McCarthy Beach State Park

About McCarthy Beach State Park

Come to McCarthy Beach State Park and you'll remember the lake and explore the interconnected lakes, beaches, waterfalls and scenic views by boat. Immerse yourself in the waters of the State Park, which Highways Magazine has named one of the 10 most beautiful US national parks in the Great Lakes region. Come back and spend a whole day hiking, biking, fishing, picnicking, kayaking, canoeing, boating and more at McCarthy Beach.

You can escape the beauty and comfort of the park's sandy beach and enjoy picturesque paths that wind through a large population of red and white pines. Visit the Taconite Trail to gain access to hundreds of miles of additional trails. You can enjoy gentle hills, leather-covered plains and a picturesque path that winds through large populations of red and white pine. The park is protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Like the cooling lava of an ancient volcano, glaciers are tearing through the rock, and the first glaciers stopped at McCarthy Beach today. Over time, the glaciers have retreated to the north, flowed south, retreated again, flowed south again, and then returned to the north.

The glaciers that have moved into the area have carved their way through a thick layer of sand, sandstone and rock.

From this perspective, visitors can imagine the gigantic forces that moved and shaped the region. The lake forms a large valley, and the glaciers have carved the valley into the hills, leaving behind a steep side called the moraine.

More than 175 bird species visit the area, and visitors are spoiled by divers gliding over the lake and by large blue herons chasing small fish in the shallows. Thirty-three species live in and around the park, including white-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, elks, elks, wolves, foxes, raccoons, owls, birds of prey and more. The hills and paths of this park provide a great opportunity to see a variety of bird species as well as a wide range of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and reptiles.

When the first settlers arrived over 100 years ago, the giant red and white pines reached as far as the eye could see. These old giants attracted loggers to the area around Lake Sturgeon, and it did not take long for timber mills to be built in this booming mining town.

The first sawmill was built in 1884 on the site near the village of Hibbing, just a few years after the State Park opened.

In 1895 the Swan River Logging Company built a railway to Sturgeon Lake and in 1896 a railway from Sturgeon to St. Paul, Minnesota.

The railroad took the logs to the Swan River, where they were washed down the Mississippi to sawmills in Minneapolis. Over the years, the area has become an important source of timber for the U.S. Forest Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

After the owner, John A. McCarthy, died in 1943, his daughter sold the land to forest workers in 1946. Residents were concerned about the fate of the forest and were able to convince the new owners to sell it. They raised the money to finance the sale, and with local money combined with state money, the lands were bought and turned into a state park.

US Highway 169, which leads through the woods to McCarthy Beach State Park on the west side of the park, south of Interstate 95.