Crooked Lake Park & Beach

Coon Rapids, Minnesota · on Crooked Lake · Crooked Lake Beach

Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: No fee found
SEASON: Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend (the city's active water-testing/swim season).

About Crooked Lake Park & Beach

Crooked Lake Park & Beach is a City of Coon Rapids, Minnesota park on the shore of Crooked Lake, offering an informal, unstaffed swimming access point with a small sandy shoreline area. The city actively monitors the water quality at this swimming hole, treating it as a genuine public recreational swim site rather than a fenced pool facility, which makes Crooked Lake a modest but real lake to swim in.

The park sits directly on the shore of Crooked Lake in Coon Rapids, Anoka County, Minnesota, combining a lakeside sandy area with adjoining land-based recreation (ballfield, courts, picnic groves).

Swimming at Crooked Lake Park & Beach

Swimming is informal and unsupervised: a small sandy shoreline area allows visitors to wade and swim near shore. There are no lifeguards on duty, and the city explicitly states swimming is at the swimmer's own risk. This suits casual, self-supervised waders and swimmers rather than those seeking a staffed beach experience.

The hike in

No hike is required. Crooked Lake Park & Beach is a city park at 13180 Crooked Lake Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433, sitting directly on the lakeshore alongside a ballfield, courts, and picnic pavilions; sources describe direct shoreline/beach access from the park grounds with no trail or trailhead mentioned in any source found.

No land-manager trail page or trip report describing a hike to this spot was found; the address and park layout (sports courts and pavilions adjoining the sandy area) support a drive-up or short-walk access pattern.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Small sandy shoreline area suitable for wading, but the City of Coon Rapids explicitly states there are no lifeguards on duty and swimming is at the swimmer's own risk, so young children should be closely supervised.

On the water

No source found stating whether kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or motorboats are permitted, nor any posted restrictions for this specific access point.

Backstory

The current sandy swim area/park configuration dates to renovations completed in July 2019, per the city's own description.

Crooked Lake Park & Beach: FAQ

Is Crooked Lake Park & Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Crooked Lake Park & Beach?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

When is the best time to visit Crooked Lake Park & Beach?

Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend (the city's active water-testing/swim season).

What are the rules at Crooked Lake Park & Beach?

No lifeguards are on duty; swimming is at your own risk. The City of Coon Rapids tests the water access point for E. coli weekly from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, using the Minnesota recreational water standard of 126 organisms per 100 mL (geometric mean); access can be affected if bacteria levels exceed this standard.

What water body is Crooked Lake Park & Beach on?

Crooked Lake Park & Beach is on Crooked Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.