ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – With temperatures on the rise, local beaches are preparing to open for the season.
The Escanaba Municipal Beach will begin lifeguard orientation next week. According to City of Escanaba Recreation Director Kim Peterson, the plan is to welcome the public to the beach in mid-June.
“We want to get some high 70s, low 80s, get the water warmed up where people will come down and use the beach,” she said. “We have lots of beach sand this year because the water was so low. We have five lifeguards on staff, and we’re hoping for a couple more.”
Once the season has begun, the beach house will be open daily from noon to 7 p.m. It is equipped with restrooms, showers, and lifejackets, as well as a Mobi-Chair and Mobi-Mat, which allow wheelchair users to navigate the sand and access the water.
Around the beach house, the public can utilize picnic tables, benches, a playground, and a kayak launch. The staff’s one request is that visitors leave beach amenities the way they found them.
“We just ask them to take everything they brought down to the beach with them—socks and shoes and towels, food and wrappers, and all the stuff that they came down with,” Peterson said. “The beach is a huge asset for Escanaba, and we want to keep it that way.”
Anyone interested in becoming a lifeguard at the Escanaba Municipal Beach is encouraged to call the City’s HR Director at (906) 786-9402 or email applications to hr@escanaba.org. The Northern Lights YMCA offers lifeguard certification programs, and the City will reimburse the associated fees of lifeguards who work at the beach. For additional information, contact the Escanaba Recreation Department at (906) 786-4141.
