Wheelchair-Accessible Lake Michigan Cabin
Looking for a wheelchair-accessible Lake Michigan cabin? Then look no further than Point Beach State Forest (dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/pointbeach), on the western shore of Lake Michigan. Located about an hour-and-a-half north of Milwaukee, this pine and hemlock forest is home to the wheelchair accessible Coenen Cabin. And at just $60 a night this rustic cabin won’t break the bank. It’s the perfect place to get back to nature and unwind, and it’s an excellent choice for a guys fishing weekend.
Just the Basics
Billed as an indoor group cabin, the Conen Cabin is pretty basic. That said, it’s a short drive from the main campground with just one other cabin nearby. And if nobody is in that other cabin you’ll have this lovely little piece of real estate all to yourself.
There’s plenty of room to park on a level dirt space in front of the cabin, with level access up to the front door. The cabin is furnished with eight bunk beds, and can accommodate 16 people; however it’s perfectly comfortable for a couple or a small family. The bottom bunk is just 18 inches high, so it’s a good transfer height for many wheelchair-users.
The cabin also has a large table, a kitchen counter with food cabinets, and a wood burning stove for heat. There are no lights in the cabin, but there is one electrical outlet, and there are plenty of spots to hang lanterns. There’s also level access to the spacious back deck of this wheelchair-accessible Lake Michigan cabin.
There’s no running water in the cabin, but fresh water is available from the pump outside the vault toilets. The vault toilets, which are located next to the cabin feature accessible stalls with grab bars.
A large covered picnic shelter, with a charcoal grill and accessible picnic tables, sits next to the cabin; and there’s also an accessible fire ring at the end of the road. Top it off with a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk that leads out to a Lake Michigan overlook, and you have all your bases covered as far as basic needs are concerned. And you just can’t beat the location.
Campground Facilities
Since this wheelchair-accessible Lake Michigan cabin lacks water, it also lacks a shower. That said, there are some just down the road in the main campground. The most accessible choice is the private accessible shower room near campsite 31. You need to get a key from the camp office to access it, but it has a full five-foot turning radius and is equipped with a 36-inch wide roll-in shower with grab bars, a fold-down shower bench and a hand-held showerhead. There’s also a toilet in the shower room, with grab bars on the back and left walls (as seated), as well as a roll-under sink.
Another accessible shower room is located next to campsite 119. This one does not require a key, and it has all the features of the other shower room, except that the shower is 29-inches wide.
Be sure and stop by the Nature Center while you’re in the campground. There’s accessible parking in front, with level access to the front door. Inside there are a number of interpretive exhibits, as well as naturalist programs on the weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day. There is also an accessible lakeside picnic area outside.
Don’t miss the Rawley Point Lighthouse on your way out. Billed as one of the largest and brightest lighthouses on the Great Lakes, the light sits on a tower that rises 113 feet above the lake surface. Before it was erected, some 26 ships were stranded on the point. A picnic area with two accessible tables and an accessible vault toilet is located nearby. It’s a nice place for a picnic lunch, with a good view of the lighthouse, and a perfect addition to a rustic Lake Michigan getaway.
