It’s nearly time to make a splash at Indiana State Parks, with public pools opening Memorial Day weekend, as well as the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park. Recruitment is underway to hire and certify lifeguards to support a safe environment while cooling off this summer.

“Lifeguarding is a great way to spend a summer and find out what working at an Indiana State Park is like,” said Brandt Baughman, deputy director for operations for the division, who began his DNR career as a lifeguard at Spring Mill State Park.

Lifeguards are being recruited for the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park and for pools at:

– Brown County State Park

– Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber State Recreation Area [SRA])

– Clifty Falls State Park

– McCormick’s Creek State Park

– O’Bannon Woods State Park (aquatic center)

– Prophetstown State Park (aquatic center)

– Shakamak State Park

– Spring Mill State Park

– Turkey Run State Park

– Versailles State Park

All pools listed will be open on Saturday through Monday, May 24-26; Saturday and Sunday, May 31-June 1; and then will be open daily June 7 through Aug. 1. The beach at Indiana Dunes State Park will be open for swimming with lifeguards following this same schedule.

Lifeguard positions are open to applicants 15 and older. If you are interested in becoming a lifeguard, contact the closest property to you as listed above to see if a certification course is available. Property phone numbers are listed at on.IN.gov/stateparks under “Find a park.” More information is at on.IN.gov/dnr-lifeguard.

All other beaches will also open for swimming on Memorial Day weekend and remain open for swimming through Labor Day weekend. This includes:

– Brookville Lake/Whitewater Memorial State Park

– Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber SRA)

– Cecil M. Harden (Raccoon SRA)

– Chain O’Lakes State Park

– Deam Lake SRA

– Ferdinand State Forest

– Hardy Lake
– Mississinewa Lake

– Monroe Lake

– Ouabache State Park

– Patoka Lake

– Pokagon State Park
– Potato Creek State Park

– Salamonie Lake

– Starve Hollow SRA

– Summit Lake State Park

The beach at Lincoln State Park will close after the July 4 weekend as the lake level is dropped for maintenance on the dam.

The aquatic center at Abe Martin Lodge at Brown County State Park and the pools at Clifty Inn (Clifty Falls State Park), Potawatomi Inn (Pokagon State Park), and Turkey Run Inn (Turkey Run State Park) will continue to welcome inn guests.

Beginning Aug. 1, pools and the beach at Indiana Dunes State Park will likely return to operating on weekends only, as lifeguards return to school.

To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.