Public Beach in Fontana Wisconsin - a Review

I can recall several weekend trips from my childhood that involved "day trips" to my Aunt's home in Fontana, Wisconsin. Part of the weekend entertainment involved walking down to the Fontana beach for an afternoon of swimming and sandcastles. This west end of Geneva Lake was and has always been a beehive of activity when it comes to water sports, social gatherings, and even family picnics. I recently took a Sunday drive with the family to this popular destination and spent the day at the beach. A trip down memory lane warranted a review of this popular summertime retreat for Wisconsin and Illinois travelers alike.

Price

Aside from the costly fill of the gas tank, a day at the Fontana beach will cost seven dollars for adults and three dollars for children between the ages of six and eleven. Children that are five years old and younger are admitted free. Extra money should be considered if the beach visitor plans on on purchasing concessions which are available at the check in location.

Beach

The beach is bordered by fence in all directions so there is only one access point into the park. Upon payment of admission, the staff will provide you with a temporary neon green bracelet that allows access in and out of the beach just in case one needs to run out to the car or next to the marina for lunch. Also consider bringing food and beverages to the beach to save money. The village of Fontana beach allows items to be brought in as long as there is no alcohol or glass in the coolers. If planning on barbecuing during the day, there is an adjacent park that has grills available.

The sand conditions at this beach are average. I may be unfair in this comparison as I am accustomed to pristine ocean beach conditions in the Carolinas. This lake beach sand includes many tiny pebbles and rocks. The sand is nice and flat allows for easy walking upon entrance to the beach. There is even a large sand hill the little ones can play "king of the mountain". There were select pockets in certain areas of the beach that unfortunately had sporadic seagull droppings which we successfully avoided.

Lake

The designated swimming area of Geneva Lake is bordered by a floating rope of frequent buoys which served nicely for keeping my kids contained. The lake bottom conditions are great with relatively smooth walking from ankle to shoulder deep water. To the south of the beach there is a segment of pier that the more experienced swimmers can climb onto and jump off into deeper waters. The very outside of the swimming area is bordered by a network of buoys to keep the high speed boaters away from the swimmers. In addition, there are two lifeguards on duty with a third guard that occasionally walks up and down the shoreline.

Parking

If planning on coming out to the beach for the day, consider arriving early if you want a decent parking spot next to marina and beach. There are numbered parking stalls that allow you to pay at self service pay stations. The parking rate is one dollar per hour. This parking area fills up fast, though there is additional parking down the road past the Abbey resort.

Overall Opinion

This day trip to Fontana beach ranked high with the family and was considered one of the best family outings this summer. Everyone enjoyed a dip in the Geneva Lake in addition to building sandcastles, throwing the football, and downing munchies right on the water. I highly recommend bringing the family, some sun block and a large wheeled cooler full of goodies for an inexpensive day of fun that a local community pool will not match.