B.B. Clarke Beach Park

Address: | 835 Spaight St. |
Hours: | 4:00am - 10:00pm |
Park Type: | Mini |
Acres: | 1.73 |
Restroom: | Yes |
Drinking Water: | Yes |
Shoreline On: | Lake Monona |
Park Details
B.B Clarke Beach serves Madison's isthmus residents as a small beach on Lake Monona, perfect for relaxing on a summer's day.Bascom Byron Clarke was a prominent Madison resident from his arrival in 1890 until his unexpected death in 1929. More information: Wisconsin Historical Society
Alcohol is prohibited in this park. For more information, see the Madison General Ordinance 8.24. In order to have alcohol in this park, you must have an alcohol permit, which may be obtained through the Parks Administrative Office.
Park Highlights

"Beautiful Madison, for all thou hast been to me, I love thee as I love no other place on earth. May you grow to be the greatest in all things as you have grown to be the greatest in many things!" ~ B. B. Clarke, 1902 (Madison, Past and Present)
At this Park
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Beach
Beach Season Updates
As of Thursday, May 22, 2025
- Due to the unseasonable cool air and water temperatures, Parks staff have not yet installed lane lines and swim buoys at their designated locations. We anticipate these will be installed by Friday, May 30.
- Public Health Madison and Dane County water quality testing at designated beaches will begin next week.
Beach swimming season is typically Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. This is when Parks staff clean and maintain designated beaches and sites with restrooms are open from approximately 11am to 7pm daily. See RESTROOMS to view locations. Swimming ropes are provided at a number of the beaches and indicated on this page. No lifeguards are on duty.
Lake Water Quality Testing
Public Health Madison & Dane County performs lake water quality testing starting around Memorial Day and continuing through around Labor Day. Water quality test results are automatically posted on this page and signal whether the water in the swimming area is "OK" or "CLOSED." The beach area and park remain open. If OK, the water quality is approved for swimming, however, it does not mean a lifeguard is on duty.
Accessiblity
Thanks to funding provided by the Madison Parks Foundation, accessible beach mats are available at Bernie's and Vilas beaches.
Rules
The following rules apply to designated beaches and beach areas.- No dogs are allowed on the sand or in the roped swim area.
- Only US Coast Guard-approved lifejackets are allowed.
- Alcohol is allowed at certain beaches; see Park Rules for further details.
- Children under 5 years of age must be actively supervised (watching your child at all times and providing immediate assistance) by a caregiver 16 years of age or over.
- Toys are allowed, but the use of toys may be restricted for the safety of patrons.
- The City of Madison is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.
- Boats are not allowed in the swimming area. The swim area is defined by the outer buoys.
- Fishing is not allowed in the swimming area.
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B.B. Clarke Beach
Public Health Water Testing:Address: 835 Spaight St.Open
Restroom: Yes
Drinking Water: Yes
Parking: Street Parking
Amenities: Playground
Swim Ropes: Yes
Lifeguard: No
B.B. Clarke Beach Details -
Canoe & Kayak Launch Site
Madison Parks offers various locations to launch a canoe or kayak and is allowed at all of Madison Parks motorboat launch sites. Additionally, the parks listed below have a specially designated area for launch.
If you are looking to store your kayak or canoe in a park, please visit the storage webpage.
View all Canoe & Kayak Launch Sites -
Canoe & Kayak Storage
Watercraft Storage Spaces
Explore Madison's beautiful lakes, rivers, and creeks by paddle and store your canoe, kayak or paddleboard on the shores of your favorite park. All storage racks are outdoors and uncovered. The annual storage period begins each year on April 1 and ends on March 15 of the following year.
How to Reserve:- You may be placed on our waitlist at no charge by calling (608) 266-4711 or EMAIL. Please include your name, phone number, email address, and any order of preferences on storage location.
- Current users can renew their watercraft storage yearly in late winter/early spring and no later than March 15.
- As spaces become available, those on the waitlist will be contacted after April 1 and offered the opportunity to reserve a space.
City of Madison Resident - Annual, single watercraft $135 City of Madison Resident - Annual, 2 watercraft, same space (100# max) $200 Non-resident - Annual, single watercraft $260 Non-resident - Annual, 2 watercraft, same space (100# max) $380
Watercraft storage rules include:- Watercraft must not exceed 100 pounds, 18' length, 42" width or 24" height.
- Storage is for permitted watercraft only. No personal property or other watercraft may be kept on racks for any length of time.
- Watercraft must be secured to the boat storage rack. The owner accepts all liability for theft or damage to their property.
- Parks Staff reserves the right to cut any lock and remove any watercraft, under any condition it deems necessary for the function of the boat storage program.
- View 2025 Agreement and Rules.
- Brittingham & Wingra Parks: Madison Boats
- Olbrich Park: Rutabaga Paddlesports
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Fishing
Madison Parks offers seasonal and year-round fishing piers. Year-round locations include Brittingham Park (near shelter), Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park, South (School Road), Olbrich Park (Starkweather Creek), and Spring Harbor Park.
An accessible pier is located in Vilas Park, on Lake Wingra and at Warner Park, on the Warner Park lagoon.
Wisconsin residents aged 16 years old or older need a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. Nonresidents aged 16 years old or older need a nonresident fishing license to fish in Wisconsin waters with hook and line. Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for more information.View all Fishing
Every year, the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June and the third Saturday and Sunday in January, are designated as Free Fishing Weekends throughout the state of Wisconsin. Residents and nonresidents of all ages can fish without a fishing license (and trout stamps) over these two days. Visit WI DNR
MESSAGE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH MADISON & DANE COUNTY: Eating fish can be a delicious, low-cost, and nutritious meal. However, eating certain fish can also be harmful because they may contain mercury, PCBs, or PFAS. See PHMDC for more information. -
Parking Lot
Parking lots in parks are available for park programs or events during regular park hours: 4:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Parking Rules
- Driving or parking motorized vehicles is not allowed on the grass or near a shelter and is subject to a citation.
- Three-hour limit in all parks, as posted.
- No parking after hours: 10pm to 4am. Overnight parking is not allowed.
- Conservation park hours are 4am until one hour after sunset
- Follow all onsite parking regulation signs.
- Violators are subject to a fine.
The parking lot located on the eastern side of Law Park, commonly known as the Blair Lot, is a metered parking lot, enforced by City of Madison Parking Division between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
View all Parking Lots -
Playground
With more than 175 playgrounds throughout Madison, you are never too far from a playground. According to the Trust for Public Land, Madison ranks #1 in the nation for the number of playgrounds available. The traditional swings and slides are always an option, as are new play elements and fully accessible playgrounds.
PLAYGROUNDS FOR EVERYONE
Through the Madison Parks Foundation initiative, Madison Parks offers accessible playgrounds in Brittingham, Elver, Rennebohm and Warner parks. An accessible playground is anticipated in Reindahl Park in the near future.
NATURE PLAYGROUNDS
A nature playground uses natural materials such as logs, rocks, plants, and the surrounding land to create a play environment that encourages children to explore and connect with nature. Nature play elements can combined with traditional playground equipment like slides, swings and climbers. Check out Brittingham Park and Olbrich Park to get you started, other parks include Paunack, Garner, Tenney, Westmorland and Wingra.
PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS: HOW AND WHEN
View all Playgrounds
Madison Parks is responsible for maintaining more than 175 playgrounds and began a system-wide replacement initiative in 2013. With current staff and funding resources, replacements are scheduled to continue through 2033. Playgrounds are routinely inspected to assess the equipment's conditions and repair any safety concerns. Based on the age of the equipment and current conditions, each is given an audit score. The number of playgrounds replaced each year is based on budget allocations, staffing resources, and using the current playground audit score for prioritization.
REPLACEMENT PROCESS: NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT
At the start of the replacement process, notices are sent to the District Alder, neighborhood association representatives, and surrounding residential addresses. Information is also posted to the project website. Generally, two public meetings are held to review surfacing and equipment options and make final selections.
If you have questions about a specific playground or see something broken, please let us know.-
B.B. Clarke Beach Park - Playground
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Restroom
Restroom Updates
- Country Grove's new restrooms remain CLOSED as construction wraps up. They are anticipated to open starting Friday, June 13.
Madison Parks offers seasonal and year-round restrooms throughout the park system. Indoor restrooms are open daily, approximately 10am to 8pm.
Open Year-Round- Brittingham Park (2) at beach house and boat house+
- Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North*
- Door Creek Park+
- Elver Park enclosed shelter*
- Owen Conservation Park*
- Warner Park boat launch*
+ADA Accessible Portable
NOTE: Portable toilets not identified on this page are most likely arranged by a user group, such as an athletic organization and may not be accessible. All portable restrooms identified on the page are arranged by Madison Parks and are ADA accessible.
View all Restrooms-
B.B. Clarke Beach Park
OPEN
Notes: See Beaches: cityofmadison.com/parks/beach for the schedule.