigan and the walking trails are great for all seasons with not much crowds either. Would totally recommend!

My wife and I came here to explore the park for possible camping this summer. We drove around the park and discovered it had a nice sandy beach. We walked a mile down the shoreline. This park offers many recreational activities. I'm looking forward to spending time here.

We went to the Kohler- Andrea state park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in June . It was the perfect weather out for a beach day when we went. The beach was huge, and even with a lot of people being there nobody was even close to us because the beach is just so big. The beach and the boardwalk are absolutely beautiful, and makes you feel like you are somewhere coastal. The downside to our beach day is there was a super strong smell of fish, and when we got closer to the beach we saw hundreds of washed up dead fish on the shore. The water was also so cold, we were only able to swim for a few minutes. But overall this is a beautiful state park, and I think coming later in the summer would solve most of the problems we had visiting. I would recommend coming here, and will definitely be back later in the summer!!!!

I wanted to see the sand dunes as I thought they are similar to the ones in Peru and Morocco. But I was wrong.. They are a lot smaller and now all covered in grass so not exactly what I was expecting. However, the weather was nice, clear blue sky. The broadwalk was easy to walk on and not crowded at all. Felt some breeze from Lake Michigan and there are some benches for rest. In addition, there are beaches with some mild waves. Overall, a nice State park for an easy hike.

How did I never go here when I was growing up?! Our plans for the day had to be changed last minute, and nothing in Milwaukee was open on a Monday. So I looked for somewhere in between MKE and the Fox Cities to hike. That is how I came upon Kohler-Andrae State Park. The entry fee was an acceptable price to pay for several hours of entertainment, it was close off the highway we were intending on driving that day, and DUNES! And LAKE MICHIGAN! There are several trails, specified swimming beach areas...but what I was looking for was 3-5 miles of walking and pretty things to see along the way. We went to the parking lot with the visitor's center, whipped out our map to orient ourselves and headed to the trailhead. Much of the trail we went with is sort of boardwalk style, but be prepared to get quite a bit of sand in your shoes from the pre-boardwalk part of the trail and the sand-drift areas. It is super lovely here. There wasn't much shade on this trail, so be prepared with sunscreen. But the views...gosh dang THE VIEWS. A spectacular couple of hours! We hiked out on the boardwalk, but at a turnaround, we b-lined for the water to stick our feet in some sand and cold waters. And on a whim, I decided for us that we would walk back along the coastline. It was the most wonderful unplanned activity! I only wish we had had even MORE time to explore more of the park!

Visiting this park is like an out-of-Wisconsin experience. It is so lovely! Extremely beautiful and picturesque, the entire park is a fantastic place for a photographer, nature lover, hiker, basically everybody. My pup loved walking on the beach and the cordwalk. The nature center was closed during our visit, but we spent hours and hours along the beach and trails. It was not too busy but I could see how this would be a very popular place on a sunny, warm summer day. I'm so happy we purchased a WI State Park Pass so we can return and walk the trails in slightly cooler weather. It is definitely worth the drive from Milwaukee!

While the beach here has been really narrowed by rising water, its a great getaway ~ under 1 hour from downtown milwaukee. The main feature here is the dunes and while there's boardwalks over much of the sand, note that hiking could be challenging for someone with mobility issues (the boardwalks are broken in spots). Still the dunes are pretty unique on this side of lake Michigan and make it really worthwhile to check out. Swimming is also good here. The beach can be incredibly shallow for a ways out so it's good for kids too ( no lifeguard though) Further out its deeper and good for more serious swimming. There's also camping here. You need a state park sticker for your car but worth the drive and expense.

I spent many, many hours at this park and it is most beloved by me. I most cherished the woods and always found beautiful deer. In the winter, I followed and photographed wild animal tracks. A blinding snowstorm and watching the deer was a favorite experience. The time I spent at this incredible state park is the most memorable of my life

It was magnificent yet tranquil. There were paths all through the dunes, little hills, cool views. There were very few people despite it being spring break, temperature was pretty cool, Everyone was friendly, there were a few activity centers, benches spread out, great to just sit and enjoy the sun reflecting off the waves and relishing the sounds. The only drawback was it was a long walk from the hotel, no sidewalk so not pedestrian friendly. Other than that it's gorgeous and peaceful.

Stunning landscape and awesome hiking! We had a great time visiting here as a family. We hiked, got our feet wet in the lake, and checked out the nature center. My 7-year-old absolutely loved running up and down the dunes. There are a few areas of the trail that need a bit of repair but, like any outdoor adventure, you just need to keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. Make sure and carry water with you, as well as snacks. Vending machines are the only food option and they are shut down in the fall and winter. This park really is a Wisconsin treasure. Plus, at $8 for a single-day pass, you can't beat it!

Cool park for to visit, since it sits on Lake Michigan and features sand dunes. There are several trails with varying distances to hike, as well as signs posted to tell you where you are and what the distance is of the trail you are about to enter. The Nature Center has an observation deck that provides a nice view of the beach and surrounding grounds. Campers will find a very large area available to them for tent or RV camping, and other visitors will find a children's play area, volleyball court, and lots of picnic areas.

This was the perfect spot to get outside and enjoy some nature. We didn't use any facilities but I was very impressed with the signage for parking lots, trails, and distances. We managed to get some good mileage in. We also enjoyed the beaches with lake views and the "Cord- walk" and dunes. There are plenty of picnic areas and open green space too which we used to set up picnic blankets for lunch. We would definitely come back in the future!

Absolutely lovely. What a treasure to have this as a state park. Way to go, Wisconsin!! We used parking area 7. After a short 30 second hike through the trees, we were on the sand. The water was shallow and cool out at least 15 feet, so we were able to easily wade in and search for rocks / sea glass. Quiet. Serene. Lovely. There are also benches at the edge of the shady treeline, perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy the lake but needs to stay out of the sun.

I truly love Kohler-Andrae State Park. It's great for bringing your dogs for a dip in the big lake. Lot's of room for them to romp around and roll in the sand and catch the breeze. I've enjoyed this park on several occassions and have yet to be disappointed. There are several options for getting your dog out to the beach and none of them are hard to hike down to. Actually getting down to the water is fairly easy which makes ease of entry smooth and hassle free all around. The view of Lake Michigan is stellar and the beach is clean. Our dog absolutely loves it! The dog community up at Kohler are very respectful. As much time as he spent on the leash he was also able to get off and roam around rolling in the sand and swimming in the lake. Just a great place to enjoy the great outdoors and not far from Milwaukee! 5 stars fo sho!

Kohler Andrea is easily one of my favorite state parks in Wisconsin. Right on the shores of lake Michigan, it's got plenty of campsites in traditional WSP fashion. If you don't need electricity, the tent sites on the south side are even prettier. They have a warming shelter with a huge fireplace that can be rented in the early or late season. We do an annual trip in April and it's been everything from 65 degrees and sunny to 25 degrees and snowing. The shelter is wonderful for group gatherings and to stay warm. KASP has boardwalks and sand dunes, but if those aren't your things, it's a close drive to Sheboygan for a bit more of an urban experience.

This is a beautiful park, I've seen nothing like it in Wisconsin. The cordway is well maintained and makes walking through the sand dunes possible. The trails are easy to follow for a novice park explorer.

This is my go to spot to get away and back to the outdoors. You have plenty of forest and camping, plus right there by the beach. I have taken the family on a few walks throughout the trails and even explored the beach front, can't wait to explore some more and see what the other seasons have to offer.

One of the most beautiful State Parks on the shores of Lake Michigan. Great mixture of lush forest, beach and wetlands.. Moments away from I43, with very easy access. Strongly recommend a trip to this beautiful area.

Buyer Beware if you purchase a state park pass like I did. They turn you away when the park lot is full.

This is a great state park. Get there early on the weekend during COVID, or you will probably be turning around. Happened to us once, but found a spot at Point Beach in Two Rivers. Be aware of the water level of Lake Michigan over the past several years. There is a beach, but it won't be as impressive as you might think. Don't let that let you down, as there is a beach! Be aware of the very tanned man who has white hair, and wears a baseball cap. Several times we've parked in the far south beach lot. If you walk straight to the beach from the playground/bathroom area he may be at the top of one of the dunes. He'll be laying on his stomach, with his thong pulled down exposing his entire backside to beach goers who walk by. If you have kids avoid this area until park rangers can walk the beach area again!

I absolutely love this place! The board walk is super fun at sunset! I always rent the teepee a year in advance to ensure I get a full week! I love the beach it's super cold water but if you come prepared you can set up a great spot on the beach. I've been going to this campground ever since I was eight so I make it a yearly trip me and my daughter now. The playground is really nice it could be updated some but it is in a great location to keep an eye on the kids also there's a nice hiking trail that leads from all of the campsites the playground

The natural beauty here is so worth the trip. The dunes, the grasses, the water, all so serene, so beautiful. Lovely sand beach both north and south, wonderful walk with the water gently washing over your feet....

Beautiful park on the sandy shores of upper Lake Michigan. The main trail, "Dune Cordwalk" runs through the vast sand dunes that allow beautiful pictures of the water and the opportunity for children to adventure at the three beaches within the park. Wisconsin really is amazing. On one coast, you have the Mississippi, with its huge ridges and thick forests, and on the other, sandy beaches that feel like you are relaxing in the Florida sunshine. Though, everybody knows about the freezing cold water of Lake Michigan. I found a good amount of bikers and roller blades cruising around the corners, but the Park itself isn't as big as others in Wisconsin. Pros: Beaches, beautiful photography spots, dog-friendly trails, massive, private campsites, family-friendly learning centers, decent parking, friendly locals, & well maintained park Cons: Busy in the Summer, limited trails, & a decent amount of Flat landers. All in all, it is a nice park, that I will gladly head back to sometime in the near future.

This is a nice campground located on Lake Michigan. It is surrounded by nature trails and marsh. It is wonderfully wooded and has playground areas for children. Most of the restrooms are drop toilets but there are plumbed toilets and shower areas available too. There are cabins for rent and although I didn't look inside them, they seemed spacious from the outside. The only aspect I have mixed feeling about were the power sites that were located on the main road entrance with the campers being situated similar to parallel parking. This subjected campers to traffic coming in the park and access to the fire ring and picnic table on one side. Campers were advised not to cross the "safety zone," to avoid any incidents or accidents. The campground itself was pleasant.

Beautiful beaches and boardwalks through sand dunes make this place feel more like coastal Oregon than Wisconsin. I camped here for a wedding weekend, which was one of the best venues I could have imagined. The amphitheater in the woods held the ceremony while the reception was in the shelter, just a short walk away from the beach, sand volleyball courts and our campsites. Woukd highly recommend for any kind of gathering. Can't wait to go back!

Pretty, pretty, pretty! Being from Milwaukee, I probably visited this park on elementary school field trips. I vaguely remembered it when I went with the boy in the spring sometime. We went walking along the dunes (which have a wood planked walking trail) that overlook Lake Michigan. It was a delightful mix of sunny inland, and stormy over the lake. The result was that we could see the pouring rain and a rainbow at the same time. Totally gorgeous. This is a very well maintained state park. As you walk along the plants, there are informative signs about the plants that you'll see. This includes labeling the biggest patch of poison ivy I've ever seen. So, not only do you learn something on your walk, but you save yourself an awful lot of itchiness. ;)

I had my first experience at Koehler-Andrae State Park yesterday, 8/2/15, as we were tipped off by some "friends" that the park had a beautiful, dog friendly beach with sandbars and warm water. I can honestly say I could not leave this beach fast enough. If you are interested in a career in entomology, you will love this beach as you will have the opportunity to study several species of horseflies, biting flies, and dragonflies as they swarm you and bite every inch of your exposed body. Should horseflies biting the crap out of you not be your thing, feel free to escape into the water. Make your trip into the water brief, because the sub-zero temperatures of the lake will most likely cause death by hypothermia if you stay in for too long. I looked down both ends of the vast beach and did not see a single soul in the water past their legs, which should be an indication that the water is not habitable for human beings. Don't worry, since the beach is dog-friendly you can bring man's best friend along to keep you company- provided they STAY ON THE LEASH 100% of the time. Honestly if I wanted to tie my dog to a post and sit outside I could have done that a lot closer to home- plus he wouldn't have been bitten all over by flies there either. If you enjoy recreating scenes from the bible, you will surely enjoy the sky which is constantly darkened by SWARMS of giant dragonflies (which look like locusts, they are so huge) as far as the eye can see, which should give you an indication of how many damn flies are around (that's what the dragonflies eat). Seriously, everything about this beach sucked. I wanted to swim- can't do that, water is freezing. I wanted to play with my dog- can't do that, he can't go off the leash. I wanted to take a nap on the sand- can't do that, the flies eat you alive if you sit still for more than 3 minutes. I needed to use the restroom- I can't do that, because the bathroom hasn't been cleaned in years and the stench formed an impenetrable wall to prevent use. Again, budding entomologists and bible enthusiasts may love this beach. But if you actually want to relax and do beach related things, go elsewhere. I can only IMAGINE the horror that would be camping in the more dense forested areas of this park if the bugs are STILL BITING YOU IN THE WATER.

This place is my childhood. I always forget how beautiful it is when I come back... Completely breathtaking and under used place in Sheboygan

This park if probably okay for camping purposes but if you are just looking to check out the beach and do a quick trail it's not worth the $10 daily entrance.

Camping books solid the day the website opens by RVers who book every single weekend of the summer regardless of if they actually will show up or not. The only way to get a spot is last minute cancellations. And when you get there half the spots are empty. Come up with a better system Wisconsin DNR!

It is now a tradition. I come from Florida every summer to camp with friends. It is a beautiful park with some great sites! The shower facilities a clean and well maintained. The beach is close! There are places to hike, bike, fish, sun bathe, ride your horse or just sit relaxing by the fire reading a book. What more can a person ask for when camping?

One of the best state parks in Wisconsin. Plenty of space to hike. Cool trails for everyone to use. Nice camp sites, including a nice group site. Adequate parking, close to I43 as well. This makes for a great day trip or even a weekend trip or stop on your way to Door County. Have fun here!

The campsites are huge and private. Early this year they seemed to do some clearing so there were a lot of stumps; I hope the sites continue to be some of the most private in the state. On the bright side this spring, there was plenty of firewood! Unfortunately mother nature didn't cooperate on our long weekend at Kohler Andrae this May. In general, it's good to know this park is MUCH COOLER than Sheboygan's weather retort. The lake is almost as incredible as the ocean. The sand was beautifully white, stones round, and wood drifty. And with any poor weather, know there are many bar and restaurant options in Sheboygan, even appropriate in camping gear. I'll be back!

Kohler Andrae offers beautiful views of Lake Michigan as you hike through the dunes along the cordwalk. You can often see deer, cranes, and other wildlife along the way. Camping, nature hikes and a Nature Center are also available. Love this place!

The boyfriend and I stumbled in here pretty much at random on a drive. Entry fee is $7 with Wisconsin plates, which apparently is good for all state parks for the day should you suddenly decide to drive to a different one instead. This was after our GPS took us to a gated off road out of the park -- we had to double back to the main road and follow the signs for the actual entrance. We drove around (lots of campsites and campers) and got out of the car to wander around the beach. For anyone not from Wisconsin, be advised that Lake Michigan is COLD as well as polluted, I wouldn't plan on swimming in it! We waded in a bit here and there, but that was it. There are some walking trails and a small nature center, but otherwise not a lot to see, really. Nice, but not super exciting.

This is the BEST STATE PARK with clean beach areas & a seperate area for families to bring their dogs to swim. If you are disabled, the main park area has more easy access/bathrooms. The beach area is breathtaking. It is a short drive to the Sheboygan businesses. They have a lovely, boardwalk area along the lake shore with restaurants that have dinning outside on the boardwalk. There is a dock & clubhouse area for boaters, too. There is a beautiful hotel , BLUE HARBOR HOTEL, with a large waterpark inside for families to enjoy. The beds were the SOFTEST, & BEST SUPPORT I have ever slept on, & I suffer from multiple herniated discs/chronic pain. Their restaurant serves AMAZING FOOD that once you sign in, they provide you a marvelous experience meeting 100% of your needs. You can relax, escape your stressful demands & feel like you are at a Coastal Hotel, but you don't have the expenses or time to travel south having these same accommodations here in Wisconsin & NO SHARKS are in our waters of Lake Michigan. . It was the BEST HOTEL we ever stayed at & minutes to Koehler State Park.

The3 facilities are pretty good, although the bathrooms can use some attention. They use these huge 8 roll TP holders that actually block the ability to "get comfortable". The showers are clean with plenty of hot water. Campsites are kept very clean, and the roads are in great condition and well marked which is important for first timers. The beach is just a short walk from most campsites, and you can hear the lake all night. Getting Ice is... Interesting. I felt kinda awkward climbing between the guy's truck and trailer to knock on his door to rouse him for ice. Kinda odd. The biggest plus is the crowd though. Even on a holiday weekend where the place was packed, the din died down early. Got a great night's sleep..... Well as good as one can get in a tent. Just a couple little things keep Kohler-Andrae from getting that fifth star.

Beautiful state park along Lake Michigan with a wonderful campground and large open play/picnic area with playground, kick ball field, and volleyball net. I wish I lived closer! Not very many hiking trails, but most people spend their time on the beach anyway. The beaches had great sand even thought the invasive grass species has taken over the dunes in recent years. You can see how much Wisconsin blood you have in you as well as Lake Michigan never really gets above 70 degrees...

First off our campsite was HUGE!!!! Which was awesome, it was a very nice, clean, wooded site. The park itself is a little small and consists mostly of sand dunes and some views of Lake Michigan. I wouldn't recommend this park for a long stay as there isn't much to do but it's great for a short weekend trip!

Best campsite I have ever been to. It was beautiful and clean. The nature center was great too, lots of educational information, photos and artifacts. I'm not sure if they are works or volunteers but they were so friendly in the nature center The restrooms were clean. On the weekend we went they even had a cool presentation for any of the campers who were interested about the stars and universe. The nature paths are also really nice; if you plan on going on the nature paths BE CAREFUL there is lots of poison ivy. I didn't have a problem with it because i knew what to look out for but if any kids with exposed skin were to go running off the path they would be so sorry.

This is a gorgeous state park and a great place to camp. The only negative is that they have let the beach get so over- grown that it is almost unusable. It used to be all sand and now they have let the grass and weeds grow over so there is very little beach to play on.

DO NOT GO HERE if you have a large group or a Handicapped Individual!!!! We rented the handicapped accessible cabin so that my critically ill mother could take one last camping trip with her children and grandchildren. After 8 months spent in hospitals, nursing home and recover centers she will never be able to "camp" again. We thought this would be a great trip, my brother and sister in-law stayed in the cabin with my parents, my brother and my families stayed in campgrounds across the way. At least twice if not three times a day we had the rangers stopping by telling us we had "too many people on the campground", "too many chairs on the campground", when we explained that we had 3 campsites and the cabin and that only 6 people were in the cabin and 6 or less per site(as per the rules) they would say that was fine and leave us alone until the next shift change. This continued each day, a little irritating, but whatever, until Ranger Ken showed up for duty. All I can say is, OMG as many years and at as many parks we've camped at we have never had the displeasure of meeting such a jerk with a massive inferiority complex. He completely harrassed us the remainder of our trip and ruined my mother's last vacation. He complained about everything we did, but did not tell us what we were "supposed to do". I.e., he would stop and say there were too many chairs, our response, how many can we have on the site? No answer, he'd redirect to another area. He'd say there were too many coolers, well we'd ask, how many coolers. He'd give us jerk-off responses like "use common sense" - by the way we had 6 coolers - just so you are aware we didn't have 50+ coolers stacked up some where. He'd say that "he shouldn't have to babysit us, but he does". Also, I wanted to point out that this wasn't a large group of rowdy teenagers, it was my 70 year old parents, and their 4 adult kids (32-40), and their kids (1-14). We even had the obnoxious, condescending "hosts" stop by and ask us to display our "handicapped individual" for proof! Ranger Ken even asked to go into the cabin at one point to make sure we did not have more than 6 people, which we did not. After verifying that we were following all of the campground rules you'd think he'd back off but he didn't. He got even more condescending and harrassed us for even more things. We had booked this site 11 months prior and had called and asked all of the questions about use of the site and we NEVER violated any of the rules. First let me say, we camp numerous times through the year and we have the utmost respect for the rangers and the state of wisconsin parks. I will be totally honest, we've been loud and rowdy on trips before after 11 pm quiet time and on a few occassions the rangers (at other state parks), would stop by and do their job to tell us to quiet down, but they did it respectfully. RANGER KEN, was so rude and obnoxious that we had other campers in the area asking us what was going on on our site. It is very unfortunately that one sad, unhappy individual ruined the last camping trip my mother will take. I am posting this review to warn other families so that they may not have the same harrassment that we have. This post in no way is meant to be a negative reflection of the amazing generiosity of the Friends of Kohler who build the wonderful handicapped cabin that allowed my mother to camp once more. I only want to warn those large families out there, like ours, who may be searching for a campground to camp alongside a handicapped individual using the cabin, that this park is NOT the park for you. If it is a small group of 6 camping and you plan on all staying in the cabin than please do not let my post discourage you, the cabin was a wonderful asset to my mother who had limited mobility and needs assistance walking as well as a hospital bed. The cabin is outfitted wonderfully to provide an amazing camping experience for a handicapped individual.