Thomas Beach

Minneapolis, Minnesota · on Bde Maka Ska · Lake Calhoun

Verified · 4 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: No fee found
SEASON: Best in summer

About Thomas Beach

Thomas Beach is an officially designated, lifeguarded public swimming beach on the south side of Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun), one of Minneapolis's Chain of Lakes, managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. A dependable in-city swimming hole, it is one of three named swimming beaches on the lake, alongside North Beach and 32nd Street Beach, which together make Bde Maka Ska an easy lake to swim in from several sides.

Thomas Beach sits on the south shore of Bde Maka Ska, a large urban lake within Minneapolis's Chain of Lakes park system, surrounded by paved walking and biking paths and parkland used for canoeing, kayaking, and windsurfing in addition to swimming.

Swimming at Thomas Beach

Swimming is in a designated, marked area of the lake with seasonal lifeguard coverage, suited to families and casual swimmers rather than a wilderness or backcountry experience; typical urban lake water rather than clear spring-fed water.

How to get to this swimming hole

Parking: A dedicated parking lot serves Thomas Beach; the MPRB notes this lot is closed overnight and during winter weather. No fee information found for this specific lot.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Thomas Beach is a drive-up urban lake beach with an adjacent dedicated parking lot; no hike is needed to reach the swimming area, just a short walk from the lot to the shoreline (walk time not specified in any source found).

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Designated, roped-off swim area with seasonal lifeguards (1pm-7pm daily, June 13-Aug 23), which favors families, but it's an open urban lake (not a shallow gradual-entry pool) with no lifeguard coverage outside those hours/dates. MPRB requires adult supervision for children under 8, bans inflatables/inner tubes, and requires swim diapers for non-toilet-trained kids -- all signs this is treated as a family beach but one where an adult needs to stay close and check for posted closures (E. coli/algae) before swimming.

Parking

Lot

A dedicated parking lot serves Thomas Beach directly, per MPRB, but it is closed overnight and during winter weather. No fee was stated for this specific lot (by contrast, MPRB's page for 32nd Street Beach on the same lake explicitly lists a 'pay parking lot,' so it's plausible but unconfirmed that Thomas Beach's lot is also metered/paid).

Hours

Beach hours 6am-10pm daily; lifeguards on duty 1pm-7pm daily from June 13 to August 23 (dates as posted for a recent season). Parking lot closes overnight and during winter weather.

Swim smart

Standard urban lake hazards noted by MPRB: swimmer's itch (advised to towel dry immediately after exiting the water), water quality concerns after heavy rainfall, and periodic bacteria/algae-related closures.

Rules: General Bde Maka Ska swimming rules apply: swim only in marked areas, adults must accompany children under 8, no inflatable air mattresses or inner tubes, swim diapers required for children not yet toilet-trained, no swimming when air temperature is 65°F or colder, no swimming between 10pm and 6am, and beach closures are posted if E. coli or blue-green algae levels exceed safety thresholds.

This is an informational listing, not an invitation. Conditions and access change; verify locally before you go. Visiting any swimming hole is at your own risk. See our Terms of Use.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboardsPedal boat

Restrictions: MPRB bans inflatable air mattresses, inner tubes, and other inflatable flotation equipment in the swimming/beach area (except by permit). General watercraft use on Bde Maka Ska is otherwise supported lake-wide (canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing are noted uses of the lake per Wikipedia), but no motorboats/jet skis were mentioned for this lake, and rental/launch activity is concentrated at the Wheel Fun Rentals dock rather than at the Thomas Beach swim area itself.

Watercraft use is a lake-wide activity on Bde Maka Ska rather than something done from the Thomas Beach swim zone specifically; the designated swim area is roped off from boat traffic.

Rentals nearby

Wheel Fun Rentals - Bde Maka Ska

Single and double kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and single/double pedal boats (also bikes)

Prices: Kayak (single): $15/hr, $39/half day, $54/full day; Kayak (double): $25/hr, $55/half day, $75/full day; SUP (single): $22/hr, $52/half day, $72/full day; Canoe: $25/hr, $55/half day, $75/full day; Pedal boat (single): $28/hr; Pedal boat (double): $38/hr; locker $6/rental; one-hour minimum, prices exclude sales tax

3000 East Bde Maka Ska Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55408 -- on the lakeshore, roughly on the opposite (east) side of the lake from Thomas Beach · Jul 20-Aug 16: Mon-Fri 9am-8:30pm, Sat-Sun 8am-8:30pm; Aug 17-Sep 7: Mon-Fri 12pm-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-8pm; Sep 8-Sep 27: Mon-Fri 2pm-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-7pm; closed after Sep 28. Last rental goes out 1 hour before close.

Backstory

Bde Maka Ska (Lake Calhoun) has a long history as a swimming destination, with a historical photograph of bathers at the lake dating to about 1917.

Thomas Beach: FAQ

Is Thomas Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Thomas Beach?

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

Where do I park for Thomas Beach?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Thomas Beach?

Watercraft use is a lake-wide activity on Bde Maka Ska rather than something done from the Thomas Beach swim zone specifically; the designated swim area is roped off from boat traffic.

When is the best time to visit Thomas Beach?

Summer, per official lifeguard season of June 13 through August 23 (dates as posted for a recent season).

What are the rules at Thomas Beach?

General Bde Maka Ska swimming rules apply: swim only in marked areas, adults must accompany children under 8, no inflatable air mattresses or inner tubes, swim diapers required for children not yet toilet-trained, no swimming when air temperature is 65°F or colder, no swimming between 10pm and 6am, and beach closures are posted if E. coli or blue-green algae levels exceed safety thresholds.

What water body is Thomas Beach on?

Thomas Beach is on Bde Maka Ska, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.