Nocomo Beach
Wayzata, Minnesota · on Lake Minnetonka · Nocomo Beach
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Yes, see below
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Nocomo Beach
Nocomo Beach is a small, unsupervised public swimming beach on Lake Minnetonka at 19355 Walden Trail in Deephaven, Minnesota, serving the surrounding Walden neighborhood, more a low-key neighborhood swimming hole than a destination beach. It is one of six public beaches maintained by the City of Deephaven (three of which are staffed with lifeguards) and one of five identified by the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) as public swimming access points on the lake, which puts it among the official places to swim on Minnetonka, with water quality tracked through Hennepin County's beach sampling program.
A small neighborhood lake beach directly on the shore of Lake Minnetonka within the residential Walden neighborhood of Deephaven, sitting within the Big Woods / North Central Hardwood Forests ecoregion of the Upper Midwest.
Swimming at Nocomo Beach
An unsupervised (no lifeguard) swimming area directly on Lake Minnetonka, functioning as a low-key neighborhood beach rather than a staffed public beach.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located at 19355 Walden Trail, Deephaven, MN 55391, on a residential street in the Walden neighborhood along Lake Minnetonka's shoreline; beach access is roadside with no trail/hike-in required.
Parking: Limited on-street parking adjacent to the beach requires a City of Deephaven parking permit, enforced May 1 through October 1. Residents receive two free serialized permits per year ($10 for additional ones); non-residents can buy a $60 beach-only permit or a $120 beach-plus-boat-launch permit. Permits are issued in person at Deephaven City Hall (20225 Cottagewood Road) starting in spring and must be affixed to the driver's-side rear window.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up/roadside neighborhood beach at 19355 Walden Trail; visitors park on-street (permit required) directly next to the shoreline, so the walk from a parking spot to the water is essentially immediate (well under a minute, just crossing the beach's small footprint).
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Calm lake water (no current, no waterfall/rapids) makes it physically approachable for kids, but the City of Deephaven explicitly notes the beach is unsupervised (no lifeguard), and Hennepin County's weekly bacterial (E. coli) testing plus periodic algae-bloom concerns raised by lake users mean water quality should be checked before letting kids swim, especially later in summer.
Parking
Paid, Residents: 2 free permits/year, $10 each additional; non-residents: $60 beach-only or $120 beach+boat-launch season permit
On-street parking directly adjacent to the beach on Walden Trail requires a City of Deephaven parking permit, enforced May 1-October 1; permits are issued in person at Deephaven City Hall (20225 Cottagewood Road) and must be affixed to the driver's-side rear window. No dedicated off-street lot exists.
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms are listed among the on-site amenities (with picnic tables and benches) per the City of Deephaven's official beaches page; exact restroom type (flush vs. vault) is not specified.
Water clarity
Varies with season and flow
Independent lake-wide water-quality tracking grades Lake Minnetonka a B ('Good'), citing roughly 10 feet of Secchi-disk visibility and generally low algae levels lake-wide. However, visitors report periodic toxic algae blooms and complain the lake's overall water quality has degraded, suggesting clarity and safety vary by bay, season, and year rather than being consistently clear. Nocomo Beach sits in a quieter residential bay, but no beach-specific clarity measurement was found.
On the water
Restrictions: Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) rules require boats/PWC to maintain slow-no-wake speed within 150 feet of shorelines, docks, swim areas, and anchored boats (300 feet for personal watercraft running repetitive passes), which applies to motorized craft passing Nocomo Beach's swim area. The LMCD also designates specific 'Quiet Water Areas' elsewhere on the lake with tighter speed limits; no Deephaven-specific watercraft restriction beyond the general lake-wide rules was found.
Hand-launched craft (kayak, canoe, paddleboard) are commonly used on this part of Lake Minnetonka and can be carried in from the beach; there is no boat launch at Nocomo Beach itself (nearby boat-launch permits are sold separately by the City of Deephaven for other locations).
Rentals nearby
Stand-up paddleboard and kayak rentals, plus e-bike/bike rentals
250 Grove Ln E, Wayzata, MN 55391 (also a second location in Excelsior, MN) - on Lake Minnetonka, a few miles from Nocomo Beach · Wed-Fri 3pm-7pm, Sat-Sun 11am-7pm; closed Mon-Tue
Bay Rentals MN
Jet ski (Yamaha VX/EX Deluxe), stand-up paddleboard, double kayak, pedal board, and 'lily pad' floating-mat rentals; self-described as the oldest jet ski rental operator on Lake Minnetonka (since 1995)
Prices: Jet skis from $171.20; paddleboards and double kayaks from $21.40; pedal boards from $32.10; lily pads from $53.50 (base/starting rates as listed on their site)
2630 Commerce Blvd, Mound, MN 55364 - on Lake Minnetonka, roughly across the lake from Nocomo Beach
What regulars say
Visitor reports on Lake Minnetonka generally are mixed on water quality: one swimmer warned that beyond cold water temperatures, algae blooms on the lake 'can be toxic' and described overall water quality as poor, recommending Minneapolis's Cedar Lake or Lake Nokomis (with staffed open-swim hours) as cleaner alternatives. This sentiment is lake-wide rather than specific to Nocomo Beach; no beach-specific visitor reports were found for Nocomo Beach itself, likely reflecting its status as a small, low-traffic neighborhood beach rather than a well-known public destination.
Nocomo Beach: FAQ
Does Nocomo Beach charge a fee?
No admission fee for the beach itself, but nearby on-street parking requires a paid/permitted sticker (see parking) during the May 1-October 1 enforcement season.
Is Nocomo Beach kid friendly?
Calm lake water (no current, no waterfall/rapids) makes it physically approachable for kids, but the City of Deephaven explicitly notes the beach is unsupervised (no lifeguard), and Hennepin County's weekly bacterial (E. coli) testing plus periodic algae-bloom concerns raised by lake users mean water quality should be checked before letting kids swim, especially later in summer.
Do I need to hike to reach Nocomo Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Nocomo Beach?
On-street parking directly adjacent to the beach on Walden Trail requires a City of Deephaven parking permit, enforced May 1-October 1; permits are issued in person at Deephaven City Hall (20225 Cottagewood Road) and must be affixed to the driver's-side rear window. No dedicated off-street lot exists.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Nocomo Beach?
Hand-launched craft (kayak, canoe, paddleboard) are commonly used on this part of Lake Minnetonka and can be carried in from the beach; there is no boat launch at Nocomo Beach itself (nearby boat-launch permits are sold separately by the City of Deephaven for other locations).
When is the best time to visit Nocomo Beach?
Summer, roughly late May through August/September, coinciding with the city's water-quality testing window and the May-October parking permit enforcement period.
What are the rules at Nocomo Beach?
On-street parking near the beach is permit-only and actively enforced May 1-October 1; the beach itself is unsupervised, with no lifeguard on duty. Hennepin County conducts weekly bacterial water testing (historically late May through late August) and the city can recommend closures if E. coli levels exceed EPA standards.
What water body is Nocomo Beach on?
Nocomo Beach is on Lake Minnetonka, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
