Prescott Beach
Prescott, Wisconsin · on Lake Saint Croix · Prescott Beach
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- river
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Prescott Beach
Prescott Beach (officially the City of Prescott's "City Beach") is a municipal sand beach on the St. Croix River in Prescott, Wisconsin, just north of the US Highway 10 bridge and near where the St. Croix meets the Mississippi River. It is a maintained, official city recreation facility with a bathhouse and restrooms, a proper swimming hole rather than an informal or hidden swim spot, and the city's own tourism site promotes it as a family summer riverfront destination at Prescott's 'meet at the river' confluence point.
The beach sits on the Wisconsin bank of the St. Croix River (mapped by USGS hydrography as Lake St. Croix, the wide, slow-moving lower stretch of the river just above its confluence with the Mississippi), off Lake Street north of the US-10 bridge in the small river town of Prescott, Wisconsin, close to the Minnesota state line. This stretch is part of the National Park Service's St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, and it lies along the Great River Road scenic byway; the city's tourism site markets the waterfront as a gathering spot for sandcastles, boat-watching, and river sunsets.
Swimming at Prescott Beach
The sand beach gives direct access to the wide, pooled Lake St. Croix section of the river for swimming and wading. Rather than describing whitewater or current-swimming conditions, the city's own tourism material profiles the spot as a classic family summer river destination -- building sandcastles along the shore, watching boats pass at the confluence, and riverfront walks -- and a county tourism aggregator separately categorizes the listing as a swimming recreation area.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located at 715 Lake Street, Prescott, Wisconsin, off Lake Street north of the US Highway 10 bridge, along the St. Croix River.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up, in-town municipal beach with a street address (715 Lake Street, Prescott, WI), a bathhouse, bicycle rack, and picnic tables -- no trail, trailhead, or hiking distance is referenced in any official or aggregator source, so no hike is required to reach the water.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
It's a maintained sand beach (gentle, typical city-beach entry) rather than a cliff or scramble site, but no lifeguard presence or water-quality/current advisories were found in any official source, and the beach sits directly on the active St. Croix River channel near the US-10 bridge and Mississippi confluence, an area the city's own tourism copy describes as busy with recreational boat traffic. Parents should supervise closely given the unconfirmed lifeguard status and river current.
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms and a bathhouse/changing area are listed among the on-site facilities on the City of Prescott's official facility page for City Beach, at 715 Lake Street.
On the water
Restrictions: A no-wake zone applies near the downtown railroad bridge area, per the city's on-the-water tourism page. Note: the swim beach itself has no dedicated boat launch -- self-carry canoe/kayak/windsurfer access is via a separate foot-access stairway launch on Lake Street, and motorized boats launch from the Jacques Park public boat ramp elsewhere in town.
Two marinas (Leo's Landing and Point St. Croix Marina and Pub, 74 slips) serve boaters in Prescott generally but are not adjacent to the swim beach itself.
Prescott Beach: FAQ
Is Prescott Beach kid friendly?
It's a maintained sand beach (gentle, typical city-beach entry) rather than a cliff or scramble site, but no lifeguard presence or water-quality/current advisories were found in any official source, and the beach sits directly on the active St. Croix River channel near the US-10 bridge and Mississippi confluence, an area the city's own tourism copy describes as busy with recreational boat traffic. Parents should supervise closely given the unconfirmed lifeguard status and river current.
Do I need to hike to reach Prescott Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Prescott Beach?
No parking lot, roadside-parking, or fee details are published on the City of Prescott facility page, the Visit Prescott tourism site, or the Backroads of Pierce County aggregator listing; the beach's street address (715 Lake Street, off Lake Street north of the US-10 bridge) implies in-town street access but nothing specific to parking was confirmed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Prescott Beach?
Two marinas (Leo's Landing and Point St. Croix Marina and Pub, 74 slips) serve boaters in Prescott generally but are not adjacent to the swim beach itself.
When is the best time to visit Prescott Beach?
Summer: the city's visitor site profiles beach and river activities (sandcastles, boating, sunset-watching) specifically as part of its 'Prescott summer' seasonal content, with no comparable spring/fall/winter beach programming mentioned in official sources.
What water body is Prescott Beach on?
Prescott Beach is on Lake Saint Croix, a natural river verified in USGS hydrography data.
