Awesome area for a walk alongside Lake Michigan. Free parking, picnic tables and indoor bathrooms…read moreare available for use. Nice sandy beach but you are a brave soul to go into the lake unless it's crazy hot, chilly water! Nice walk out to the lighthouse and views of the city from the shoreline. Worth the stop.

A small, lakeside park just north of the marina. there is an ample parking lot and a very nice…read morebathroom facility at the north end. A couple of picnic spots and a small but nice beach area. The real attraction here is the walk on the north Manitowoc jetty. On your way to the lighthouse you will come upon a water impoundment that can be rife with shore birds. A little further on is the Paws and Play dog park. Beyond is the walk to the lighthouse. If it is windy and the surf is up you might skip the lighthouse walk because you'll get wet or worse. All in all a nice area to spend a couple of hours. Bring your binoculars and snacks. On a sunny day this can be a great day in the making. On a cold, rainy day, not so much. People in Manitowoc are usually friendly. Take the time to chat, you might make a new friend.

I love this park! It has a 1.5-mile nature trail along the river with all kinds of wildlife. There…read moreis a kayak launch and a small picnic area with a Pavillion. I plan to do some fishing by the railroad tressel on the lower end of the park.

It is a great family-friendly park that has a river for kayaking and fishing. There is a playground…read morefor kids and a 1.5 nature trail for hiking. I plan on spending a lot of time here!

This park has obviously undergone some renovation. It has a nice playground for the kiddos and 3…read moredocks to fish from, one of which is a boat launch. The lake has been stocked with fish. The signs tell about the history of how the lake went from a prime fishing spot in the early 1900s to a dead lake in the 50s. The story of how it was restored to a clean, healthy lake is inspiring. I enjoy fishing here. It is a great place for a weekend picnic.

This park is a hidden little gem just west of Manitowoc. The lake used to be pretty polluted; but…read moreefforts have been made to remediate this. Now a days the lake is much cleaner. The lake is about 55 acres surrounded by 12 acres of woods and riparian habitat. This is a nice place for fishing and wildlife observation. There seems to always be yellow-rumped warblers in the wooded area. This is a quiet lake as no gasoline motors are allowed. Canoes, kayaks and paddle boards are the way to go. Efforts have been made to reduce trash fish in the lake. You can look forward to catching bass, pike, bluegills and perch. There is no size limit; and you can catch 10 fish a day. If your idea of boating is to go fast and make a lot of noise, this lake is not for you. However, if you want to quietly paddle out and catch your supper this is a fine place to do so. There are bathrooms and a rotunda for a rainy day picnic. There is a small pier for offshore fishing and a small boat ramp. If you are driving around with a canoe on your roof and a fishing pole, it would behoove you to stop here for a couple hours of quiet outdoor pleasure

Lovely, quick stop to view the lighthouse and check out the campground and property. We liked that…read morethe lots were spacious and wooded. The grounds felt rustic and were very well cared for. Good biking and hiking trails weaving through the park. Wisconsin takes good care of their forests and campgrounds

This is a beautiful state park. I hiked 2 miles on a snowy winter day. There are miles of hiking…read moreand biking trails available. There are campsites with picnic tables for a fee, some have electricity available. There is a nature center where you can learn about the local habitat. This park has Lake Michigan Beach access.

A little 2 1/2 acre park along the Manitowoc River. It has warm weather bathrooms and picnic area…read more Kind of secreted away on Mill Street. Good place to launch a canoe. Nice place to waste some time fishing from the bank. We used to catch zillions of smelt from the antique bridge. The bridge is still there; but the smelt are pretty much gone. Now days the river holds trout, salmon, northern pike, catfish and smallmouth bass, not to mention bullheads. Find this quiet little park and wet a fishhook. Take a nap...relax.

Little known gem of a park in northwest Manitowoc. Access is at the end of Sylvan Drive in a…read moreresidential area. Only a sign indicates there is a park here River Heights Park is 23.94 acres of undeveloped land over and along the Manitowoc River. Signs guide you along back yards to a trail that takes you through woods, wet areas and to the river. There are no playgrounds, equipment or bathroom facilities. Just a pleasant area along a pretty river. My kind of place. I hesitate to publicize it, because the solitude is great. Bring water, snacks and your binoculars. You will want them all. Wear sturdy shoes or boots. It can get wet.

This is one of my favorite fishing spots. I have caught several nice catfish here and a couple nice…read moredrum fish. There is a walking path that runs along the shore which the geese often use as a restroom. There is a boat launch with a pier and a kayak launch also.

Small park on the Manitowoc River used primarily for launching boats onto the river. Nice…read morefacilities. Has a paved walkway along the river leading to the nearby neighborhoods. Well maintained paved parking lot. Picnic pavilion and restrooms.

I have hiked this trail a couple of times. I go from Aurora to 10th Street and back. This is a…read morenicely marked trail and is well groomed. You can spot many birds and wildlife. I even saw a deer. I hiked this trail most recently when the fall colors were peak. It was gorgeous. If you can hike about 4 miles, I recommend this trail.

This is a beautiful Nature Center that has activities for people of ages. They have educational…read moreactivities year round. They take conservation seriously and have a great staff and lots of wonderful volunteers.

This park is a great place to walk or fish and they should add some new things it would make the…read morepark a lot better but I've been going to silver creek for awhile and it's an amazing park

The people of Manitowoc are fortunate to have many fine parks in the city. Silver Creek Park is no…read moreexception. There is a very nice disc golf course that meanders through the woods. The lighthouse hole is the hole from hell. If you overshoot the net, your frisbee could easily end up in the lake. I have fond memories of this park from when I was a kid. We used to go to the south end of the park and shoot our 22 rifles. But this is a different age, don't try to do that these days. Silver Creek has the best beaches in Manitowoc. It has areas that are wild enough to do some serious birding. I find it a bit amusing that people have stopped playing disc golf. They are now obsessed with Pokemon Go, so the park is very quiet these days. But today I picked up a bag of trash. Apparently "Swinus Americanus" (my name for litter bugs) are still present there. Red Bull cans, and broken bottles on the beach. It always mystifies me why "people" trash out places of beauty; and what kind of knuckledragger breaks glass on a beach? All that aside, this is a premier park. It is a wonderful place to spend a few peaceful hours. It is surprisingly unused, or, at least, underused. Take a picnic, lay out on the beach and, if you're brave enough, swim in the lake (brrr!). Did I mention that I saw a hooded merganser today where Silver Creek meets Lake Michigan...nice.

The biggest beach in Manitowoc. But the sand is kind of funky and the beach is between the waste…read morewater treatment plant to the north and the power plant to the south. There is no life guard and there can be rip tides at certain times. It's a sunny beach you'll share with gulls, terns and other shorebirds. I've seen people surf casting here. No bathrooms or any other facilities. Ample parking and it's open 24 hours.