FREQUENTLY ASKED questions

what are the beach hours?

The beach is open dawn to 11:00 p.m.

How do I find out about beach condtions?

For information on beach conditions:
Wisconsin Beach Health Website – search for advisories for Great Lakes beaches.
Algoma Beach Camera – live images of Lake Michigan from the Visitor Center.
National Weather Service Great Lakes Beach Hazards – Contains beach forecast information including daily swim risk based on threat of high waves and dangerous currents.

How does the flag system for beach alerts work?

The flag system alerts beach visitors to the presence of E. coli bacteria in the water, which can be an indicator of conditions that may cause illness. A green flag means the water is safe for swimming. A yellow flag means that the beach water contains higher than normal amounts of E. Coli and that caution should be used when swimming. A red flag means that the beach is closed due to high E. Coli levels that could carry disease. Swimmers do so at their own risk. Caution should always be used after rain events. Signs at the beach explain the flag system and provide advice on healthy beach practices. Regardless of the flag color, the beach, boardwalk, and bluff areas always remain open and are safe to visit.

Are dogs allowed on the beach?

Leashed dogs are allowed on the boardwalk year round. Leashed dogs are allowed on the beach from October 1st through May 1st.

are there life guards at the beach?

No, there are no life guards. Swimming is at your own risk.

IS THERE PARKING?

There is a parking lot on the north end of the beach and plenty of street parking along the entire length of the beach on Lake Street/Highway 42.

IS THE BEACH ADA ACCESSIBLE?

The boardwalk is ADA accessible at the parking lot on the north end and at the Visitor Center on the south end. At approximately the midpoint, the boardwalk has a ramped section that extends to the shoreline.

ARE THERE BATHROOMS AND CHANGING ROOMS AT THE BEACH?

There is a bathroom at the Visitor Center at the south end of the boardwalk and a portable toilet and single occupancy changing room at the north end of the boardwalk. Additional bathrooms are located adjacent to the Algoma Harbor parking lot approximately a block from the beach to the north.

are there other rules i should know about?

The boardwalk is pedestrian only. No bicycles, skateboards, roller skates or rollerblades are allowed on the boardwalk. There are bike racks at both ends of the boardwalk and on the grassy bluff above the beach.

from 1898 to the present

beach history

Generations of Algoma residents owe their access to beautiful Crescent Beach to the foresight of Edward Decker.  In 1898 Decker purchased the three-quarter mile strip of land along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the heart of Algoma from the heirs of C.G. Boalt in order to preserve it in tact for future use.  A newspaper article at the time was prophetic in describing the acquisition as “one of the most important real estate deals that has taken place in Algoma for a number of years and one which may ultimately result greatly to the advantage of the city”.  The City of Algoma purchased the property from Decker and began developing it as a park in 1910.  

Crescent Beach usage has changed over the years.  In the 1920’s free campsites were developed and the name “Campsite Beach” was used.  In the 1930’s an 18-hole miniature golf course was built adjacent to the beach to the south.  In 1935 through President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Work Progress Administration (WPA) the stairways and paths at the south end of the beach were built and can still be seen today.  Stone mosaic work at the top of the stairs reads “19 WPS 39” and the bottom of the stairs displays a 48 star U.S. flag mosaic.

In the 1990’s a Visitor Center and half-mile long boardwalk with lighting, bench seating and stairways to the beach were funded by donations and built by volunteer labor.  That popular improvement to the beach is enjoyed by thousands of people each year.

In 2012 an Algoma Fire and Rescue Monument was built on the bluff at the south end of the beach.  About 300 names of the men and women who have voluntarily given their time to keep Algoma safe since 1874 are engraved on the granite walls.  

Records indicate that the beach has always been known as Crescent Beach.  The name likely refers to the shape of the beach and its similarity to the crescent shape of the new moon.

Boardwalk HIstory

ALGOMA’S COMMUNITY TREASURE

A little inspiration from the coastlines from the other side of Lake Michigan led to one of Algoma’s most iconic and well-used attractions. Learn more about the history of the project and the individuals who helped make the boardwalk happen.