TOWN OF GRAFTON, Wis. — A fence and a trail camera now prevent neighbors from walking up the Lake Michigan shoreline from Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve to Port Washington.
The fence sits at the property line at the northern end of the Ozaukee County nature preserve, a few miles south of Port Washington in the Town of Grafton.
Beachgoer Erwin Bukin said he used to lead his hiking club on the shoreline trek, a walk that is no longer possible.
"They absolutely shouldn't climb his cliff, but walking on the beach, on the sand... It should be (a public good)," Bukin said. "It's a wonderful experience, wonderful really."
Bukin said he understands property rights but questioned why shoreline access is being restricted.
"I own a home," Bukin said. "I enjoy my property rights. But if people are enjoying the beach and you are separated from the beach by this huge cliff, why is it upsetting?"
Watch: Neighbors react after new fence on an Ozaukee beach raises questions about who has the right to walk the shoreline
Other neighbors see both sides of the issue. Beachgoer Lorie McLellan said she sympathizes with those who want to walk the beach, but also understands why property owners may object.
"I feel someone should be able to walk on the beach, but as a property owner, I wouldn't want parties out there, garbage left on my beach, campfires, and all that kind of stuff," McLellan said.
Wisconsin's laws governing beach use go back decades and differ from those of other Great Lakes states, according to the Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department.
Under existing legal precedent, a person is not trespassing if they keep their feet wet. The county's orange signs along the shoreline encourage beachgoers to respect private property.
Ozaukee County is also developing a new public beach access point at Clay Bluffs, a nature preserve approximately a mile north of Lion's Den Gorge. The two properties will be connected by the shoreline that is now blocked off.
"It's really critical for people to be able to enjoy nature," Bukin said
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