Pine Lake Beach
Stone Mountain, Georgia · on Pine Lake · Pine Lake Park And Beach
Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- May
About Pine Lake Beach
Pine Lake Beach is the small, city-run public swimming beach on Pine Lake in the tiny city of Pine Lake, DeKalb County, Georgia, just east of Atlanta near Stone Mountain and Clarkston. The lake itself is a widened, dammed section of Snapfinger Creek, and this community swimming hole has given the town a lake to swim in since Pine Lake was founded as a 1930s lakeside retreat development.
Pine Lake is a small, tree-lined community lake formed by damming Snapfinger Creek, surrounded by the tiny City of Pine Lake, GA (roughly a quarter square mile). The beach and Beach House sit along Lakeshore Dr and Clubhouse Dr, with a wetlands/nature trail nearby that draws birdwatchers.
Swimming at Pine Lake Beach
Swimming is confined to a roped-and-buoyed designated area of the lake; adults may sign a city waiver to swim beyond the ropes but must stay within an inner berm, and minors need a guardian-signed waiver for the same. The city periodically tests water quality during the swim season (roughly Memorial Day weekend through September 30) and posts results on community bulletin boards, closing the swim area when bacteria counts exceed a set threshold -- as documented by a July 2026 closure notice for elevated E. coli.
The hike in
No hike is needed to reach the swim area: the Beach House and roped swimming zone sit directly along Lakeshore Dr/Clubhouse Dr in the quarter-square-mile City of Pine Lake, reachable by a short walk from adjacent streets. A separate wetlands/nature trail exists near the lake for birdwatching, but it is a bonus amenity, not the access route to the swim beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The city confines swimming to a roped/buoyed shallow area of the small dammed lake, which suits younger kids, but the official rules found (Parks.aspx, city site, Champion newspaper article) never mention lifeguards being on duty, so supervise closely. Adults can sign a waiver at city hall to go beyond the ropes into a deeper inner-berm area, implying water past the ropes is deeper/less controlled.
Hours
Park hours are dawn to dusk year-round. Swimming itself is permitted only during the official swim season (Saturday after Memorial Day through Sept 30), and only Mon-Fri dawn-dusk and Sat-Sun dawn-noon plus 3pm-dusk.
On the water
Restrictions: Non-motorized watercraft only. Inside the roped swimming berm, only single-person flotation devices are permitted. Outside the swim zone, non-motorized boats (kayak/canoe/similar) must launch only from the designated boat launch located east of the Beach House, past the swimming berm -- launching elsewhere is prohibited to protect the banks.
No motorized boats or jet skis are referenced anywhere in the city's rules; Pine Lake is a small (roughly 20-acre) dammed, widened stretch of Snapfinger Creek, so it is a quiet, non-motorized paddling environment.
Rentals nearby
Single or tandem sit-on-top kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals on Stone Mountain Lake, plus a separate guided pontoon boat lake tour
Prices: Kayak/SUP lake rentals starting at $30/hour; pontoon lake tour $15/person for about 30 minutes
Inside Stone Mountain Park on Stone Mountain Lake (West Lake/purple zone, near Lakeview Parking Lot), roughly a few miles east of Pine Lake Beach -- a different lake, not Pine Lake itself · 9 AM - 7 PM
Go Outside Rentals
Kayak rentals, each including a life jacket and paddle
Drop-off at the boat launch on Stonewall Jackson Dr, Stone Mountain, GA 30083 (approx. 33.8034, -84.1724) -- roughly 2 miles from Pine Lake Beach, on Stone Mountain Lake rather than Pine Lake
What regulars say
One local confirmed the beach's street address (4580 Lakeshore Dr, Stone Mountain, GA 30083) as a small, real community beach spot. A separate local discussion about whether to move to the city of Pine Lake did not weigh in on the swimming beach itself. No visitor commentary on water clarity, crowd levels, or on-the-ground tips could be located, so this field is otherwise left thin rather than filled with unverified claims.
Backstory
Pine Lake was incorporated in 1937 after the Pine Woods Corporation developed it as a summer-retreat lake community for Atlanta residents, selling small lots around the lake; the lake itself is a widened, dammed stretch of Snapfinger Creek.
Pine Lake Beach: FAQ
Is Pine Lake Beach kid friendly?
The city confines swimming to a roped/buoyed shallow area of the small dammed lake, which suits younger kids, but the official rules found (Parks.aspx, city site, Champion newspaper article) never mention lifeguards being on duty, so supervise closely. Adults can sign a waiver at city hall to go beyond the ropes into a deeper inner-berm area, implying water past the ropes is deeper/less controlled.
Do I need to hike to reach Pine Lake Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Pine Lake Beach?
No official source (city Parks page, city homepage, or DeKalb news coverage) mentions parking arrangements or cost; left null rather than guessed. The Beach House/Clubhouse sit on Lakeshore Dr and Clubhouse Dr in the small city, so on-site or street parking is likely but unconfirmed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Pine Lake Beach?
No motorized boats or jet skis are referenced anywhere in the city's rules; Pine Lake is a small (roughly 20-acre) dammed, widened stretch of Snapfinger Creek, so it is a quiet, non-motorized paddling environment.
When is the best time to visit Pine Lake Beach?
Late May (Saturday after Memorial Day) through September 30, per the city's official swim season.
What are the rules at Pine Lake Beach?
Swimming is only permitted dawn-to-dusk Mon-Fri and dawn-noon/3pm-dusk Sat-Sun during the official swim season (starting the Saturday after Memorial Day through Sept 30); swimmers must stay in the roped area unless an adult has completed a waiver at city hall to swim within the inner berm; no amplified/recorded music, no pets in the lake (leashed elsewhere), no alcohol except at authorized events, no smoking, and no grills in the park; non-motorized boats allowed outside the swim area via a designated launch; fishing permitted with a valid GA license (catch-and-release encouraged).
What water body is Pine Lake Beach on?
Pine Lake Beach is on Pine Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
