Itasca Swimming Beach (Grade A-)

[dreamshark]

Part of this year's State Park Odyssey is my ongoing search for the perfect swimming beach. This isn't it, but it's closer than the rest of this year's contenders.  Starting with extra points for the existence of something you would think would be standard at any developed public beach but shockingly is not: changing rooms. Itasca, with its solid historic park  infrastructure, offers this handsome toilet/changing room combination. There is even one shower among the plain changing cubicles for extra points! And if this is not another example of CCC-era construction it is a very good facsimile. 


The beach itself is no better than B+.  On the plus side, the water is clear and cold, swimming area is decent size with enough room for lap swimming, and there aren't a lot of water weeds. If you wanted to swim outside the buoyed area it would be pretty easy, due to the lack of water weeds and a surprising dearth of motor boats. I'm sure there are boats somewhere, but they don't seem to be buzzing the beach area. On the downside, that beautiful sandy beach is deceiving. From the waterline on, it is the worst kind of rocky entry, almost impossible to walk on without extreme discomfort. It was enough to dissuade Richard from even entering the water, which is sad. It looks like the perfect beach for wading into on a hot day, but it is not. 


Like most State Park beaches, it's located in a lovely picnic area with lots of shade and a few tables overlooking the water. And (as always) NO LIFEGUARD, which is a huge plus from my point of view.