There are many great reasons to visit a beach in your area. Spending time swimming, building sandcastles, throwing the frisbee, having a picnic, going on walks, or simply soaking up the sun, beaches are a host to a wide range of exciting activities.
You can discover several swimming beaches in Iowa City that are are within a quick drive with the assistance of our list of beaches. The following is a collection to help you search for a beach near Iowa City. Search for the beach name, a city, or a zip code to filter beaches.
Beaches Near Iowa City
The majority of beaches in Iowa City, IA will be open for the public but some are closed to the public. You should look at their website to see if it is possible to visit the beach without breaking any rules. You should not be surprised if a beach you wish to visit is closed because of their daily hours, closing on certain days, or the season.
Keep in mind that the weather on the beach is usually different than what you find in the city. Wind is usually stronger and unpredictible whenever it is coming onto a beach.
Rules of the Beach
Whenever you visit any beach in Iowa City, there are always guidelines that you must follow. Nearly all beaches will post the following rules.
- Do not swim beyond the specified swimming region.
- Building a fire may not be permitted on the majority of public Iowa City beaches.
- Clean up after yourself.
- Most beaches in Iowa City have curfews except for certain holidays.
- Glass bottles can easily shatter, so don’t bring bottles made of glass to the beach.
- Drinking at the beach may not be permitted.
Iowa City Beach Travel Tips
- Will the beach have lifeguards? Many sizeable Iowa City beaches will have a lifeguard supervising, however do not assume that a lifeguard being at the beach. While heading out to the beach, check to see if there are beach warning signs. Sometimes they list lifeguard hours.
- Prepare for cold weather. Even if you’re expecting hot weather at the beach, it’s important to understand that the temperature at the beach can change very quickly. This is particularly important if you are wanting to go for a swim, so pack extra dry items like sweatshirts, towels, pants, and socks.
- Find a shady area. If you think that finding shade may be tough, or if you know that there probably won’t be many shady spots around, pack your own! Use a beach umbrella, pop up beach tent, or similar equipment that blocks sunlight. It’s best to use something that provides good ventilation.
- Protect your eyes. Too much sun can cause irreparable damage to your vision. Even if there’s clouds in the skyy, white sand and water can reflect light back towards your eyes. Pick a pair of sunglasses that have polarized lenses and pack a sunhat for more protection.
- Check the bathroom situation. Bathroom locations may be the least of your worries before you plan out your beach trip. But no one wishes to be stuck in a situation when you have to go to the bathroom fast but you can’t find one available. If you’re unable to locate restroom details on the website of the beach, you can plan on the fact that a public bathroom or porta potty isn’t available. Make sure that you go to the bathroom before leaving for the beach.
- Never Litter. Do not be a part of the problem of trash on the beach. When you bring stuff to the beach, you should pick up not leave anything behind. Be sure that you throw away your litter in an appropriate trash or recycling receptacles.
- Rip tides. This may not be an important consideration if you plan to go to beaches on a lake or river, but rip tides deserve a lot of attention go to an ocean beach or a large body of water that has frequent rip tides. Learn the indicators and know how to survive if you’re stuck in a rip tide.
- Store items in a mesh bag. It may be easy to find a backpack, grocery bag, or water-resistant duffle bag to store beach gear like towels, kid toys, flotation devices, and Personal Flotation Devices. But these types of bags trap moisture from evaporating, leading to mold growth or just keeping beach essentials from drying out.