Public Beach # 2
Osage Beach, Missouri · Lake Of The Ozarks State Park
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- May
About Public Beach # 2
Public Beach #2 is an officially designated swimming beach of Lake of the Ozarks State Park, also called Grand Glaize Beach, located off Highway 54 just west of the Grand Glaize bridge near Osage Beach, Missouri. It is one of two sand beaches the state park maintains on Lake of the Ozarks, alongside Public Beach #1, giving the park a pair of sandy swimming holes for anyone looking for places to swim on the lake.
The beach sits on the Grand Glaize arm of Lake of the Ozarks within Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Missouri's largest state park at roughly 17,666 acres with about 85 miles of reservoir shoreline. The beach itself was built with imported sand and, per the park's history, traces to a 1930s-40s Civilian Conservation Corps-era 'landscaped public beach' constructed when the area was a federal Recreational Demonstration Area before being transferred to the state park system in 1946.
Swimming at Public Beach # 2
This is a developed, drive-up lake beach rather than a backcountry hole: swimmers wade and swim directly off the sand into Lake of the Ozarks, a large reservoir, with no lifeguard on duty. The park describes it as suited to casual beach swimming with adjacent picnicking and playground use, not a swimming-hole/scramble experience.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located off Highway 54, west of the Grand Glaize bridge, within Lake of the Ozarks State Park near Osage Beach, MO.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up, developed lake beach with adjacent parking, no trail or hike is needed to reach the water; it's a short walk from the lot to the sand.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sandy, gently-sloping imported-sand beach designed for casual family swimming, with a playground right next to it, but the park explicitly provides no lifeguards and says visitors 'swim at your own risk', fine for kids with active adult supervision, not a lifeguarded facility.
Parking
Available
Official park pages describe the beach location (off Highway 54, west of the Grand Glaize bridge) but do not publish specific parking-lot layout or any fee; Missouri state park day-use areas are generally not documented as charging separate parking fees on the pages reviewed, but this was not explicitly confirmed for this beach.
Restrooms
Yes
Restroom and change house facilities at the beach, per the official park swimming page.
Hours
Beach season runs May 22 through September 7, sunrise to sunset (per mostateparks.com's Grand Glaize Beach location page); the broader park grounds are open sunrise to half an hour after sunset year-round.
On the water
The park's official boating page states 'all' boat types and sizes are acceptable on the lake, and confirms a marina at each of the two public beaches (Grand Glaize Beach Marina at this beach) offering boat and slip rentals. No wake-zone or electric-only restriction specific to the swim beach itself was found in official sources.
Rentals nearby
Kayaks, canoes, and SUPs (stand-up paddleboards), plus tritoon boats and fishing boats, located directly at Public Beach 2/Grand Glaize Beach inside the state park.
On-site at Grand Glaize Beach (Public Beach 2), Lake of the Ozarks State Park; phone 573-348-1233
Pontoons, deck/ski boats, personal watercraft (PWCs/jet skis), and a 'Tiki Boat'.
4415 Sky Harbor Dr, Osage Beach, MO, a few miles from Grand Glaize Beach
New 25-ft Tritoon boats with 150HP engines, including 12 adult life jackets; renters must be 21+.
1028 Deer Valley Rd, Sunrise Beach, MO, roughly across the Grand Glaize arm from the beach
Backstory
The park's swim beaches originated as a 'landscaped public beach' built by Civilian Conservation Corps camps in the 1930s-40s when the site was a National Park Service Recreational Demonstration Area; ownership transferred to the Missouri state park system in 1946. The park is now Missouri's largest state park.
Public Beach # 2: FAQ
Is Public Beach # 2 kid friendly?
Sandy, gently-sloping imported-sand beach designed for casual family swimming, with a playground right next to it, but the park explicitly provides no lifeguards and says visitors 'swim at your own risk', fine for kids with active adult supervision, not a lifeguarded facility.
Do I need to hike to reach Public Beach # 2?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Public Beach # 2?
Official park pages describe the beach location (off Highway 54, west of the Grand Glaize bridge) but do not publish specific parking-lot layout or any fee; Missouri state park day-use areas are generally not documented as charging separate parking fees on the pages reviewed, but this was not explicitly confirmed for this beach.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Public Beach # 2?
The park's official boating page states 'all' boat types and sizes are acceptable on the lake, and confirms a marina at each of the two public beaches (Grand Glaize Beach Marina at this beach) offering boat and slip rentals. No wake-zone or electric-only restriction specific to the swim beach itself was found in official sources.
When is the best time to visit Public Beach # 2?
Beach is officially open seasonally (historically about late May through early September), sunrise to sunset; the rest of the park grounds are open sunrise to half an hour after sunset year-round.
What are the rules at Public Beach # 2?
Per the official park swimming page: lifeguards are not provided, pets are not allowed on the beaches, and visitors swim at their own risk.
