Scuba Center | Quarry Park and Nature Preserve Local Dive.

	Scuba Center Eagan 1571 Century Point Eagan, Minnesota 55121 (651) 681-8434	Scuba Center Minneapolis 5015 Penn Ave South Minneapolis, Minnesota 55419 (612) 925-4818

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve
July 13, 2024
Local Dive Adventure: Quarry Park and Nature Preserve - Waite Park, Minnesota

Instructor / Host: - Pending - (Click here if you have questions)

We are heading to Quarry Park and Nature Preserve to enjoy diving in the clear waters found in the granite quarries. The park is in the town of Waite Park, a suburb of St Cloud, Minnesota. There are 3 quarries specifically designated for scuba diving within the park. The quarries vary in size and depth, but most are the size of an Olympic pool with maximum depth around forty feet. There is a sharp thermocline at around 15 feet so most divers enjoy the fish life and granite formations in the shallow depths of the quarries. We will meet at the Quarry Park parking lot at 10:00am. The parking fee is $10.00 per car. Bring your certification card as proof of certification is required. You will be issued a diving permit at no charge. It is a short hike from the parking lot to the first quarry, (#18). We will bring a cart to haul gear. If you have something similar you may want to bring your own.
Pre registration is required. Group size is limited. Fee $25 Need rental gear? No problem if you book your rental equipment early.
Quarry Park:
Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, formerly known as "Hundred Acres Quarry," is a great addition to the Stearns County Parks System. Granite - formed by intense heat within the earth - was the foundation of a major Minnesota industry. The first granite quarry in Central Minnesota was opened in 1863 by two Scotsmen. In the 130 years to follow, Central Minnesota granite became an international commodity gracing buildings as far away as Singapore. About 100 years ago, a type of stone known as Saint Cloud Red Granite was quarried from land which is now part of the park. The Landmark Center and the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, Minnesota both contain Saint Cloud Red Granite in their structures. Though private ownership of the land by local quarry companies continued until 1992, quarrying operations in the present park area ceased in the mid-1950's. Companies operating quarries on the site during this period were Holes Bros, Delano Granite, Melrose Granite Co, Empire Quarry Co, and C. L. Atwood. Over the years, the land gradually reverted back to a more natural state. In 1992, Stearns County purchased this site from Cold Spring Granite Company and added the land to its County Park System. The park opened on January 1, 1998. By 2002, 323 additional acres had been acquired for the Scientific and Natural Area. In August 1994, George W. Shurr completed a Site Report about each of the twenty quarries located within Quarry Park: The Quarries of Quarry Park (PDF).

Quarry Park Details:
Map of Quarry Park and Nature Preserve
Quarry Park SCUBA Diving Guidelines (PDF)


	Click here for directions to Quarry Park and Nature Preserve.

Hope to see you there!