Minnesota's Best Beaches, Ranked – Here Are the Top 25

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I grew up in Minnesota, and we never called them beaches. We called them “the lake.” Every summer, you’d throw a towel in the back seat and drive to “the lake” and that was that.

Here’s what people outside Minnesota don’t realize. Those lakes have niceee beaches. Sandy ones. Beautiful ones. Some of the best freshwater beaches in the country.

Some of the beaches on this list are full-on sandy surprises. Some are cold and dramatic in ways that no tropical beach could match. A few are Twin Cities classics that anyone who grew up in the metro will recognize immediately.

Here are the 25 best beaches in Minnesota, ranked.

25. Wayzata Beach, Lake Minnetonka

Lake Minnetonka is one of the most iconic lakes in the state, and Wayzata Beach is the easiest place to get on it.

The beach sits right on the south shore, a short walk from downtown Wayzata. Small, sandy, and right next to one of the nicest little lake towns in the Twin Cities metro. After swimming, you’re steps from good restaurants and the waterfront.

It’s a quick drive from Minneapolis, which makes it a genuinely easy afternoon.

Pro tip: Parking fills up fast on summer weekends. Get there before 10am or plan to walk a few blocks from a side street.

24. Lake Shetek State Park, Currie

Most people driving through southwestern Minnesota don’t even know Lake Shetek exists. That’s their loss.

It’s the largest lake in southwestern Minnesota, sitting right inside a state park with a sandy beach and good swimming access. The lake runs pretty shallow, which means the water heats up faster than the deeper northern lakes.

It’s a legitimate oasis in prairie country.

Note: Currie is about two and a half hours from the Twin Cities. Worth adding to any road trip through the southwest corner of the state.

23. McCarthy Beach State Park, Hibbing

The Iron Range is not the first place anyone pictures when they say “beach.” McCarthy Beach State Park will change that.

The beach here sits on Sturgeon Lake. The water is surprisingly clear, the setting is dense pine trees, and the whole area has that northern Minnesota quiet you drive hours to find.

Iron Range locals have known about this place forever. We love a spot that hasn’t been completely overrun yet.

Pro tip: The park has a second beach access on Side Lake. Check both before settling in.

22. Lake Koronis, Paynesville

Lake Koronis is a good, unpretentious family beach about 90 minutes west of Minneapolis.

Warm water, sandy bottom, and none of the chaos of the Twin Cities lakes on a hot weekend. It doesn’t try to be anything fancy. In my opinion, that’s the whole point.

Pro tip: The beach has a nice grassy picnic area right next to the swimming section. Pack a lunch and make a real afternoon of it.

21. Green Lake, Spicer

Spicer has a really good summer energy for a town its size. Green Lake is a big reason for that.

The city beach has clear water, a sandy bottom, and an easy, relaxed feel on summer weekends. Popular but rarely overwhelming.

Note: Kandiyohi County has a lot of good lakes packed close together. If you’re making a trip out to the Spicer area, build in extra time to explore the region. Mike and I would spend a whole day just driving the county roads and stopping wherever looked good.

Read Next: 15 Hidden Gem Towns In Minnesota You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

20. Lake Minnewaska, Starbuck

Lake Minnewaska is one of the clearest lakes in the state, if not the clearest. It shows the minute you walk up to the shore.

Starbuck Beach on the western side is well-maintained and sandy, with lifeguards on duty during summer afternoons. I love finding lakes where you can see straight to the bottom.

Pro tip: Starbuck City Park has restrooms and a concession stand on site. This is a full beach setup, not just a patch of sand on the edge of a parking lot.

19. Crow Wing State Park

This one is different from most entries on this list. Crow Wing State Park isn’t really a lake beach. It’s a river beach.

The park sits at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Crow Wing River, about 9 miles south of Brainerd. Sandy shores on both rivers, good tree cover, and a much more peaceful atmosphere than most Brainerd-area spots.

It’s on my list for the next time we’re in Brainerd.

Note: Good hiking trails run through the park if you want to stretch your legs after the swim. The area has a lot of history as an old river trading post site.

18. Bde Maka Ska, Minneapolis

If you grew up calling this Lake Calhoun, same! The name was officially changed back to its original Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska, in 2018.

It’s one of the best swimming lake in Minneapolis. Two main beaches, beach volleyball courts, and a paved path that loops the whole thing.

It gets packed on hot summer weekends. That’s part of the fun.

Pro tip: Thomas Beach on the south side tends to be a little less crowded than the main East Beach. Good to know when the lot is already full.

17. Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis

Lake Nokomis gets a little less attention than the Chain of Lakes spots to the north, and I think that’s exactly why so many south Minneapolis residents love it.

Two swimming beaches, kayak rentals, and a genuine neighborhood feel. The kind of lake where the same families show up every single weekend all summer.

A great alternative if the bigger lakes feel too crowded.

16. Lake Harriet, Minneapolis

Lake Harriet is the complete Minneapolis summer experience.

Sandy beach with lifeguards, the Lake Harriet Bandshell right nearby for free outdoor concerts, and a historic streetcar that still runs in summer over to Lake Minnehaha. The whole setup is really well done.

Pro tip: Come on a summer evening for a Bandshell concert and walk the beach afterward. Lake Harriet at sunset is one of those things I think everyone who lives near Minneapolis should do at least once.

15. Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay

Let me be upfront: the water here is cold. Lake Superior doesn’t warm up, and Tettegouche is no exception.

*My family enjoying a picnic at the state park*

But the setting is dramatic enough to earn its spot. The Baptism River meets Lake Superior right inside the park. Basalt cliffs, a wild shoreline, and a view that looks almost cinematic.

Some people swim anyway. It’s brave, and maybe a little unhinged. Definitely memorable.

Note: Tettegouche has some of the best hiking on the North Shore. Plan for a full day if you can swing it.

14. Pelican Lake, Ashby

Pelican Lake delivers. Clear water, sandy shores, and a crowd that skews much more local than tourist.

The Fargo-Moorhead crowd figured this one out years ago, and it draws people from all over the region now. My kind of place.

Pro tip: If you’re exploring the Alexandria-area lakes, pair Pelican with Lake Carlos at #13. Two of the best in the region, and they’re not far from each other.

13. Lake Carlos State Park, Alexandria

The Alexandria area has dozens of lakes to choose from. Lake Carlos is the standout for swimming.

The water is notably clear, the state park beach is well-kept, and the setting is classic northern Minnesota woods without feeling overly developed. Our travel community consistently names this one as a top state park beach day in Minnesota.

Not as mobbed as some of the bigger parks, which I appreciate.

Pro tip: The park has non-motorized boat rentals if you want to spend time on the water beyond just the beach.

Read Next: Best Kayaking in the US

12. Lake Itasca, Itasca State Park

There’s a real swimming beach at Lake Itasca, and it’s worth your time. But that’s not why you go.

You go because you can wade across the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Right there, knee-deep in the water, is where one of the biggest rivers in the world begins. It’s genuinely wild to stand there and think about that.

I could stay at the headwaters for way longer than I’d like to admit.

Do the beach. Do the headwaters walk. Both.

Note: Itasca State Park is about three hours from the Twin Cities. This is a full weekend trip, not a day trip. The park is massive and there’s a lot more to explore beyond the lake.

11. Mille Lacs Lake, Garrison Area

Mille Lacs is famous for walleye. It’s the second-largest inland lake in Minnesota and a fishing institution.

What people underestimate is the west shore near Garrison. Real sandy beaches, and the water gets warm enough for good swimming in summer.

The scale of this lake impresses me every time I see it. It just keeps going.

Pro tip: Mille Lacs Kathio State Park on the west shore has solid public beach access and is well worth the stop.

10. Gooseberry Falls State Park

People come to Gooseberry for the waterfalls. The falls are excellent. But a lot of visitors walk right past the Lake Superior shoreline, and that’s a miss.

The shoreline here is rocky and dramatic. The water is cold. It’s more of a “stand at the edge and feel the scale of things” beach than a swimming beach.

Still one of my favorite spots on the entire North Shore.

Pro tip: Summer weekends at Gooseberry fill up fast. Go on a weekday if you can. The parking situation on busy Saturdays is genuinely rough.

9. Lake Vermilion, Tower

Lake Vermilion is the northern Minnesota lake people make a long drive for without a second thought.

Clear water, pine-covered islands, and a scale that catches you off guard every time you see it in person. Tower is a small mining-history town on the south shore with that quiet, tucked-into-the-north feel.

If you haven’t been to Lake Vermilion, put it on the list. Ours too, if I’m being honest.

Note: Plan to stay at least two nights. The lake is massive and one day isn’t enough to really feel it.

8. Detroit Lakes City Beach

Detroit Lakes is the closest thing Minnesota has to a real beach town. I mean that as a sincere compliment.

The city beach on Detroit Lake stretches about a mile along the water right next to downtown. Sandy, well-maintained, beach volleyball, and the whole town is built around summer.

If you’ve never been, it’s going to surprise you.

Pro tip: The section near Fireman’s Beach is especially good for families with younger kids. Shallower water and an easy sandy entry.

7. Gull Lake, Nisswa

The Brainerd Lakes resort area has been a Minnesota summer institution for over a hundred years. Gull Lake is the flagship lake of that entire region.

Nice sandy swimming areas, clear water, and that full resort-town energy that makes the Brainerd area what it is. Grand View Lodge on the north shore is one of Minnesota’s most iconic resorts, and Mike and I have been wanting to stay there forever.

If you’re doing a Brainerd Lakes trip, Gull Lake is the one you want.

Pro tip: Village Bay Park near Nisswa has public beach access if you’re not staying at a lakeside resort. It’s a solid option and a good way to experience the lake without booking a room.

6. Two Harbors / Agate Bay

Two Harbors doesn’t get the same attention as Duluth or Grand Marais, but it belongs on your North Shore list.

Agate Bay has a mix of rocky and sandy shoreline, and the real draw is the agate hunting. Lake Superior agates wash up here constantly, and a lot of people come specifically for that.

It’s part beach day, part treasure hunt. I love it.

Pro tip: The best agate hunting happens after a storm, when the waves have shifted things around. Bring a small bag or bucket. You’ll fill it!

5. Grand Marais Harbor Beach

Grand Marais is the kind of town that makes you want to cancel your return plans. Mike and I love it here.

The harbor beach sits in a crescent around the bay, with Artist’s Point, a dramatic basalt peninsula, on one side and the town on the other. The beach is more cobblestone than sandy. The water is Lake Superior cold.

None of that changes how beautiful it is.

The town has great coffee (shout out to Java Moose!), a good brewpub, independent bookstores, and a real arts community. You could easily spend three days here.

Note: Grand Marais is close to the Canadian border, about five hours from Minneapolis. Give yourself at least two nights.

4. White Bear Lake

White Bear Lake has been a Twin Cities summer destination for generations. People have been coming here since before cars existed, and the tradition has held.

The city beach has a classic neighborhood feel, and the Fourth of July celebration is a whole scene.

One honest thing worth knowing: the lake has faced real water level decline in recent years, driven by groundwater use in the surrounding area. It’s still a great beach day, but it’s an ongoing issue and worth being aware of.

Pro tip: The waterfront near downtown White Bear Lake has some good restaurants within easy walking distance of the beach. Good for turning a swim into a full afternoon.

3. Leech Lake, Walker

Walker is a really good little lake town, and Leech Lake is the reason for it.

It’s the third-largest lake in Minnesota, with easy city beach access, good restaurants nearby, and a Northwoods resort feel that somehow hasn’t been over-developed. The lake is known as the walleye capital of Minnesota, so the fishing crowd is serious. The beach crowd, though, is way more manageable.

Standing on the shore at Leech Lake and looking out.. you almost forget you’re landlocked.

Pro tip: Ah-Gwah-Ching Beach on the north end of Walker is a great public option with solid facilities.

2. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

Split Rock might be the most dramatic spot on this entire list.

The lighthouse sits high on the cliffs above Lake Superior, and the beach below, called Pebble Beach, is covered in smooth basalt pebbles that clink together when the waves wash over them. It’s a different kind of beautiful than a sandy beach.

You don’t come here to swim laps. You come here to stand on the shore and feel the scale of Lake Superior. Mike and I have done exactly that, more than once.

The lighthouse on the cliff above you is one of the most iconic images in all of Minnesota, in my opinion.

Pro tip: The Split Rock Lighthouse is operated by the Minnesota Historical Society and has its own admission, separate from the state park entry fee. Buy tickets in advance in summer because it does sell out.

1. Park Point Beach, Duluth

Park Point is the crown jewel of Minnesota beaches, and it’s not even close.

Minnesota Point is the world’s longest freshwater sandbar, stretching about seven miles into Lake Superior. Park Point Recreation Area is the public beach at the end of that peninsula, and it’s genuinely unlike anything else in the state.

The beach is wide and sandy. You can see the Aerial Lift Bridge from shore, and ships pass by on their way in and out of the harbor.

Yes, the water is cold. Lake Superior stays cold through most of the summer. People swim anyway, because when you’re standing on a seven-mile sandbar with views like that, it would feel wrong not to.

The whole point has a neighborhood feel that Duluth doesn’t always get credit for. Old beach houses, a small airstrip, a natural area at the very tip.

Pro tip: Get there before 10am on summer weekends. The Park Point lot fills up fast, and street parking on the peninsula is limited.

The Wrap-Up

Minnesota’s beaches are real, and they’re good, and I wish more people knew that.

The state has over 10,000 lakes, and some of them have shores that can hold their own against anything you’d find on a coast. That might sound like hometown bias from someone who grew up here.

Maybe it is. But I’ve been to a lot of beaches. And standing on Park Point on a clear July day, with Superior stretching out in both directions, it holds up.