Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach
Minneapolis, Minnesota · on Bde Maka Ska · Lake Calhoun
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Yes, see below
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach
32nd Street Beach is one of three official public swimming beaches on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun), Minneapolis's largest lake and an easy in-city lake to swim in, managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. It sits on the lake's east side within the Chain of Lakes park system and offers a marked, sandy swim area open daily 6am to 10pm. It is a straightforward urban swimming hole, though unlike some other MPRB beaches it has no lifeguard on duty.
Bde Maka Ska is a 424-acre urban lake in south Minneapolis, part of the Chain of Lakes system connected by channels to Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake, and Lake Harriet. The shoreline is ringed by a 3.4-mile paved bike path and 3.2-mile pedestrian path, with 32nd Street Beach located on the lake's east side near the Bde Maka Ska Pavilion, which houses a concession/eatery and boat rental operation.
Swimming at Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach
The beach has a designated, buoy-marked swim zone in the lake, described by the Park Board as a sandy urban beach suited to casual swimming and wading; children under 8 must be supervised by an adult, and there is no lifeguard on duty at this particular beach (lifeguards are stationed instead at nearby Thomas Beach on the same lake during summer). Water quality is actively monitored weekly for E. coli bacteria and blue-green algae, with the Park Board posting closures when thresholds are exceeded.
How to get to this swimming hole
The beach is located at 3200 E Bde Maka Ska Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55408, on the east side of the lake; a pay parking lot serves the beach directly.
Parking: Pay parking lot on-site at the beach (per MPRB page); the Thomas Beach lot at the same lake is noted to close overnight and in winter weather.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Drive-up urban beach; a paved lakeshore bike (3.4 mi) and pedestrian (3.2 mi) path loop the lake if visitors want to walk in from elsewhere, but that is optional, not required to reach the water.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sandy, buoy-marked swim zone typical of an urban lake beach; MPRB rules require an adult to accompany children under 8 and require swim diapers for non-toilet-trained kids. However, 32nd Street Beach specifically has no lifeguard on duty (unlike Thomas Beach on the same lake, per prior verified sourcing), so supervision is on the family, not park staff.
Parking
Paid
A pay parking lot sits directly at the beach address (3200 E Bde Maka Ska Parkway); MPRB directs visitors to pay via the MPLSParking or Flowbird app, but no per-hour/day rate is published on the park pages checked. The separate Thomas Beach lot on the same lake is gated overnight and in winter weather, but that is not the 32nd Street Beach lot.
Hours
Beach open 6am-10pm daily (posted MPRB ordinance).
On the water
Restrictions: No inflatable air mattresses/inner tubes/inflated articles in the marked swim area except Coast Guard-approved life jackets; foam noodles and Nerf-type balls are allowed. The on-site rental fleet (Wheel Fun Rentals) is entirely non-motorized (kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, SUPs) - no motorboat rentals were found, and no source confirming rules for privately-owned motorized watercraft on Bde Maka Ska was located in this pass.
Bde Maka Ska is part of Minneapolis's Chain of Lakes and is used for canoeing, kayaking, sailing, and windsurfing per general lake info gathered previously; boat launch/rental access is via the Bde Maka Ska Pavilion, near 32nd Street Beach.
Rentals nearby
Single kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, single pedal boat (plus bikes/surreys on land)
Prices: Single kayak $15/hr; SUP $22/hr; canoe $25/hr; single pedal boat $28/hr (plus tax); renter must be 18+ with valid photo ID; 2nd-hour-free and 50%-off annual pass promotions advertised
3000 E Bde Maka Ska Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55408 - at the Bde Maka Ska Pavilion, roughly 0.1-0.2 mi from 32nd Street Beach along the same shoreline. · Seasonal: Jul 20-Aug 16 Mon-Fri 9am-8:30pm, Sat/Sun 8am-8:30pm; Aug 17-Sep 7 Mon-Fri 12pm-8pm, Sat/Sun 10am-8pm; Sep 8-Sep 27 Mon-Fri 2pm-7pm, Sat/Sun 10am-7pm; closed late Sep through April. Last rental departs 1 hour before close, weather-dependent.
Backstory
The lake was known to the Dakota as Bde Maka Ska ('Lake White Earth'); it was renamed Lake Calhoun by U.S. surveyors in 1817 after Secretary of War John C. Calhoun, and the name was officially restored to Bde Maka Ska in 2018 following years of controversy over Calhoun's pro-slavery record.
Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach: FAQ
Does Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach charge a fee?
No swimming admission fee found; parking is pay parking (rate not specified on the source page).
Is Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach kid friendly?
Sandy, buoy-marked swim zone typical of an urban lake beach; MPRB rules require an adult to accompany children under 8 and require swim diapers for non-toilet-trained kids. However, 32nd Street Beach specifically has no lifeguard on duty (unlike Thomas Beach on the same lake, per prior verified sourcing), so supervision is on the family, not park staff.
Do I need to hike to reach Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach?
A pay parking lot sits directly at the beach address (3200 E Bde Maka Ska Parkway); MPRB directs visitors to pay via the MPLSParking or Flowbird app, but no per-hour/day rate is published on the park pages checked. The separate Thomas Beach lot on the same lake is gated overnight and in winter weather, but that is not the 32nd Street Beach lot.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach?
Bde Maka Ska is part of Minneapolis's Chain of Lakes and is used for canoeing, kayaking, sailing, and windsurfing per general lake info gathered previously; boat launch/rental access is via the Bde Maka Ska Pavilion, near 32nd Street Beach.
What are the rules at Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach?
MPRB rules: swim only within marked areas; adult must accompany children under 8; no inflatable flotation devices except Coast Guard-approved life jackets; swim diapers required for non-toilet-trained children; no swimming when air temperature is 65F or colder; no glass containers; no swimming or gathering on beaches between 10pm and 6am; no lifeguard on duty at 32nd Street Beach specifically.
What water body is Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach on?
Bde Maka Ska 32nd Street Beach is on Bde Maka Ska, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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