Minnesota Seasons - McCarthy Beach State Park

About • Location • Activities • Ecology

About

Ownership

Minnesota DNR logo

Links

Minnesota DNR

Overview

History

Management

Comments

Location

Size

2,356 acres statutory, 2,048 owned

Driving Directions


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				St. Louis County
				Northeast Minnesota

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

Maps

Activities

Hiking

Biking

Mountain biking

Horseback riding

Picnicking

Camping

Backpacking

Rock climbing and bouldering

Swimming

Boating

Canoeing

Birdwatching

Nature photography

Geocaching

Cross country skiing

Skate-skiing

Winter hiking

Snowshoeing

Snowmobiling

Trails


Hiking	18 miles The Taconite State Trail, open to hiking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling, runs through the park.
Mountain bike	17 miles
Horse	16 miles The Taconite State Trail, open to hiking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling, runs through the park.
Cross country skiing
Snowmobile	12 miles The Taconite State Trail, open to hiking, horseback riding, and snowmobiling, runs through the park.
Snowshoe

Hunting and Fishing

No hunting. The park may hold one or more managed hunts in the fall.

In most cases, Minnesota residents do not need a permit to fish in Minnesota State Parks.


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


		Parking: Pickerel Lake Road


Parking: Pickerel Lake Road

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


Pickerel Lake Road


Pickerel Lake


Pickerel Lake


		Pickerel Spur


Parking: Ski Trail Road

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.


Ski Trail Road


Big Hole Trail


Red Top Trail


Ridge 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


Visitor Sightings

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Scott Bemman

Insects and Arachnids

American pelecinid wasp (Pelecinus polyturator)

green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris)

pale green assassin bug (Zelus luridus)

white-cheeked jumping spider (Pelegrina spp.)


Plants
western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)


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Plants
western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Visits

9/6/2011

7/7/2016


Amphibians
green frog (Rana clamitans)

Birds


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