Firemen's Park

Chaska, Minnesota · on Firemens Clayhole

Verified · 3 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: $10 per 30
SEASON: Best in summer

About Firemen's Park

Firemen's Park in Chaska, Minnesota surrounds Clayhole Lake, a flooded former clay quarry that supplied clay for the city's distinctive yellow 'Chaska brick' from roughly 1857 to 1940. The city operates an official, free swimming beach on the lake called Clayhole Swimming Beach, so this manmade swimming hole is a fully official lake to swim in rather than an informal spot.

The park sits at 3210 Chaska Boulevard in the city of Chaska, wrapping around Clayhole Lake, a former open-pit clay mine that filled with water after mining ended around 1940. The site now combines a sandy swim beach, a boardwalk, a performance stage, fishing piers stocked with bluegill and largemouth bass, and a walking loop trail ('Firemen's Park and Clay Hole Loop') circling the lake.

Swimming at Firemen's Park

Swimming happens at a city-managed sandy beach on Clayhole Lake within a roped-off designated swim area; the city has stated the Clayhole 'typically maintains one of the lowest E. coli levels of the area beaches,' though it has had at least one short-term precautionary closure after a water test flagged elevated E. coli (closed and reopened within about two days per Star Tribune reporting). The beach is set up as a family swimming spot rather than a wild/backcountry hole -- there is a concession stand, an interactive splash-pad fountain for kids, and paddleboat/paddleboard rentals alongside the swim area.

How to get to this swimming hole

Located at 3210 Chaska Boulevard in Chaska, MN, within a mile of downtown Chaska; the beach and parking are accessed directly from park roads/lots at the address (no hike-in required).

The hike in

No hike needed to reach the swim beach, it's a drive-up city park beach accessed directly from the park grounds at 3210 Chaska Boulevard. Separately, chaskamn.gov/653 lists a walking loop trail ('Firemen's Park and Clay Hole Loop') that circles Clayhole Lake as a park amenity, but it is optional and not the access route to the swim area; its exact distance, length, and difficulty could not be independently verified.

Beach and parking are both within the same small park footprint; no meaningful walk-in distance is implied by any source.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Designated, roped-off sandy swim area on a small former-quarry lake; city rules require adult supervision for children and weak swimmers and require non-potty-trained kids to wear snug swim pants. There's an interactive splash-pad fountain nearby for younger kids who don't want to enter the lake. No lifeguard staffing is confirmed one way or the other in official sources, so treat it like an unguarded family beach: fine with an attentive adult, not a drop-off spot.

Hours

Concession stand and paddleboat/paddleboard rentals run seasonally, roughly 11am-8pm, 'weather permitting,' per chaskamn.gov/671; no separate posted hours for the swim beach or park itself were found, and the beach has had at least one temporary closure for elevated E. coli.

On the water

PaddleboatPaddleboards

Restrictions: Inflatable rafts and inner tubes are prohibited; Coast Guard-approved life jackets required and provided with rentals; renters need photo ID, a signed waiver, and at least one person 16+ in the group (per chaskamn.gov/671). Personal kayaks, canoes, or motorboats are not addressed in the official rules at all, the beach appears set up for swimming plus city-run paddleboat/paddleboard rental only, not general private watercraft launching.

Watercraft use here is via the city's own rental concession rather than a boat launch; no independent marina, launch ramp, or private-boat policy was found.

Rentals nearby

Clayhole Beach concession stand (City of Chaska Parks & Recreation)

Paddleboat and paddleboard rentals

Prices: $10 per 30 minutes

On-site at Firemen's Park / Clayhole Beach, 3210 Chaska Boulevard, Chaska, MN · Seasonal, roughly 11am-8pm, weather permitting

What regulars say

Local lore, retold by visitors rather than official sources, recounts the site's origin: a former clay-mining pit dug with steam shovels reportedly struck water unexpectedly, and workers 'barely escaped' as the pit flooded, creating the lake the city later turned into 'The Clayhole' park and swim beach.

Backstory

Clayhole Lake formed in a pit left by clay mining that ran from about 1857 to 1940, supplying clay used to make Chaska's distinctive yellow brick; the flooded pit was later developed into the current park and swim beach.

Firemen's Park: FAQ

Does Firemen's Park charge a fee?

Beach access is free; paddleboat rentals cost $10 per 30 minutes (per city site).

Is Firemen's Park kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Firemen's Park?

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

Where do I park for Firemen's Park?

No official source specifies a parking lot, capacity, or cost. The park (3210 Chaska Boulevard) has a concession stand, beach, and rental operation on-site, which implies some form of on-site parking, but this is not independently confirmed in any source fetched.

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Firemen's Park?

Watercraft use here is via the city's own rental concession rather than a boat launch; no independent marina, launch ramp, or private-boat policy was found.

When is the best time to visit Firemen's Park?

Summer (concession stand and swim beach operate seasonally, roughly 11am-8pm 'weather permitting' per city site).

What are the rules at Firemen's Park?

City rules per chaskamn.gov: adult supervision required for children and weak swimmers; non-potty-trained children must wear fitted swim pants; no pets, glass, alcohol, or smoking; swimming confined to the designated/roped swim area; Coast Guard-approved life jackets permitted; inflatable rafts and tubes are prohibited.

What water body is Firemen's Park on?

Firemen's Park is on Firemens Clayhole, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.