Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area
East Gull Lake, Minnesota · on Gull Lake
Verified · 3 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area
Swimming Beach is a designated swimming area on Gull Lake within the Gull Lake Recreation Area, a US Army Corps of Engineers campground and day-use site near Brainerd/Baxter, Minnesota, at the lake's outlet dam. It sits alongside the campground's boat ramp, canoe launches, and Ranger Office, giving campers a designated swimming hole and a big lake to swim in among several water-based activities.
The recreation area sits at the outlet of Gull Lake, the largest lake in the Gull Chain of Lakes in the Brainerd Lakes area of north-central Minnesota, where the lake is impounded by a small dam. The swimming beach is located across the dam from the campground entrance, near the Ranger Office, a boat ramp, and a vault toilet, within a developed Corps of Engineers park that also has wooded electric campsites, playgrounds, and interpretive trails.
Swimming at Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area
The beach is a designated, developed lake swimming area at a Corps of Engineers recreation area rather than a backcountry or informal spot; the source describing it does not give further detail on sand/bottom composition, depth, or supervision, so specifics on water character and who it best suits are not confirmed.
How to get to this swimming hole
From the MN 210/MN 371 intersection in Baxter, take County Road 70 and County Road 77 to the Gull Lake Recreation Area's south entrance (the north-side entrance is permanently closed, per the facility's official page); the swimming beach is located across the dam from the entrance, near the Ranger Office and boat ramp.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-in, developed beach within the Gull Lake Recreation Area (US Army Corps of Engineers campground/day-use site); no trail or hike is needed, the beach sits directly across the dam from the entrance area, adjacent to the Ranger Office and boat ramp. Exact walk time from a car to the sand was not stated in any source found.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
It's a developed, sandy day-use beach within a campground (not backcountry), but the beach sits across the dam at Gull Lake's outlet, and the facility's own page tells visitors to ask Park Rangers about river safety due to current flow near the dam and to check out a life jacket before going in the water, so caution near the dam/outlet is warranted even though the site itself is family-oriented (playgrounds, volleyball, basketball nearby).
Restrooms
Yes
Vault toilet located at the swimming beach itself (beach side, near the Ranger Office/boat ramp); flush toilets and a seasonal showerhouse (May 14-Oct 15) are also available back at the main campground area.
Water clarity
Clear
The facility's own Recreation.gov page states boaters "can access crystal clear waters throughout the chain of lakes," of which Gull Lake is the largest. This is a general chain-of-lakes characterization from the land manager rather than a beach-specific turbidity reading, and no independent visitor commentary on clarity could be located.
On the water
The recreation area's official page lists fishing, boating, kayaking, tubing, and water skiing as activities on Gull Lake, and the site itself has a boat ramp and canoe launches next to the swim beach. The same source advises checking out a life jacket and asking rangers about river safety given current flow near the dam. No explicit no-wake, electric-only, or carry-in-only restriction was found for this specific location.
Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area: FAQ
Is Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area kid friendly?
It's a developed, sandy day-use beach within a campground (not backcountry), but the beach sits across the dam at Gull Lake's outlet, and the facility's own page tells visitors to ask Park Rangers about river safety due to current flow near the dam and to check out a life jacket before going in the water, so caution near the dam/outlet is warranted even though the site itself is family-oriented (playgrounds, volleyball, basketball nearby).
Do I need to hike to reach Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area?
Recreation.gov's facility page describes the beach as being across the dam near the Ranger Office and boat ramp but does not explicitly describe a beach parking lot, cost, or whether it's free/paid, not confirmed by any source found this session.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area?
The recreation area's official page lists fishing, boating, kayaking, tubing, and water skiing as activities on Gull Lake, and the site itself has a boat ramp and canoe launches next to the swim beach. The same source advises checking out a life jacket and asking rangers about river safety given current flow near the dam. No explicit no-wake, electric-only, or carry-in-only restriction was found for this specific location.
What are the rules at Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area?
Only certified firewood is allowed in the park (to prevent spread of forest pests/disease), with firewood sold 6-8 p.m. at site #40 only; campsites are limited to two tents or one wheeled camping unit plus one tent; camping requires a Recreation.gov reservation; the north park entrance is permanently closed, so all access is via the south entrance.
What water body is Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area on?
Swimming Beach | Gull Lake Recreation Area is on Gull Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
