McCarthy Beach State Park


	Location

	Maps
	All Season Map

	Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates


	Size
	2,356 acres statutory, 2,048 owned

	Parking
	7622 McCarthy Beach Road Side Lake, MN 55781 N47 40.174, W93 1.823

	Hours
	Daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

	Fees
	Daily park permit: $7 Annual park permit: $35


	Driving Directions
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					St. Louis County
					Northeast Minnesota


	Ecology

	Ecological Classification
	Ecological Province			Laurentian Mixed Forest Province
	Ecological Section			Northern Minnesota & Ontario Peatlands Northern Superior Uplands
	Ecological Subsection			Littlefork-Vermillion Uplands Nashwauk Uplands
	Land Type Association			Nashwauk Moraine Rauch Till Plain

	Native Plant Communities*
	Cattail - Sedge Marsh (Northern) Graminoid Poor Fen (Basin) Low Shrub Poor Fen Northern Dry-Mesic Mixed Woodland Northern Wet Meadow / Carr Poor Black Spruce Swamp Poor Tamarack - Black Spruce Swamp Red Pine - White Pine Woodland: Balsam Fir Subtype Red Pine Woodland (Sand) Sand Beach (Inland Lake) Sedge Meadow Sedge Meadow, Lake Sedge Subtype Sedge Meadow: Bluejoint Subtype
	* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

	Natural Features


	Visitor Photos

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	Park Entrance


	Sturgeon Lake


	Pickerel Lake Road (County Road 915) Pickerel Lake Road is a minimum maintenance road but can be used by vehicles without high suspension.



	Parking: Pickerel Lake Road


	Pickerel Spur


	Pickerel Lake




	Ski Trail Road (County Road 501) County Road 501 is very narrow. Brush and branches on the side of the road will add texture to any vehicle’s exterior.



	Parking: Ski Trail Road


	Big Hole Trail


	Red Top Trail


	Ridge Trail




	Red Pine - White Pine Woodland: Balsam Fir Subtype

Camera


	Slideshows


	McCarthy Beach State Park Richard Sanders

	About McCarthy Beach State Park



	McCarthy Beach State Park Lars Hammar

	About McCarthy Beach State Park is one of Minnesota's real gems. It was created as a park in the 1950's because it still had a large stand of unlogged virgin pines. And though a tornado in the 1960's took down most of the largest trees, the area is still preserved and the forest is rebuilding.



	Side Lake Campground, McCarthy Beach State Park, Minnesota campsitephotosdotcom

	About Published on Oct 29, 2013 Favorite Sites: 1, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 29, 31, 34, 38, 42, 49, 51



	Beatrice Lake Campground, McCarthy Beach State Park, Minnesota campsitephotosdotcom

	About Published on Oct 29, 2013 Favorite Sites: 3, 4, 6, 8, 21, 26

slideshow


	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	CBroPhotography Sunset from McCarthy Beach State Park

	About Published on Nov 11, 2013 No description available.

Camcorder

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Two bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:
Endangered	Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)
Threatened	Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)