Lakefront Benches Facing the Milwaukee Skyline at Night

Milwaukee sits on the western shore of Lake Michigan, the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States. The lake covers about 22,300 square miles and reaches depths near 925 feet, ranking second among the five Great Lakes by volume. Riprap and paved paths like this one run along much of Milwaukee's lakefront, part of a long-running effort to control erosion while keeping the shoreline open to the public. The downtown skyline across the water grew up largely in the 20th century as Milwaukee developed into a shipping and manufacturing center on the lake.

Taken December 2023