Rawley Point Trail
Rawley Point Trail is a short, charming path that meanders through Point Beach State Forest and connects to Two Rivers. It begins at the state forest lodge, traveling south through scenic forested dunes and ridges for 5 miles. After leaving the state forest, the trail continues south to Neshotah Park. The forest is tranquil, and the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan greet trail-goers at each trailhead.
The surface of the 6.6-mile Rawley Point Trail is hard-packed limestone, in good condition. Most of the route passes over ridges and swales of inland sand dunes, covered with trees and unique coastal vegetation. The path has gently rolling hills and a few sharp turns. Some segments see heavy traffic. Nonetheless, it is an excellent trail for a family bicycle ride.
Rawley Point Trail offers a variety of scenic views. Cyclists are treated to amazing panoramic vistas of Lake Michigan’s seascape. The gentle roar of the waves, with views of vast sandy beaches and rising dunes beyond, can be hypnotizing. And deep in the shady forest the landscape is just as picturesque, with woods of cedar, hemlock, and pine.
Point Beach State Forest is the setting for 5.2 miles of the Rawley Point Trail. With 3,000 acres jutting into Lake Michigan, the state forest offers camping, swimming, and boating. There are trails for bikers, hikers, and horseback riders. A concession stand in the lodge sells snacks, ice cream, and full meals. A small nature center is attached to the lodge. A popular feature is the Rawley Point Lighthouse, run by the U.S. Coast Guard since 1853.
Featuring unique topography, Point Beach State Forest sits on alternating sand ridges and swales formed by the varying shoreline of an ancient, glacial body of water. Lake Nipissing covered an area that now includes Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, and Lake Michigan. The ridges and swales were formed over thousands of years, and are now home to diverse and distinct flora. Closer to the shoreline are white pine, hemlock, and white cedar. Further back are stands of birch, popular, and oak.
A variety of wildlife make their homes in Point Beach State Forest. White-tailed deer, porcupine, raccoons, and other mammals may be spotted. The state forest is home to snakes, frogs, and amphibians. It is a great place for bird watchers, who might see worm-eating warblers, yellow-breasted chats, or blackburnian warblers. Gulls and raptors also are seen throughout the state property.
The human history of Point Beach State Forest land goes back to ancient times. The earliest North American Indians from this region lived here during the Copper Culture Age. Native American tribes who made this region their home in more recent times include the Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi, Miami, Fox, and Sauk tribes. In the 1830s, local Native American tribes ceded their land to the U.S. government for reservation status elsewhere.
Migrating from Ohio, Peter Rowley was one of the first white Americans here. He came in 1835 and traded with Native Americans, calling the area “Mink River.” In 1841, surveyors renamed it Rowley Point, adjusted several years later to Rawley Point. The 1850s saw more settlement by white Americans and European immigrants. Tanneries were booming because of the hemlock growing here, as its bark was a key ingredient in tanning leather. Commercial fishing was another main industry.
The Rawley Point Lighthouse dates to 1853. It was a temporary structure of four poles, 75 feet high, with a lantern hoisted to the top. In 1873 a second lighthouse was constructed of wood, demolished, and then rebuilt in brick. It served mariners until 1894, when a new steel tower was installed. Today this 113-foot lighthouse is a popular attraction. Viewing must be done from a distance, as the lighthouse is private property owned by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Before the new lighthouse was built, 26 ships foundered or stranded off Rawley Point. They included 20 schooners, a barge, two steamers, and three brigs. Perhaps the most tragic sinking occurred in 1887, when the steamship Vernon went down in heavy seas. At the time, it was one of the largest steamers on the Great Lakes, and its sinking took 36 crew members and passengers to their deaths.
Another well-known shipwreck is of the schooner Rouse Simmons, also known as the Christmas Tree Ship. It was shipwrecked near Two Rivers in 1912. Each year, the schooner transported Christmas trees from northern Wisconsin to Chicago. Spotted in Kewaunee with distress flags flying during a storm, the ship then disappeared. The only trace was some pine trees that washed ashore at Two Rivers; all mariners on the ship perished. In 1971 when the wreck was discovered by a diver, the schooner still held hundreds of trees.
Returning to Rawley Point Trail in Point Beach State Forest, the path was opened to the public in 2004. A vehicle admission sticker must be purchased to use the trail. For Wisconsin residents, a day pass is $13, and a 12-month pass costs $28. Admission stickers may be bought from the Wisconsin DNR at the state forest headquarters, online, or at other state forests and parks. Point Beach State Forest is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The entrance to Point Beach State Forest is on County Highway O, four miles north of Two Rivers. From the entrance, drive nearly a mile north to Point Beach Lodge. This is where Rawley Point Trail begins. Before starting the trail, visitors may want to park at the ranger station and take a short walk to view Rawley Point Lighthouse. The road to the lodge also passes the campground, and beach access parking is found along the way.
Point Beach Lodge has a large parking lot with beach access. Restrooms, a nature center, and camp store are in the main building. A concession stand in the lodge serves a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a fish fry on Friday nights. There’s an indoor seating area, as well as picnic tables along the lake. Cedar Crest ice cream is on sale for visitors craving a cool treat. Trail-goers may want to explore the lodge and enjoy the amazing lakeside views before or after a trail ride.
On the west side of the parking lot, a large sign marks the start of the Rawley Point Trail. The trail heads west over a small wooden bridge. Less than 200 yards later, it turns south to run by an open field and playground. After another 175 yards, the path crosses a campground road. In 0.3 mile, it crosses the same road again. A half mile from this second intersection the path intersects Park Road, the main route in the state forest.
Throughout the first mile, Rawley Point Trail travels south on a sandy, wooded ridge. Long narrow ponds lie on each side. The undulating terrain is a series of swales and sandy ridges running parallel to Lake Michigan. Swales are shallow, vegetated channels of water. Hemlock, pine, and cedar trees create a shady canopy, and cool environment. This section of the trail is straight and flat, with a few small knolls.
The trail continues straight and flat another 0.6 mile after crossing Park Road. It then turns right (west), crosses a swale, and heads back south. It’s less than a mile to the next road intersection, a lane leading to the indoor group camping area. The historic Grover/Smith Cabin sits alongside the trail. The quaint log cabin was built in 1929 and restored in 2003.
From the road leading to the indoor group camping area, it’s about one mile to the bridge over Molash Creek. This gurgling creek flows east into Lake Michigan within the state forest. The indoor group camping area and rentable cabins are located at the mouth of the creek, on the shore of Lake Michigan.
Near the mouth of Molash Creek, the ship Major Anderson lies at the bottom of Lake Michigan. On October 7, 1871, strong winds and dry conditions fueled the Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fire. These fires created dense smoke which hung over Lake Michigan. The smoke and a heavy gale that night disoriented the ship’s captain, and the vessel ran aground. Orders were given to abandon ship, and the crew had to swim to shore.
Returning to the trail, this next section of Rawley Point Trail includes more hills. They continue until the path leaves the state forest. The trail occasionally travels through marshes and swales, and the route can be curvy. For less than a half mile, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail joins Rawley Point Trail.
Past Molash Creek, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail heads east along the creek, while the bike trail goes south. After 0.4 mile, the Rawley Point Trail comes to a “T.” A small sign indicates that the route turns left (east). Heading the other way leads to Scheffel’s Hideaway Campground. After 350 yards, the path crosses a bridge over a swale, and turns south.
Over the next mile, the Rawley Point Trail journeys through a lush forest of hemlock and cedars. Bridges and boardwalks carry trail-goers over wet lowlands. After turning west and climbing a hill, the landscape changes to open meadows and oak forests. A trailhead is located at the junction of County Highway O. It has a simple parking lot, with signs reminding trail-goers that an admission fee is required when entering the state forest.
Leaving Point Beach State Forest, Rawley Point Trail crosses County Highway O. The trail then turns left (south) and parallels the county road for the next 1.2 miles. The trail’s surface remains compacted limestone for 0.8 mile. At Sandy Ridge Drive, it turns to paved asphalt for the duration of the route. For a half mile the path digresses from the highway to meander through a neighborhood, before returning to its previous course.
Rawley Point Trail ends in Two Rivers near Walsh Field. A paved path, across from County Highway O (Sandy Bay Road) and next to Pierce Street, takes trail-goers south 0.4 mile into Neshotah Park. The trail ends at the Neshotah Beach House and Concession Building. Across Zlatnik Drive stands the Rotary Pavilion. Zlatnik Drive runs parallel to the shoreline, with one-way traffic going north. Several parking lots are found along this road.
Neshotah Park serves as the south trailhead for the Rawley Point Trail. Bicyclists may want to continue on city streets to the Mariners Trail. This 7-mile paved trail runs along the Lake Michigan shoreline, from the south side of Two Rivers to downtown Manitowoc.
Known for its beautiful Lake Michigan beach, Neshotah Park has many amenities. The long, sandy beach is often perfect for swimming and sunbathing. The park has playgrounds, picnic areas with tables and grills, four shelters, volleyball and basketball courts, and horseshoe pits. There is a boat launch for sea kayaks and jet skis. The Beach House provides restrooms and a changing area. Its concession stand sells hot dogs, pizzas, sandwiches, snacks, and ice cream novelties.
Neshotah Park is easy to access by car. From Wisconsin State Highway 42 (Washington Street) in Two Rivers, turn east on 17th Street. Drive a half mile over the East Twin River to Zlatnik Drive. Then turn left (north) and 200 yards into the park. Continue 350 yards to the parking lot across from the Neshotah Beach House and Concession Building.
The origin of Two Rivers goes back to 1848, when the community emerged as a fishing center at the confluence of the East Twin and West Twin Rivers. Today, the Washington House here claims to be the originator of the ice cream sundae. Visitors may tour the historic building and enjoy a tasty Cedar Crest ice cream sundae. The city also offers other restaurants, cafes and fast food for visitors.
Map of trailheads and addresses along this section of the trail.
Two museums in Two Rivers highlight the city’s history. Rogers Street Fishing Village and Great Lakes Coast Guard Museum exhibit an 1886 lighthouse, shipwreck displays and artifacts, and the commercial fishing industry. Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum features the Hamilton Manufacturing Company. Founded in 1880 by James Hamilton, it was once the largest manufacturer of wood type in the U.S. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of wood type used in printing.
The Rawley Point Trail’s short, scenic path takes cyclists on a delightful journey along the forested dunes of Lake Michigan. Not many Wisconsin trails start and end at beautiful beaches, and the amenities at each trailhead only add to the experience. Point Beach State Forest and the town of Two Rivers offer plenty of opportunities for recreation and relaxation.
Trail last ridden and documented in July, 2025.