McCarthy Beach State Park is a Minnesota state park run by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in French Township, St. Louis County, about 16 miles north of Chisholm on the Iron Range. Its developed area is a narrow strip of pines between Sturgeon Lake and Side Lake, two of the five connected lakes in the Sturgeon chain, and the swim beach is on the Sturgeon Lake side. Range families were swimming at "McCarthy's beach" in the 1930s. The park, named for former landowner John A. McCarthy, opened in 1945 as a World War II memorial.

Use the street address, 7622 McCarthy Beach Road, Side Lake, when you set your GPS. The DNR warns that some navigation apps send drivers to a remote corner of the park if you search by name. From Hibbing, take U.S. 169 to Chisholm, then follow County Highway 5 north for 16 miles. Stop at the park office first. The entrance road ends at a T just past it: turn right for the Side Lake Campground or left for the beach and day-use area on Sturgeon Lake.

The beach is soft, fine sand along about half a mile of Sturgeon Lake shoreline. The bottom shelves so gradually that the water is still about knee-deep 100 feet or more from shore. Small kids love it. Strong swimmers have a long walk before it gets deep. The main swimming area is marked, and people often play frisbee or volleyball in the shallows south of it. On busy summer days dozens of boats anchor just offshore, so watch for boat traffic. This is a northern lake and the water stays cool into early summer. The DNR's listing does not mention lifeguards, so watch your own group. The beach has restrooms with changing rooms, water spigots and shaded picnic tables under the pines. A 2021 WDIO report described an accessible ramp down to the sand and a floating beach wheelchair you could check out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission is not free. Every vehicle needs a Minnesota state parks vehicle permit, even if you are only going to the beach. A one-day permit is $7, a year-round permit is $35, and an additional year-round permit for a second vehicle is $26. You can buy permits at the park office or online. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Office hours are reduced in the fall (recently Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), so buy a permit online if you are visiting on a weekday off season.

As of late September 2026, a broken underground water line has shut off the spigots at the picnic shelter and the group camp until it is repaired. Water is still available at the beach, the ranger station and the dump station. The boat landing on Sturgeon Lake, near the group camp at the south end, only works for shallow-draft boats because the water is so shallow. Park roads are narrow and crowded in summer.

Beyond the beach, the park has about 18 miles of hiking trails through red and white pine, with Pickerel Lake a favorite destination, plus horse and bike trails that connect to the Taconite State Trail. There is a fishing pier on Side Lake, and the park office loans out rods and tackle. Canoes, kayaks, rowboats and a paddleboat are rented near the Side Lake Campground. A reservable enclosed picnic shelter with a round fireplace sits on the bluff south of the beach. Side Lake Campground is scheduled to close for the season on October 20, 2026.