Austin Park Beach and Playground
Clearlake, California · on Clear Lake · Austin Park
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Austin Park Beach and Playground
Austin Park is a 20-acre public park owned and maintained by the City of Clearlake, located at 14077 Lakeshore Drive on the eastern/southeastern shore of Clear Lake. It has an official swimming beach along with a boat ramp, kayak rentals, splash pad, and a range of recreation facilities, and it also serves as a community event venue.
The park sits directly on the shoreline of Clear Lake, California's largest natural freshwater lake, in the city of Clearlake in Lake County. Sandee.com describes the beach as running along the lake's eastern shore with a paved 10-foot-wide concrete path and memorial benches, and notes views of the surrounding foothills; the park's large open lawns are also used for community events such as outdoor Shakespeare performances and drone shows per Lake County's tourism listing.
Swimming at Austin Park Beach and Playground
This is a designated lake beach rather than a swimming hole in a river or creek: swimmers wade and swim directly off the sandy/lake shoreline. The City of Clearlake's own facility page lists lakefront and beach swimming among the park's amenities, and Lake County's tourism listing separately confirms swimming, canoeing, and kayaking here (kayaks are available for rent onsite). Sandee.com notes there is no lifeguard on duty.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located at 14077 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake, CA 95422, on the lakeshore within the city of Clearlake (per the City of Clearlake's official facility listing).
Parking: Sandee.com describes on-site parking as gravel/dirt lots that are not well-defined and lack ADA-compliant stalls, with additional street parking available nearby; the City of Clearlake's facility page also lists 'Parking' as an available amenity.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up city park beach on the shore of Clear Lake, not a hike-in swimming hole. The City of Clearlake's facility page lists on-site parking directly among the park's amenities alongside the beach, and Sandee.com's description of the (unpaved) parking lots implies they sit adjacent to the shoreline path, so the walk from a parking spot to the water is short. No source gave an exact walk time or distance, so that figure is left null rather than estimated. A separate 'walking path' amenity exists within the 20-acre park for strolling, but it is not required to reach the swim beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Austin Park is a designed, drive-up lake beach (not a cliff/quarry site), which makes it more approachable for families, but Sandee.com explicitly confirms 'this Beach does not have lifeguards monitoring the beach, please be careful when swimming.' Clear Lake is also a naturally eutrophic lake prone to seasonal cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms per Lake County's official algae-information page and Wikipedia's water-quality summary, so caution around visible scum/odor is warranted at times. The park's splash pad and playground give young kids a water option out of the open lake if algae or open-water conditions are a concern that day.
Parking
Free
Free on-site parking, but per Sandee.com the lots are gravel/dirt, not clearly striped/defined, and lack marked ADA-compliant stalls; additional free street parking is available nearby. The City of Clearlake's facility page also lists 'Parking' as an available on-site amenity.
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms are listed as an on-site amenity on the City of Clearlake's official facility page, and Sandee.com describes them as located on or adjacent to the beach and ADA-accessible (with further accessibility upgrades noted as planned).
Water clarity
Often murky
Clear Lake is a shallow, naturally eutrophic lake, Wikipedia's summary of historical water-quality surveys notes 19th-century reports of 'cloudy discolorations in the lake' and a 'peaty and rather unpleasant flavor,' and documents recurring harmful algal blooms (Microcystis, Anabaena) fed by agricultural nutrient runoff. Lake County's official algae-information page confirms these blue-green algae blooms recur seasonally in spring and late summer lake-wide. No source specifically measured clarity at Austin Park's beach itself (as opposed to the lake generally), so this rating reflects the lake's well-documented general water quality rather than a site-specific reading.
Hours
Daily, dusk to dawn, per Lake County's official tourism/parks listing (lakecounty.com). No separate seasonal hours or entrance-gate hours were found.
On the water
The City of Clearlake's official facility page and Lake County's tourism listing both confirm swimming, canoeing, and kayaking at Austin Park, and the park has its own boat ramp plus onsite kayak rentals per the same sources. No source specifies a no-wake zone, horsepower limit, or other watercraft restriction specific to the Austin Park stretch of shoreline; broader Clear Lake outfitters (see rentals below) also rent jet skis and larger power/ski boats for use elsewhere on the lake, but that is not confirmed as applying to this particular launch point.
Rentals nearby
Pontoon, ski, and fishing boats; jet skis (Wave Runners); kayaks and stand-up paddleboards
2200 Lakeshore Boulevard, Lakeport, CA 95453, on Clear Lake, but on the opposite (northwest) shore of the lake from Clearlake/Austin Park rather than immediately adjacent to it
Austin Park Beach and Playground: FAQ
Is Austin Park Beach and Playground kid friendly?
Austin Park is a designed, drive-up lake beach (not a cliff/quarry site), which makes it more approachable for families, but Sandee.com explicitly confirms 'this Beach does not have lifeguards monitoring the beach, please be careful when swimming.' Clear Lake is also a naturally eutrophic lake prone to seasonal cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms per Lake County's official algae-information page and Wikipedia's water-quality summary, so caution around visible scum/odor is warranted at times. The park's splash pad and playground give young kids a water option out of the open lake if algae or open-water conditions are a concern that day.
Do I need to hike to reach Austin Park Beach and Playground?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Austin Park Beach and Playground?
Free on-site parking, but per Sandee.com the lots are gravel/dirt, not clearly striped/defined, and lack marked ADA-compliant stalls; additional free street parking is available nearby. The City of Clearlake's facility page also lists 'Parking' as an available on-site amenity.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Austin Park Beach and Playground?
The City of Clearlake's official facility page and Lake County's tourism listing both confirm swimming, canoeing, and kayaking at Austin Park, and the park has its own boat ramp plus onsite kayak rentals per the same sources. No source specifies a no-wake zone, horsepower limit, or other watercraft restriction specific to the Austin Park stretch of shoreline; broader Clear Lake outfitters (see rentals below) also rent jet skis and larger power/ski boats for use elsewhere on the lake, but that is not confirmed as applying to this particular launch point.
What are the rules at Austin Park Beach and Playground?
Lake County's tourism listing gives park hours as daily, dusk to dawn.
What water body is Austin Park Beach and Playground on?
Austin Park Beach and Playground is on Clear Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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