Spenard Beach Park

3412 Lakeshore Drive

Park History

The parkland is operated by the Municipality of Anchorage and leased from the State of Alaska. Starting in 1968, the Spenard Lions Club developed a project to open the park for swimming in the summertime. The original use permit allowed use of the park in summer only, with as many as 800 members of the Anchorage community swimming on the weekends. In the winter, Spenard Beach Park was a popular skating destination.

In 1994, the Anchorage airport expanded the number of airplane tie downs in the park, making swimming unsafe. The park is still open, but swimming is not allowed.

The lake and the neighborhood are named for Joe Spenard, an early settler who homesteaded on the shore of the lake named after him.

Features & Amenities

• Play equipment for 5-12 year olds
  
• Portable toilets from May through September
  
• Parking lot 40 spaces