Big Foot Beach State Park in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is a favorite place for a weekend get-a-way for people from both Milwaukee and Chicago. About 1 hr drive from Milwaukee downtown and 2 hrs from Chicago Union Station, Lake Geneva has been a choice for varied tastes of enthusiasts. Whether it is adventurous water sports you prefer or a quiet relaxing day admiring natural beauty of the lake and doing barbeque Big Foot Beach state park, Lake Geneva is the place to go. You can go there for camping, have fun enjoying water sports or simply playing volley ball, Barbeque, Fishing and enjoying the natural beauty of Lake Geneva. It really depends on what do you want to do. This place caters to the needs of almost all. One more interesting aspect to visit this in long weekend is you are sure to get a parking spot and a spot for barbeque which is very difficult if you go to Lake Geneva Bay area. Some amazing pictures of Big Foot Beach and State Park can be seen here for better visual idea.

Big Foot Beach and State park is a 271 acre park on the shore of Lake Geneva. It offers plenty of picnic areas, a sand beach, and campsites.

Big Foot Beach State Park - For Picnic

Address: 1550 Lakeshore Dr, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. The park entrance is at 1550 S. Lake Shore Drive, two miles south of the city of Lake Geneva.

Tables: Around 250 but distribute across 40 acres and are limited around the Lake view area.

Sports: Volley Ball and Horseshoe courts. Volley balls and Horse shoes are loaned free of charge at the office.

Barbeque: Bringing own equipment is recommended as very few charcoal grills.

Parking: $7 for WI residents and $10 for non residents for whole day. Resident or Non-resident is decided based on the license plate. It does not matter if you have license plate of IL and if you have passengers from both WI and IL. You will be considered non- residents. It is valid for multiple entries for the day.

Toilets: Near Beach, has flush toilet and sinks.

Pets: Allowed only in designated areas.

Fishing: Fishing is allowed at Ceylon Lagoon. You can reel them in from the pier. There are two bridges on the lagoon bank. Fishing equipment is loaned free of charge at the office. A fishing license is required if you are 16 and over and fishing. For more on fishing license search wildlife license.

It is advisable to reach there early, especially on long weekends in summer as it gets crowded pretty soon.

Sunset view is amazing on a clear day at the picnicking area facing the lake. Lake Geneva Bay is also nearby.

Big Foot Beach- For enjoying Beach activities and Water Sports

Just across the road of the state park is the Beach. A 100-foot swimming area is about a 10 minute walk and across Highway 120 from the campground. The beach is small sandy and stony area and the water is reasonably clean and deep along the shore so you can enjoy swimming without going much into the lake. This is great for beginners.

Boat rentals are not available but you can bring your own boat or canoe. You can come to this area taking the cruise from Lake Geneva Bay. You also get a chance to see the multi million dollars houses and a brief stop at the trails when you take the cruise. The view is very scenic at sunset. Alcoholic beverage is prohibited at the beach.

Big Foot Beach State Park- For Camping near the Lake

If you have enough time especially during a long weekend you can reserve the campsite and spend the night camping and then can head towards the trail or the beach during the day

How to Reserve: call 888-947-2757

Number and type of Sites: 100 campsites. Tent and RV sites.

Facilities: Showers and Pit toilets.

Parking: Available near the campsite as well as near picnicking area.

Trails: 5.5 miles of trails in forest and open meadows. Hiking along the Water tower Marina is great fun Self guided trails and none are very steep or treacherous. If you like skiing, you're in luck; Grand Geneva is near Big Foot Beach State Park; do take a hike on the Leather Leaf Bog Trail. Maps available at office.

Other things to do:

The Lake Geneva Hillmoor Golf Club is also nearby. Lake Geneva Bay is also not far. You can rent speed boats there, do water skiing etc.

Other useful information: Sites are not very far from each other. If you want more privacy this is not a place for you. However, you can consider it moderately private. Recreational vehicle sites have a gravel pad, fire ring and picnic table. There are a sewage dump station and 14 sites with electrical hookups. There are no water hookups. At tent sites you might not park your vehicle next to the tent. Your vehicle might be a short walk from your tent (30-100 feet). Each tent site has a fire ring and picnic table. Firewood is for sale most evenings around 6 p.m. Firewood purchased more than 25 miles away are not allowed from June 1, 2010.
The campsites are inside the state park. They are not on the lake as such. The lake is about 10 minutes walk away.Call Manager at (262) 248-2528 for more information.

You should definitely visit Big Foot Beach State Park in your next visit to Lake Geneva. Wish you loads of fun.