Home to one of the newest dive sites in the United States, the 643-acre
Quarry Park & Nature Preserve is
in WaitePark, a suburb of St. Cloud, Minnesota. The park and
preserve is a recent addition to the Stearns County Parks System and has
been known as "Hundred Acres Quarry." Until 1992 the site had been
private
property.
The preserve consists of 20 quarries, four of
which opened for diving last year: quarries 1, 11, 13 and 18. Divers should
note the various underwater hazards such as tree snags, abandoned quarrying
equipment, and loose rock piles.
Divers need to show their C-card and a photo ID to
obtain their free QuarryPark dive permit,
plus use a dive flag and pay for parking. All divers must dive with a buddy.
Each diver also must sign a permit
acknowledging the rules for diving the quarries and a liability waiver. A
full set of dive rules is available at
Depths:
Range
from 39 feet (12 m) in Quarry 13 to 65 feet (20 m) in Quarry 1.
Visibility:
6-24
feet (2-7 m).
Water
temperature:
Minnesota-cold.
Aquatic
life: Rainbow
trout, which is stocked there, and other fish.
Fees:
Diving
is free but parking costs $4 per day or $14 for an annual permit.
On-site
amenities: The
park and preserve includes granite reflecting pools, a rock climbing area, a
swimming hole 116 feet (35 m) deep, scientific and natural areas, mountain
bike paths over billion-year-old bedrock, and trout fishing.
More
info: Visit
or call (320) 255-6172.
Open:
Daily
8 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset.
Getting
there:
From Highway 23 in WaitePark, turn south
onto 10th Avenue. Turn right at
the stop sign, onto Seventh Street South/County Road 137. QuarryPark and Nature
Preserve is 7/10 of a mile from that intersection, on the left.
