Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot
San Dimas, California · on Puddingstone Reservoir · Frank G Bonelli Regional Park
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $15.00
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot
Bonelli Park Swim Beach is a designated, lifeguarded sand-beach swim area on Puddingstone Reservoir (locally called Puddingstone Lake) inside Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, a roughly 2,000-acre Los Angeles County park in San Dimas. It is an official, developed swim facility rather than an informal natural swimming hole, open seasonally in summer.
The swim beach sits on the shore of Puddingstone Reservoir, a 250-acre artificial lake formed by a flood-control dam completed in 1928, within the rolling hills of Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park near the interchange of SR-57 and I-10 in San Dimas. The wider park includes picnic areas, playgrounds, an equestrian center, boat launches, and campground facilities, with views toward the San Gabriel Mountains.
Swimming at Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot
Swimming is confined to a designated, lifeguarded sand beach on the reservoir and is only permitted during the summer season; it is set up as a family swim beach (with a Junior Lake Lifeguard program for kids/teens) rather than open-water or backcountry swimming, and animals are not allowed on the sand beach or in the water there.
How to get to this swimming hole
Parking: Dedicated swim beach parking lot within the park (this spot's coordinates mark that lot); vehicle entry requires the park's daily entrance permit.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up developed swim beach: the listed coordinates are the swim-beach parking lot itself, so the walk from parking to the sand/water is on the order of a couple minutes across the lot and beach frontage, not a hike.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Good for kids
This is a developed, lifeguarded sand beach (not a natural/wild swimming hole), with a Junior Lake Lifeguard Program for ages 9-17. Shallow sand entry is typical of this kind of designed swim beach. The lake's boating/PWC activity is routed through a separate boat launch under an odd/even day system, kept apart from the swim beach itself, and quagga-mussel inspections plus a min 8 ft / max 26 ft vessel rule govern all watercraft on the reservoir.
Parking
Paid, $15 standard / $8 senior (65+) or disabled with DMV placard/plates (per official park page); a visitor blog cites ~$10 'depending on the day'
This spot's coordinates mark the dedicated swim-beach parking lot inside Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park; entry requires the county park's daily vehicle entrance permit, paid at the park gate.
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms are part of the park's swim-beach/lifeguard facilities; a visitor account places restrooms near playgrounds 2 and 3 and near the lake access/Sailboat Cove launch area, in addition to the beach's own lifeguard-station facilities.
Hours
General lake/park operation: sunrise to half hour before sunset, Wednesday-Sunday (per official park page); one visitor account instead cites sunrise-7pm in winter and sunrise-9pm in summer for the broader park. The swim beach is only open for swimming in summer. Wheel Fun Rentals' on-site swim-beach kiosk, a proxy for when the beach is actively staffed/used, runs Sat, Sun & holidays, 11:00 AM-4:30 PM, from July 11 to September 7, then closes for the season (weather permitting).
On the water
Restrictions: Per the official park page: vessels must be min 8 ft / max 26 ft; all boats need a quagga-mussel inspection and launch permit; motorized-boat operators need a California Boater Card; an odd/even calendar-day system (April-September) separates power-boat days from personal-watercraft (jet ski) days at the boat launch. The swim beach itself is a separate, lifeguarded no-boating swim zone from the boat-launch/open-water area where these craft operate.
Wikipedia's background source (from prior dossier) lists fishing, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, jet skiing, and camping as reservoir uses; on-site Wheel Fun Rentals kiosks (see below) additionally offer kayaks and pedal boats for rent right at the swim beach and at the East Shore location.
Rentals nearby
Single and double kayaks; single and double pedal boats, rented directly at the swim beach
120 Via Verde, San Dimas, CA 91773 - kiosk directly on the swim beach · Jul 11 - Sep 7: Saturday, Sunday & Holidays, 11:00 AM-4:30 PM; closed for the season Sep 8 - May 21 (weather permitting; direct visitors to the East Shore location off-season)
Double pedal boats; single, double, and triple kayaks; stand-up paddleboards (SUPs); also bicycle rentals (cruisers, tandems, choppers) for the park's paths
120 Via Verde, San Dimas, CA 91773 - East Shore side of Puddingstone Reservoir, elsewhere in the same park · Seasonal, weather permitting: Mar 7-Nov 1 Sat/Sun 11am-5pm; Nov 2-Jan 1 Sat/Sun 11am-3:30pm; Jan 2-Feb 5 Sat/Sun 10am-3:30pm; Feb 6-Mar 5 Sat/Sun 11am-4pm; last rentals depart 5pm in peak season
Backstory
Puddingstone Dam was built 1925-1928 for flood control on a 30.3 square-mile drainage area; a 1970 joint-powers agreement between LA County and six surrounding cities created Bonelli Regional Park around the reservoir, and by 1972 a swim facility had been developed on the reservoir's north shore, which later became the Raging Waters water park (a separate commercial attraction from the county's public swim beach described here).
Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot: FAQ
Does Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot charge a fee?
Daily vehicle entrance permit: $15.00 standard / $8.00 for seniors (65+) or disabled visitors with DMV placard/plates, per the official park page; one recent visitor cites a lower fee of about $10 'depending on the day,' suggesting fees have changed or vary by date.
Is Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot kid friendly?
This is a developed, lifeguarded sand beach (not a natural/wild swimming hole), with a Junior Lake Lifeguard Program for ages 9-17. Shallow sand entry is typical of this kind of designed swim beach. The lake's boating/PWC activity is routed through a separate boat launch under an odd/even day system, kept apart from the swim beach itself, and quagga-mussel inspections plus a min 8 ft / max 26 ft vessel rule govern all watercraft on the reservoir.
Do I need to hike to reach Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot?
This spot's coordinates mark the dedicated swim-beach parking lot inside Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park; entry requires the county park's daily vehicle entrance permit, paid at the park gate.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot?
Wikipedia's background source (from prior dossier) lists fishing, swimming, sailing, windsurfing, jet skiing, and camping as reservoir uses; on-site Wheel Fun Rentals kiosks (see below) additionally offer kayaks and pedal boats for rent right at the swim beach and at the East Shore location.
When is the best time to visit Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot?
Summer (the swim beach is only open for swimming during summer months; the lake itself operates Wednesday-Sunday, sunrise to a half hour before sunset).
What are the rules at Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot?
Alcohol and smoking are prohibited on county property; kites, drones, and model aircraft are strictly prohibited; animals must be leashed (6 ft max) and are not allowed on sand beaches; fishing is prohibited off the sand beaches, boat docks, and within 100 feet of any launch ramp; boats require quagga mussel inspection and a launch permit, with an odd/even calendar-day system (April-September) separating power boats and personal watercraft; boat operators need a California Boater Card.
What water body is Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot on?
Bonelli Park Swim Beach Parking Lot is on Puddingstone Reservoir, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
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