Harrington Beach State Park

I think Harrington Beach State Park is the first state park that I’ve visited more than once. Not that I wouldn’t have gone there again, but the main reason I went a second time is that I lost (or, at least, can’t find) the pictures I took there the first time.

Yeah, shame on me.

On both trips, we took a brief look at the actual beach.

But that’s about all the two visits had in common. What I really wanted to see on this latest excursion was the Quarry Lake.

I wasn’t disappointed in what I found there.

Quarry Lake at Harrington Beach State Park

If you approach the lake area from the east (which seems to be the “main entrance”, so to speak), there’s a sign that directs you in the right…direction.

We think the double benches are there for the crowds(?) that sometimes wait for the park shuttle bus to pick them up and take them back to the camping area.

Along the way on the short walk from the service road to the lake itself, there is a nicely-done “bulletin board” showing pictures and information about the quarry and the limestone that was mined from it.

When you get to the lake, one of the first signs you see is a warning.

This won’t be the last time to see one of these signs.

We randomly decided to walk counterclockwise around the lake. Here is what the water looked like at various stages of our journey.

The path itself is one of the nicest we’ve walked along to date. It’s gravelly, wide, flat, and solid.

There’s a mini waterfall on the north edge of the quarry lake. You can see it in the distance here (and maybe in a couple of the photos above too). You can hear the water falling from fairly far away.

This is a stream, of sorts, that feeds the lake via that waterfall. The water washes over this rock (limestone?) before falling into the lake below.

There are a number of informational plaques along the trails of Harrington Beach. This one you had to work a bit to find. It’s off the main trail down at the edge of the lake. There’s no warning sign nearby, but I think there was a life preserver (seriously).

There are many benches along the trails too. Some are in better condition than others. Most have a dedication plaque attached, similar to this one that was down near the “dinner bell” sign.

Near the end (or beginning, if you go clockwise) of the loop around the lake is this bridge.

There used to be some other structure in this area. I can’t quite decide what it was.

I didn’t see any trees fallen over the trails, but these two were interesting enough for me to take their pictures.

Structures Old and New at Harrington Beach

Along the service road are some remnants of the “company store” and “company town” that folks used to use in this area. All that’s left today are bits of the foundations of these buildings.

Newer structures are this shelter and some of the (very) many picnic tables strewn throughout the park.

Later, we saw dozens of children from a YMCA using the shelter area. So, I guess it does get reserved from time to time.

The welcome center wasn’t very welcoming on either trip we’ve made to Harrington Beach. It was closed both times.

I’m not sure what to say about this structure. Presumably the shape of the beach nearby has changed over time.

Back in the parking lot area, there is a brand new playground. It looks like a lot of fun for kids, but there weren’t any in the park (as far as I know) to prove this thought on this day.

As we got ready to leave Harrington Beach State Park, we spotted this blue jay who posed nicely for a couple of shots.

Harrington Beach is nicely kept up. You will appreciate your time there, even if you only spend a short time on the sandy beach itself, like we did.

Our hiking day wasn’t done though. From Harrington Beach, we headed north for about 15 minutes to Kohler-Andrae State Park.