Bare Ass Beach

Bare Ass Beach is a sandbank on the Mississippi River Gorge below East River Parkway, near the Franklin Avenue bridge in Minneapolis, reached by dirt paths down the bluff. It has been used as a nude beach and a gay cruising spot for decades, with dusk the traditional time. Treat our listing as unverified for current activity. Things to know: park police have run patrols here since 2024, enforcing indecent-exposure and alcohol rules, and drone surveillance has been reported. Public sex can lead to arrest. The river current is dangerous, so wade rather than swim. Learn the path back up before it gets dark.