FAQs

• No Smoking
• No Pets
• No Bicycles
• No Collecting of Any Kind
• No Fires (including grills)
• Please walk, never run, by another visitor

Beaver Lake is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Beaver Lake is open from 7:30 am until dusk (call for exact time). The visitor center is open at 8:00 am until 15 minutes before closing time.

A per vehicle admission is charged as you exit the Nature Center. Click here for the current prices. Admission is free for Friends of Beaver Lake - Click here for Friends of Beaver Lake membership information.
Please note: During select special events there is a per person admission charge for everyone entering the Nature Center, this includes Golden Harvest Festival and Enchanted Beaver Lake.

No, if you shop at the gift shop you will be able to exit for free. Please note: During Golden Harvest Festival there is a per person admission charge for everyone entering the Nature Center. 

The overlook parking area on Vann Road is open during the day during the spring and fall migration. This is not a point of access to the trails.

Fishing, as well as hunting, is not permitted at Beaver Lake. Being a Nature Center, Beaver Lake is considered a wildlife sanctuary.

Canoeing and kayaking is permitted on weekends (9 am – 5pm) beginning in early May (around Mother’s Day weekend) and ending Labor Day weekend. (Weekdays (9am – 4:30 pm): starting after school is out until Labor Day weekend.) Canoes and Kayaks are available for rent for $10 an hour. View Canoeing & Kayaking current schedule.

Private canoes and kayaks are permitted on weekdays only (with the exception of holidays). You must check in at the front desk first and register for the ‘lake steward’ program. This program instructs you how to clean your vessel at our washing station before launch. This program aims to eliminate the risk of introducing invasive plants, animals or pathogens to the lake.

No, canoes and Kayaks are the only water vessels allowed on the lake.

Swimming is not permitted at Beaver Lake.

Beaver Lake rents snowshoes for $5.00 per hour. You also can bring your own pair to hike the trails. There are two trails specifically designated for snowshoeing and others that are shared with hikers. Trails are opened for snowshoeing when there is at least a 6 inch base of snow.
Snowshoes are rented weather permitting.

Beaver Lake does not rent skis. When there is sufficient snow, several trails are designated for cross-country skiing only. These trails are maintained using a track setter.

Dogs are not permitted at Beaver Lake. Dogs are not allowed as they can have an adverse effect on the Nature Center’s wildlife and other visitors that come for nature study.

Beaver Lake’s trails are intended for nature study (i.e. Bird Watching) and walking.

Bikes are not permitted on the trails at Beaver Lake.

The 0.3 mile Lakeview trail is specifically designed to be accessible to wheelchairs.

The trails are good for beginners, as there are only gradual inclines. They are also mulched which makes walking easier and prevents them from getting muddy.

Fires and grills are not allowed. There are several picnic tables and a pavilion where you may enjoy a cold picnic.

Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at Beaver Lake.

The assembly room may be rented but only after 4 pm when available. The pavilion, council ring and classrooms may also be rented. Call for current pricing. The gazebo is not rented.

Beaver Lake offers ‘Natural Birthday Parties’. Click here for more information.