Lydiard Beach
Minnetrista, Minnesota · on Lake Minnetonka · Lydiard Beach
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Lydiard Beach
Lydiard Beach is a small public swimming hole owned and operated by the City of Orono, Minnesota, on Carman's Bay of Lake Minnetonka. The site is officially described as a narrow strip of land (66 by 566 feet) with a beach/swim area and picnic tables, open daily 10 AM-8 PM, with water quality monitored seasonally by Hennepin County Public Health.
The beach occupies a narrow public lakeshore access strip on Lydiard Avenue at Carman's Bay, a bay of Lake Minnetonka, in the Orono/Minnetrista area of Hennepin County. No further landscape detail (tree cover, bluff, etc.) was found in official sources.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located on Lydiard Avenue in the Excelsior, MN 55331 mailing area, managed by the City of Orono; no turn-by-turn directions from a specific town were published on the official page.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up / walk-up beach access strip on Lydiard Avenue in Excelsior, MN, not a hike-in swimming hole. Visitors reach the water directly from the street; no trail is involved.
Plan your visit
Restrooms
None on site
The City of Orono's official facility page lists only 'beach/swim area' and 'picnic tables' as on-site features for Lydiard Beach; restrooms are not mentioned. This is notable because the city's broader facilities directory does list restrooms as an amenity at other parks (e.g. Baker Park Reserve) when present, suggesting their absence here is a real gap rather than an omission.
Hours
Daily 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM, per the City of Orono facility listing
On the water
The official City of Orono facility page describes Lydiard Beach only as a swim area with picnic tables; it does not mention a dock, boat launch, or watercraft rules. This suggests the site is oriented toward swimming rather than boat/kayak launching, but no source explicitly confirms or bans hand-carried watercraft (kayak, paddleboard, canoe) here. Note: Three Rivers Park District's separate Lake Minnetonka Regional Park (also in the Minnetrista area) does have a formal trailer boat launch requiring a paid launch pass, but that is a different site from Lydiard Beach.
Lydiard Beach: FAQ
Do I need to hike to reach Lydiard Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Lydiard Beach?
No official source specifies a parking lot, capacity, or fee for Lydiard Beach. The site is described only as a narrow (66 ft x 566 ft) public lakeshore access strip on Lydiard Avenue; whether there is a dedicated lot or only street/roadside access could not be confirmed this session.
What are the rules at Lydiard Beach?
Open daily 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM per the City of Orono facility listing. Hennepin County Public Health samples and tests the water at this and other designated public beaches, per both the Orono and Hennepin County pages (county testing runs seasonally, Memorial Day to Labor Day, per the county's beach water quality page).
What water body is Lydiard Beach on?
Lydiard Beach is on Lake Minnetonka, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
