The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the Bloomington
East swimming beach. This large, sandy beach is open 1 May through 30 September,
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The swimming area is marked with a yellow, floating
buoy line that surrounds the area. Boats are prohibited from entering the area
by buoys and signs. The parking lot is paved and large enough to accommodate
users on all but the busiest of weekends. There is a change house with
restrooms and showers near the parking area, and two small outdoor showers are
located closer to the swimming area for a quick rinse off. A playground and
four picnic shelters, each with a volleyball court, are available for use in
this area. These shelters can be reserved by calling (877) 444-6777 or by going
online at www.recreation.gov.
For people not camping in the Corps of Engineers
campgrounds, there will be a $5.00/vehicle fee.
The fee for buses or commercial vehicles is $20.00/vehicle. Beach users, 16 yrs. of age and older, that
walk or bicycle in, will need to pay $2.00/person. Shelter users, with or without reservations,
will still need to pay the day use fee if they use the beach or launch at a
boat ramp. These day use fees can be
paid at the Bloomington East entrance self-pay station, or the self-pay station
located at the beach.
An annual Corps of Engineers day use pass can be purchased
from the Clinton Lake Information Center/Project Office, from a Corps of Engineers
Park Ranger, or from the Bloomington Park campground park attendant booths, for
an annual fee of $40.00. The annual day use pass is good at Corps of Engineers
areas nationwide for one year from the purchase date. Holders of any America the Beautiful Pass
(Annual, Senior, Access, Military, Every Kid in a Park 4th Grade
Pass, Volunteer) or Golden Age and Golden Access Passports, can use the beach
and boat ramps with no additional fee when pass is displayed on dash or rear
view mirror.
A few rules to remember when visiting the Bloomington Beach are:
- Alcohol is not allowed on the beach.
- Pets are not allowed on the beach.
- All users must have a permit (see above).