Minnesota State Parks · Minnesota
McCarthy Beach State Park
Minnesota State Parks · Minnesota, United States
- Sites
- 86
- Hookups
- 44 electric, 42 no hookups
- Season
- April 23 to October 24
- Max RV length
- 40 ft
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,421 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Side Lake
- Address
- 7622 McCarthy Beach Road
- Phone
- 218-274-7200
86 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
86 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
McCarthy Beach State Park is a Minnesota State Park campground offering 86 sites (44 electric) near Side Lake.
Fees
Minnesota DNR (dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fees.html) publishes the same statewide camping rate bands on its own fees page (a real, confirmed statewide schedule, not a per-park guess; tax is additional): Drive-in campsites $20-$35/night; cart-in/walk-in campsites (under 1/2 mile from parking) $20-$25/night; backcountry campsites (backpack/watercraft over 1/2 mile) $20-$23/night; equestrian campsites $22-$25/night; wall tents $35-$40/night; yurts $80/night; group campsites $50-$300/night. Electric hookup adds $10/night; water and sewer hookup (where available) adds $8/night; an EV charging site adds $7.50/night. A non-refundable reservation fee applies per site reserved in advance: $8 online, $10 by phone (no fee for same-day reservations). Minnesota residents with a qualifying physical disability receive a half-price campsite rate Sunday-Thursday. A separate statewide vehicle permit is required: $35/year; $7/day; $26/year for an additional vehicle; $30/year motorcycle permit; $12/year for persons with disabilities; $5/day for groups of 10+ vehicles. Pets are allowed in campgrounds. For the comfort and safety of your pet, other visitors, and wildlife, pets must be attended at all times and restrained on a leash or in an enclosure. (Minnesota DNR statewide policy, published on multiple state park pages, e.g. Itasca, Lake Bemidji and La Salle Lake SRA.)
Minnesota DNR says its drive-in campsites are available from late spring through mid-autumn, with some campgrounds staying open year-round, and asks campers to check with the park. Reservations run April 23 to October 24 on reservemn.usedirect.com. Stony Brook Horse Campground is open. Beatrice Lake Campground and Side Lake Campground are closed for the season. Stony Brook Horse Camp will remain open until October 31, 2026. Shower facilities are closed for the season. Showers will be turned back on May 11, 2027. Although the horse campground is not located in McCarthy Beach State Park, they are managed by the park. The page gives no opening or closing day; the dates held are the ones the reservation service sells.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | -3° | -29° | 41° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 20° | -1° | -31° | 47° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 37° | 18° | -12° | 62° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 43° | 30° | 9° | 69° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 63° | 43° | 30° | 80° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 71° | 55° | 44° | 87° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 78° | 61° | 50° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 75° | 59° | 54° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 69° | 54° | 40° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 53° | 39° | 24° | 70° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 35° | 25° | 3° | 58° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 24° | 11° | -23° | 46° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Stony Brook Horse Campground · State Forest · 5 mi · 17 sites
- Bear Lake Campground and Day-Use Area · State Forest · 11 mi · 27 sites
- Togo Horse Campground · State Forest · 13 mi · 12 sites
- Thistledew Campground and Day-Use Area · State Forest · 13 mi · 23 sites
- Chisholm Iron Trail Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 14 mi
All public campgrounds in Minnesota · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.