Honeysuckle Beach is a small city park on the west shore of Hayden Lake, run by the City of Hayden as a special use park for swimmers and boaters. It sits at the east end of Honeysuckle Avenue on the edge of Honeysuckle Bay, near the lake's south end. The city opened it in 1992, paying for it with grant money and a little over $20,000 in local donations, and it is one of only two public access points on the lake. Hayden Lake itself is a natural lake of about 3,800 acres ringed by forested hills and lakefront homes, so most of the shoreline you see from the beach is private.

To get there, head east on Honeysuckle Avenue from Government Way or US 95 in Hayden and follow it until it ends at the water. A paved lot sits right behind the beach, and a second lot is a short walk up the road. Beach parking is free. The busiest part of the lot belongs to boat trailers, and on hot summer weekends both lots fill early, so arriving in the morning or on a weekday makes a real difference. No overnight parking is allowed.

The swim area is a roped section of water off a strip of sand, enclosed on the lake side by a square of floating docks. That dock frame gives kids and newer swimmers something to grab and keeps boats out of the swim zone. Behind the sand there is a grassy lawn with some shade, picnic table platforms, a beach volleyball court and seasonal restrooms. The beach is unguarded and the city calls it a swim-at-your-own-risk facility. Hayden plans to staff a beach attendant Wednesday through Saturday in summer (dates can change), but that person has no lifeguard duties, so parents need to watch their own children, and the city asks non-swimmers to wear a life jacket. Expect cool water early in the season, as on most North Idaho lakes.

Swimming and walking onto the beach cost nothing. The only fee is for the boat ramp, charged per vehicle using the launch: a day permit is $10 for Idaho vehicles and $20 for out-of-state or watersport and commercial vehicles, good until 11:59 p.m. on the day of purchase. Annual ramp permits run $80 for in-state households and $160 for out-of-state households or commercial operators. Permits are sold at the kiosk by the lot or online through the city. The city does not post set beach hours online, and it has closed the beach and launch for events, such as a Memorial Day ceremony that kept it closed until 11 a.m.

Watch for boat traffic just outside the docks, since the ramp sits right next to the swim area and summer boat traffic in and out of the launch is steady. Panhandle Health District has issued cyanobacteria advisories for the north end of Hayden Lake in recent summers, including one covering McLeans Bay and points north. Honeysuckle Beach is several miles south of that area, but check the health district's current advisories before swimming and stay out of discolored or scummy water.

Paddlers use the beach to put in kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, and weekday mornings are the quietest time to be on the water here. Hayden's other parks, including McIntire Family Park next to City Hall, are a few minutes west by car if you want playgrounds or a covered shelter.