A rare dune ecosystem and 2.5 miles of beach are hiding in plain sight south of Sheboygan

It’s bigger and wilder than you’d expect

Sheboygan County doesn’t get the same attention as Door Peninsula or the Wisconsin Dells, but south of the city, nearly 1,000 acres of sand dunes, pine forest, wetlands and golden beach run along the Lake Michigan shore.

Kohler-Andrae State Park protects one of the last stretches of natural coastline left on this side of the lake.

Two and a half miles of beach, a rare dune ecosystem, more than 150 bird species, and a trail that feels like walking on another planet. You haven’t heard much about this place yet.

That’s about to change.

Two families, two donations, one park

The park you walk into today started with a couple named Terry and Elsbeth Andrae. They built a lakeside home here, hired forestry consultants, and worked to bring the sandy land back to life.

When Terry died in 1927, Elsbeth donated all 122 acres to Wisconsin in his memory. The park opened in 1928.

Nearly four decades later, the Kohler Company added 280 acres just to the north as a memorial to company founder John Michael Kohler.

The state kept buying land after that, and the total eventually climbed to just under 1,000 acres.

Walk the cordwalk through the living dunes

The Dunes Cordwalk is a wooden plank trail pinned directly into the sand, running parallel to the shoreline.

The north section covers half a mile, and the south section stretches 1.5 miles through the Kohler Park Dunes State Natural Area.

You move through active sand dunes, sheltered dune valleys, and a dry white pine forest that opens up at the ridgeline with long views across Lake Michigan. Stay on the planks.

The vegetation holding these dunes together is fragile, and the whole system depends on it surviving foot traffic.

One of Wisconsin’s rarest ecosystems lives here

The interdunal wetlands at Kohler-Andrae form only when the right combination of sand dunes and water conditions line up, and this park has one of Wisconsin’s largest areas of them.

State officials designated the Kohler Park Dunes State Natural Area in 1969 to protect the habitat.

Three plant species found here sit on Wisconsin’s threatened list: clustered broomrape, dune goldenrod, and dune thistle. Across the entire park, more than 400 plant species grow, including over 50 tree species.

Every plant in the park is protected, though you’re welcome to pick edible fruits and nuts.

Two and a half miles of sand along the Great Lakes

People who visit for the first time often say the beach looks more like the Atlantic coast than a freshwater lake.

Sand dunes back the shoreline, and the beach runs 2.5 miles without a boardwalk, a hotel strip, or a row of umbrellas for rent. Swimming is free, though there are no lifeguards on duty.

A bathhouse and restrooms sit near the beach areas.

Two beach wheelchairs are available for free checkout, so anyone with mobility challenges can get out on the sand without leaving their group behind.

Trails for walkers, wheelchairs and everyone in between

Four trails branch through the park and each one covers different ground.

The Creeping Juniper Nature Trail is a half-mile loop starting at the Sanderling Nature Center, with signs explaining the plant life and geology as you walk.

The Woodland Dunes Trail runs a mile through forested dunes, with a quarter-mile section paved in crushed limestone for wheelchair and stroller access.

The Marsh Trail connects the boardwalk to the accessible cabin along a half-mile crushed limestone path. The Fishing Pond Trail is a flat, 0.3-mile loop with benches, good for watching waterfowl.

Spot herons and deer on the boardwalk

A quarter-mile accessible boardwalk leaves from near the campground and cuts through wetland along the Black River. Interpretive signs explain how these wetland systems work and why they matter.

This is one of the best birding spots in the park. Ducks, great blue herons, rails, bitterns, and marsh wrens all pass through.

Walk quietly and you’ll also find white-tailed deer, red foxes, and muskrats working the edges of the marsh.

Leashed pets are allowed on this trail, so you can bring the dog without leaving the best wildlife corridor in the park.

150 bird species stop here on their way through

The park sits on an official stop of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail, and the Lake Michigan shoreline runs like a highway for migrating birds. About 150 species have turned up here.

Spring and fall are the peak seasons, when diving ducks, hawks, and shorebirds like whimbrels and willets move through in numbers.

In the woods, vireos, thrushes, warblers, sparrows, and woodpeckers work through the trees. Your two best spots are the Black River Marsh and the dune areas.

Bring binoculars and give yourself a morning.

The nature center has a rooftop view of the lake

The Sanderling Nature Center sits at the north end of the park, surrounded by the dunes natural area.

Inside, you’ll find exhibits on local plants, animals, and Great Lakes natural history, plus interactive kiosks and an eight-minute film about the park.

The rooftop observation deck looks out over Lake Michigan and gives you a clear view of passing vessels and waterfowl.

The center runs May through September, Monday through Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A gift shop supports park improvements through the Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park.

Camp year-round, even in the snow

The campground has 137 family sites, 52 of them with electrical hookups, plus two group sites and an accessible cabin. Each site comes with a fire ring and picnic table and holds up to six people.

During warm months, the campground has showers, flush toilets, and laundry facilities. When winter arrives, select sites stay plowed for cold-weather camping.

You can book ahead through the Wisconsin state park reservation system online.

If you want a beachside campground on Lake Michigan without driving to Michigan, this is the closest thing Wisconsin has to offer.

Cross-country ski and snowshoe through the dunes

Lake Michigan winters hit hard here, and the park leans into it.

A groomed cross-country ski trail winds through the picnic area, the southern campground, and connects into the Woodland Dunes section.

A separate one-mile snowshoe trail starts at the amphitheater and loops through the wooded campground area. The two systems don’t mix, so snowshoes stay off the groomed ski tracks and skiers have clean lines.

Between runs, a walk along the winter beach puts you on two miles of open shoreline where the only footprints in the snow might be your own.

Horses, mountain bikes and songbirds on the far trail

Most visitors head straight for the beach, which means the Black River Trail stays quiet. It runs 2.5 miles through the northwest corner of the park, starting on South 12th Street.

The grass path moves through open fields, patches of woodland, and stretches of evergreen forest.

It’s one of two trails in the park that allows horses and mountain bikes, which makes it a different experience than the dune and beach corridors.

The open fields draw songbirds and seasonal wildflowers, and the pace out here is slower. If you want the park without the crowd, this is where to go.

Visit Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan, Wisconsin

You’ll find the park at 1020 Beach Park Lane in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

It’s open every day of the year from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Entry requires a Wisconsin vehicle admission sticker, which you can buy at the park or through the Wisconsin DNR’s official website.

The sticker covers you for the whole day, and you can use it at other state parks too. Plan for at least half a day if you want the beach and the cordwalk.

Give yourself a full day if you’re camping or birding.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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