Chester Woods Swimming Beach
Eyota, Minnesota
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Yes, see below
- SEASON
- Beach and beach house (with showers) are officially open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend; beach hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, with the beach house open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
About Chester Woods Swimming Beach
Chester Woods Park is an Olmsted County park near Eyota/Chester, Minnesota, built around Chester Lake, a reservoir impounding Bear Creek as part of a 1994 federal flood-control project for Rochester. The park operates an official designated swimming beach with a beach house and showers, open seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
The park sits on the headwaters of Bear Creek in southeastern Minnesota's bluff country, encompassing woodlands and restored native prairie around Chester Lake, a man-made flood-control reservoir completed in 1994 with $5 million in federal funding. Trails, picnic areas, a campground, and boat launches ring the lake in addition to the swimming beach.
Swimming at Chester Woods Swimming Beach
Swimming takes place at a designated, roped-off beach area on Chester Lake (a reservoir, not a natural lake). There is no lifeguard on duty, so swimming is at one's own risk and confined to the marked swim zone; watercraft are excluded from that roped area. This is a family-oriented, developed beach setting rather than a backcountry swimming hole.
How to get to this swimming hole
Chester Woods Park is located at 8378 Highway 14 East, Eyota, MN 55934, about 4 miles from Eyota and 1-2 miles from the small community of Chester.
The hike in
No hike is needed to reach the swimming beach itself - it is a drive-up, developed beach with an adjacent beach house/parking. The park separately maintains a large trail network (about 4.3 miles paved, roughly 15 miles of natural-surface loop trails including the named Kisrow Trail and Chester Lake Trail, plus ~7.7 miles of seasonal equestrian trail) elsewhere around Chester Lake, but none of the official pages found describe those trails as the access route to the swim beach.
Prior enrichment dossier also noted a roughly mile-long hard-surfaced trail linking the campground, boat launch, fishing pier, and picnic areas; this appears to be a park connector path rather than a required approach to the beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Designated, roped-off swim beach at a developed county park beach house, which suits families, but the county explicitly states there is no lifeguard on duty and swimming is at one's own risk, so young/weak swimmers need supervision.
Parking
Available
Official Olmsted County pages (park overview, swimming page, contact page) confirm the park has vehicle access and a beach house on-site but do not describe a specific parking lot layout or state a day-use/parking fee; none was found in any officially fetched page during this pass, so cost/type are left unconfirmed rather than assumed free or paid.
Restrooms
Yes
Beach house at the swim beach has restrooms and showers, open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily during the Memorial Day-to-Labor Day season (per Olmsted County's official swimming page).
Hours
Swimming beach: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend; beach house (restrooms/showers/rentals) open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in that same season. General park grounds open 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily year-round.
On the water
Restrictions: Gasoline motors are prohibited on Chester Lake; electric trolling motors are permitted. Watercraft of any kind are banned from the roped-off swimming area. Life jackets are required (and provided with rentals). Rental minimum age is 16.
Aquatic Invasive Species dry-cleaning stations are present at the boat launch, and long-term personal watercraft storage is available through the Friends of Chester Woods volunteer group for $150/year or $100/season.
Rentals nearby
Canoes (2-3 person), paddle boats (4 adults + 1 child), paddleboards (1 person), and kayaks (1 person); life jackets provided; cash, check, or credit accepted
Prices: $10/hour or $30/day
At the beach house next to the designated swim beach, Chester Woods Park, 8378 Highway 14 East, Eyota, MN · 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend; first-come, first-served, no reservations; minimum age 16
Rent.Fun self-service kayak kiosk
Self-service kayak rental via the Rent.Fun mobile app, including paddle and life jacket
Prices: $0.25 per minute; memberships available for frequent use
Boat launch area at Chester Woods Park · 5 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, mid-May through mid-October
Backstory
Chester Woods Park and its impoundment, Chester Lake, were completed in 1994 as part of a flood-control project protecting Rochester, Minnesota, funded with $5 million in federal money; the lake is formed on the headwaters of Bear Creek.
Chester Woods Swimming Beach: FAQ
Does Chester Woods Swimming Beach charge a fee?
According to third-party reporting found via search (not independently confirmed on the county site during this research), Olmsted County eliminated the daily vehicle/admission fee for Chester Woods Park by board action around March 2022, after suspending it in December 2021; the park's own official pages did not state a current fee.
Is Chester Woods Swimming Beach kid friendly?
Designated, roped-off swim beach at a developed county park beach house, which suits families, but the county explicitly states there is no lifeguard on duty and swimming is at one's own risk, so young/weak swimmers need supervision.
Do I need to hike to reach Chester Woods Swimming Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Chester Woods Swimming Beach?
Official Olmsted County pages (park overview, swimming page, contact page) confirm the park has vehicle access and a beach house on-site but do not describe a specific parking lot layout or state a day-use/parking fee; none was found in any officially fetched page during this pass, so cost/type are left unconfirmed rather than assumed free or paid.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Chester Woods Swimming Beach?
Aquatic Invasive Species dry-cleaning stations are present at the boat launch, and long-term personal watercraft storage is available through the Friends of Chester Woods volunteer group for $150/year or $100/season.
When is the best time to visit Chester Woods Swimming Beach?
Beach and beach house (with showers) are officially open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend; beach hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, with the beach house open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
What are the rules at Chester Woods Swimming Beach?
No lifeguard on duty; swim at your own risk and only within the designated/roped swim area. Prohibited on the beach: smoking, fishing, grilling, glass containers, and pets. Watercraft are not allowed in the roped swimming area. Profanity is discouraged due to children present, and minors caught consuming alcohol face prosecution. Park management reserves the right to close the beach at any time. General park hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; motor vehicles and bicycles are restricted to improved roads and designated trails.
