Cottonmill Park
Kearney, Nebraska · Cottonmill Lake State Recreation Area
Verified · 5 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Cottonmill Park
Cottonmill Park is a 110-acre city/county park just west of downtown Kearney, Nebraska, built around a 43-acre lake originally impounded to power the historic Cottonmill Factory. Within the park is a designated swimming hole, a beach and swimming pond monitored seasonally by the local health department, alongside fishing, boating, and disc golf facilities.
The park sits along a spring-fed lake just outside Kearney, with landscaped picnic and trail areas, a nature center (Rotary Nature Barn) surrounded by prairie habitat, and a footbridge crossing the lake connecting trail loops.
Swimming at Cottonmill Park
Swimming takes place at a designated sandy beach/swimming pond area separate from the main boating lake, popular with families in summer. Water quality is actively monitored, with recurring seasonal E. coli advisories (documented in both 2025 and 2026), so conditions can vary through the season.
How to get to this swimming hole
From I-80 in Kearney, take Exit 272 south on US-30, then turn west onto Cottonmill Avenue and follow signage to the park entrance at 2795 Cottonmill Ave, Kearney, NE 68845, about 1.5-4 miles from downtown Kearney.
Parking: On-site parking is available at the park; visitors are advised to arrive early on summer weekends when the swimming beach draws crowds and parking gets tight.
The hike in
The swimming beach/pond is a drive-up destination reached directly from on-site parking; no hike is required. The park is also the trailhead for the separate 13.1-mile paved Cottonmill-to-Fort Kearny hike/bike trail, but that trail is for hiking/biking recreation, not for reaching the swim area.
Exact walk time from the parking lot to the beach itself was not stated in any source found; given the park's compact layout it appears to be a short walk (a few minutes), but this could not be confirmed with a specific figure.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Designated sandy beach on the lake is popular with families and described as a swimming pond separate from the main boating lake, but no lifeguard presence is confirmed anywhere in official sources, and the pond has recurring seasonal E. coli advisories (Aug 2025 and July 2026) from the Two Rivers Public Health Department, so caregivers should check current water-quality status before letting kids swim.
Parking
Free
Free on-site parking; AllStateParks notes the lot can get tight on summer weekends when the beach is busy, so arriving early is recommended. No separate hike-in parking is needed.
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms and vault toilets are listed park amenities (City of Kearney and AllStateParks pages); exact building locations relative to the beach are not specified in available sources.
Hours
General park: 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. in summer, 7:00 a.m.-sunset in winter. Rotary Nature Barn nature center: Tue-Sun 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. On-site marina (boat/paddleboat rentals): Tue-Thu 2:00-7:00 p.m., Fri-Sun 12:00-7:00 p.m. (seasonal).
On the water
Restrictions: Lake is no-wake only (motors restricted to minimal-speed operation); the designated swimming beach/pond is described as a separate area from the main boating lake.
On-site marina rents boats and paddleboats seasonally; VisitKearney and VisitNebraska pages reference kayak/boating activity on the 43-acre lake, but no dedicated kayak-launch rules beyond the general no-wake restriction were found.
Rentals nearby
Boat and paddleboat rentals on Cottonmill Lake
On-site at Cottonmill Park, 2795 Cottonmill Ave/Rd, Kearney, NE · Tue-Thu 2:00-7:00 p.m., Fri-Sun 12:00-7:00 p.m. (seasonal)
Single-person kayak and tube rentals (90-minute floats on Turkey Creek)
Prices: $42/kayak; $32/tube
535 M Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847, on Turkey Creek, a separate waterway elsewhere in Kearney, not at Cottonmill Lake itself · Thu-Sun + holidays, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. for kayaks; tube launch times at 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Paddle boat, canoe, kayak, and water bike rentals
Yanney Heritage Park, Kearney, NE, a separate city park/lake from Cottonmill, mentioned as an alternate rental option in the same city
Backstory
The park takes its name from a historic mill that used the site's water power (the old Cottonmill Factory). Governance of the park was transferred from the state to the City of Kearney/Buffalo County on January 1, 1974 via Nebraska Legislative Bill LB163; the Rotary Nature Barn nature center was built in 1987.
Cottonmill Park: FAQ
Does Cottonmill Park charge a fee?
Free day-use entrance to the park and lake.
Is Cottonmill Park kid friendly?
Designated sandy beach on the lake is popular with families and described as a swimming pond separate from the main boating lake, but no lifeguard presence is confirmed anywhere in official sources, and the pond has recurring seasonal E. coli advisories (Aug 2025 and July 2026) from the Two Rivers Public Health Department, so caregivers should check current water-quality status before letting kids swim.
Do I need to hike to reach Cottonmill Park?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Cottonmill Park?
Free on-site parking; AllStateParks notes the lot can get tight on summer weekends when the beach is busy, so arriving early is recommended. No separate hike-in parking is needed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Cottonmill Park?
On-site marina rents boats and paddleboats seasonally; VisitKearney and VisitNebraska pages reference kayak/boating activity on the 43-acre lake, but no dedicated kayak-launch rules beyond the general no-wake restriction were found.
When is the best time to visit Cottonmill Park?
Late spring through early fall, with summer weekends the most popular (and most crowded) time to swim.
What are the rules at Cottonmill Park?
General park hours are 7:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. in summer and 7:00 a.m.-sunset in winter; the lake is no-wake only for boats; it is a day-use-only facility. The Two Rivers Public Health Department periodically issues bacteria advisories and notes that visitors should use their own judgment about swimming when conditions change rapidly.
