Rotary Park & Wading Pool comes with a playground, tennis court, green space, basketball and sand pit. Hidden away in a neighborhood, this wading pool is the deepest one in Central Minnesota.

Address: 1507 Goettens Way, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Park Hours: Unknown. There is ZERO information on the cities website or at the park indicating hours that I could find.
Rotary Park Pool Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 1:00 – 7:00 pm
Website: Wading Pools & Splash Pads
Cost: Free
Bathrooms: Flush toilets available
Amenities: Wading Pool, Playground, Tennis Court, Basketball, Green space.

If you’ve ever wondered about parks in St. Cloud, MN, I’m slowly filling this website with a detailed description of each. There are 94 parks in the Saint Cloud area.

However, not all come with playgrounds or wading pools. St. Cloud wading pools are by far our least favorite in the area.

The lifeguards are SUPER STRICT on what you can and cannot bring into the pool, have limited days and hours for access to the pools and are only open for a short 2 of the 3 months of summer.

The other major downside that my family really dislikes is that all St. Cloud Parks allow smoking.

To me, this is very troublesome. Of all the places we’ve lived around the country, this is the FIRST and ONLY city that allows tobacco in their parks.

Which means that people will happily smoke around your kids and then toss their cigarette butts into the sandpit your child is about to play in.

When I questioned the city about why the parks are not tobacco free, they informed me that in 2012 a bill was proposed to make parks tobacco free and was turned down. Since then there hasn’t been any interest by those in the community to make the tobacco free.

What irritates me the most is that the city has paid to have poop bags available at public parks for the convenience of dog owners but see no reason to install ash trays. When I asked why, they informed me that it would be too costly.

The easy answer is to make all parks tobacco free. However unless there is a surge of people asking for reform or signing petitions, this isn’t a topic the city is going to deal with.

Within the city of St. Cloud, there are 7 wading pools and 3 splash pads. Each wading pool is open Tuesday – Sunday from 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm, weather permitting.

All are gated and if the fence is hopped, the city is not responsible for harm that may come upon the trespassers.

With each of these wading pools is usually a park close by and picnic benches. This is the case for Rotary Park West. Bring a sack lunch, and plan to stay for a while.

The pools are chilly as they are naturally warmed by the sun and after a quick dip, your children will want a visit to the playground.

Located on over an acre of land, Rotary Park in St. Cloud, MN is a hidden gem in a neighborhood close to Calvary Park.

Wading Pool:

When it comes to wading pools in Saint Cloud, you’ll be surprised by this one. It has a mushroom sprayer and is the deepest of all the St. Cloud wading pools.

Traditionally only 18 inches deep, this pool appears to be 24 inches deep at the deepest point.

This wading pool at Rotary Park has two lifeguards on duty and they are as strict as all St. Cloud lifeguards are. No flotation devices and only small toys allowed.

It seems quite silly to me that there are two life guards on duty for such a small wading pool that barely comes to your knees, but apparently the city feels it is unsafe with only one lifeguard.

Keep in mind that as a St. Cloud Park, smoking and tobacco use is allowed. Funny enough, it is against the law however to leave dog poop on the ground. You must pick it up and dispose of it.

Also note that there is not a parking lot for this park and most of the street space is a no parking zone. There is street parking on off streets as well as before the park. So be prepared to hike to the park with all your gear if it’s a busy day.

Playground:

Considered a neighborhood park, Rotary park is smaller than many. However it does have plenty of toys to occupy your children. Swings, slides, spinner and climbing structure are all available in a pit of sand.

If you have toddler aged children, keep an eye out for cigarette butts. Little hands can pop those into their mouths within seconds.

Tennis Court:

There is a single concrete tennis court available for use. It’s seen better days, however it is still functioning and available for use. Bring your own racket and balls.

Basketball:

Next to the tennis court is a half court basketball hoop. Perfect for practicing your shots, dribbling and playing HORSE.

Green space:

You’ll find picnic benches and plenty of green space to play games or run around. I did not see grills so bring your own picnic if you plan on eating.