Friday, May 26, 2023

Indiana: pools, beaches to open; some lifeguard openings still available

Get ready to cool off, Hoosiers. Public swimming pools located in Indiana State Parks will open this weekend, as will DNR swimming beaches.

Pools opening Saturday are at Brown County, Clifty Falls, McCormick’s Creek, O’Bannon Woods, Prophetstown, Shakamak, Spring Mill, Turkey Run, and Versailles state parks. In addition, the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park will open tomorrow, with lifeguards on duty.

The public pool at Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber State Recreation Area [SRA]) will open on Sunday. The Cagles Mill Lake swimming beach opens on Saturday.

The public pool at Spring Mill will be open the three days of Memorial Day weekend, close May 30-June 2, then re-open June 3, excluding Wednesday, when it will be closed.

Applications are still being accepted for lifeguard positions, which are open to qualified applicants ages 15 and older. For more information about lifeguarding, contact the state park property nearest you that is listed above. Phone numbers are under “Find a Park” at stateparks.IN.gov.

Beaches that offer swimming with no lifeguards open this weekend at Chain O’Lakes, Lincoln, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Summit Lake, and Whitewater Memorial state parks; at Starve Hollow and Deam Lake SRAs; and at Brookville, Cagles Mill (Lieber SRA), Cecil M. Harden (Raccoon SRA), Hardy, Mississinewa, Monroe, and Patoka lakes, as well as at Ferdinand State Forest. The beach at Salamonie Lake is closed to swimming this weekend due to low water levels.

Learn about the blue-green algae beach monitoring program, managed in partnership with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, at algae.IN.gov or on.IN.gov/dnrbga.

For public pool or beach hours at the property you plan to visit, contact the property directly since these vary by location. Directory information is at stateparks.IN.gov.

The aquatic center at Abe Martin Lodge (Brown County State Park) and the pools at Clifty Inn (Clifty Falls State Park), Potawatomi Inn (Pokagon State Park), and Turkey Run Inn (Turkey Run State Park) are open for registered guests.

Beaches generally remain open through Labor Day. Public pools generally are open through early to mid-August, depending on the availability of lifeguards as they return to school.

To view more statewide DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.