There are two types of places that families seek in the warm weather: playgrounds and swimming spots.
Nestled within lakes country Minnesota just 100 miles east of Fargo-Moorhead is Lake Brophy County Park, a recreational space guaranteed to meet the needs of your active family this summer!
Lake Brophy County Park
Lake Brophy County Park is northwest of Alexandria, Minnesota and is dissected by the Central Lakes Trail, a 55-mile-long trail that runs through west central Minnesota from Fergus Falls to Osakis. The park offers a public beach, a massive — and inclusive — playground, picnic shelters, restrooms, and biking and hiking trails.
Public Beach
Along the north shore of Lake Brophy is a public beach. The sandy beach is both long and wide, allowing for many families to enjoy the space. There is no lifeguard on duty, but floating buoys outline a safe swimming area within sight of the entire beach. Enjoy plenty of sun along the beach and there are plenty of trees to provide ample shade.
For added convenience, there’s a walking path, parking lot, and family restrooms adjacent to the beach. These make it easy to both set up for, and tear down from, a day at the beach.
Near the family restrooms is a drinking fountain, trash can, recycling bin, and an outdoor shower. The shower has spickets at three different heights so that the entire family can rinse off prior to getting dressed.
And for those wanting to binge their favorite show or scroll social media, the beach even offers free public Wi-Fi!
Playground
On the north side of the Central Lakes Trail and centrally located within the park is a massive and fully accessible playground for all ages. Within the playground are seven slides, three structures, six swings (two specialty), and a variety of sensory-friendly gliders, spinners, and merry-go-rounds. Older children can enjoy more challenging areas like climbing walls, nets, and rocking footpaths.
The base of the playground is woodchips, but each structure is accessible by a ramp and rubber pathway.
Shelters
Shelters throughout the park can accommodate small groups for a simple family picnic or even larger groups for events like reunions, parties, and receptions. While all the shelters include simple accommodations, some also offer charcoal grills, electricity, private restrooms, enclosed spaces, and air conditioning.
Many of the shelters at Lake Brophy County Park (and throughout the Douglas County Park Department) are available for private reservations.
Trails
In addition to a small portion of the Central Lakes Trail, Lake Brophy County Park has public hiking and bike trails. There are three miles of mowed hiking trails and eight mountain bike trails of varying difficulty. Prior to visiting, review the trail map to determine which route is best for your family’s needs and abilities.
Parking
There are five parking lots within the park, each centrally located to a particular point of interest.
Three parking lots are located along Beach Access Drive, including the primary lot for the public beach. The first and most westerly of these lots is near Green Lane; it is an ideal location for those looking for direct access to the Central Lakes Trail.
One large parking lot is located along the Lake Brophy Park Visitors Center and playground. This lot is accessible via the main park entrance off Brophy Landing Northwest and is near the park’s southern trailhead.
One parking lot is on the north end of the park, south of Centennial Drive Northwest and near the park’s northern trailhead.
Make it a Day Trip
With all that the park has to offer, it is well worth making Lake Brophy County Park a day trip! Pack a picnic lunch, bikes, sunscreen, and all your beach gear for a day full of activity and adventure!
