Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake

Carbondale, Illinois · on Cedar Lake

Verified · 2 independent sources

WATER: reservoir
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: $2.50
SEASON: May

About Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake

Poplar Camp Beach is the City of Carbondale's official public swimming beach on Cedar Lake, a 1,750-acre municipal water-supply reservoir a few miles south of Carbondale, Illinois, formed by damming Cedar Creek in 1974. The beach has operated for many years as a seasonal, fee-based swimming hole, with the City's Utilities Department managing both the lake and the beach, making Cedar Lake the city's official lake to swim in.

Cedar Lake is a large reservoir in the wooded hills of Jackson County in Southern Illinois, near the Shawnee National Forest region, with a shoreline used for hiking/multi-use trails, fishing, and paddling in addition to the designated swim beach.

Swimming at Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake

Swimming is confined to a designated, buoyed swim area at Poplar Camp Beach on the reservoir; it is a sandy municipal lake beach rather than a natural shoreline swim, operated as a 'swim at your own risk' facility where lifeguards are present only when staffed. Suited to families and casual lake swimmers rather than open-water or wilderness swimming.

How to get to this swimming hole

From Carbondale, take U.S. 51 south to the intersection of Old and New U.S. 51; follow Old U.S. 51 about 0.5 mile to Cedar Creek Road; go west on Cedar Creek Road about a mile and follow signs to the beach/lake.

Parking: On-site parking lot at Poplar Camp Beach (part of the fee facility); alcohol, marijuana, and glass are prohibited in the parking lot as well as the beach.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up facility: the parking lot is directly adjacent to the beach, requiring only a short walk (well under a few minutes) from car to sand. No hike is needed to reach the swim area. Separate from the beach itself, Cedar Lake has its own multi-use trail system nearby (Cove Hollow Trail ~5.5 mi, Cedar Lake Trail ~2.9 mi, a segment of the River to River Trail, and Wikipedia cites a combined ~14-mile, four-trail system) for hiking/biking around the lake, but these are recreational trails around the reservoir, not access routes to the swim beach.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Sandy municipal beach with a designated buoyed swim area suited to families, but it is a 'swim at your own risk' facility where lifeguards enforce rules only when on duty (not guaranteed at all times). Posted rules require children 11 and under to be accompanied by someone 18+, and children 6 and under must be kept within arm's reach in the water, implying real open-reservoir depth/current risk outside the shallow buoyed zone.

Parking

Free

On-site parking lot at the beach; no separate parking fee is mentioned beyond the beach admission itself ($2.50/day single admission). Alcohol, marijuana, glass bottles, and pets (other than service animals) are prohibited in the parking lot as well as the beach per posted rules.

Restrooms

Yes

Restrooms are available on-site at Poplar Camp Beach, along with picnic tables and a concessions stand (per City of Carbondale/Cedar Lake Management official page).

Hours

Seasonal beach open daily 11 a.m.-7 p.m. from late May (around Memorial Day weekend) through Labor Day weekend, with reduced weekday hours in the final weeks of the season; swimmers must exit the water 30 minutes before closing.

Swim smart

No lifeguard on duty at all times (swim-at-own-risk); lightning closures enforced; swimmers must remain in the buoyed area, implying open reservoir water outside it is considered unsafe/unsupervised.

Rules: Swim-at-your-own-risk facility; lifeguards enforce rules only when on duty. Swimmers/floaters must stay within the designated buoyed swim area and exit 30 minutes before closing. No alcohol, marijuana, smoking, or glass bottles in the beach or parking area. No nudity or thong-style suits; children 11 and under must be accompanied by someone 18+; children 6 and under must be kept within arm's reach in the water. Swimming prohibited during lightning and for 30 minutes after. No diving/jumping from shoulders or rafts, no fishing in the buoyed swim area, no pets except service animals, no team sports in the swim area.

This is an informational listing, not an invitation. Conditions and access change; verify locally before you go. Visiting any swimming hole is at your own risk. See our Terms of Use.

On the water

KayaksCanoesMotorboats

Restrictions: 10-horsepower maximum motor limit lakewide (protects water quality since Cedar Lake is Carbondale's municipal water supply); no fishing or boat traffic permitted inside the beach's designated buoyed swim area; a free public boat dock/launch exists at the lake separate from the beach admission.

Official sources (City of Carbondale, Wikipedia) confirm the lake is open to kayaking, canoeing, and fishing with the 10-hp motor cap, but do not explicitly mention stand-up paddleboards; paddleboards are presumed permitted as non-motorized craft under the same rules but this is not directly confirmed, so 'paddleboard' is left out of the allowed list.

Backstory

Cedar Lake was created in 1974 when the City of Carbondale dammed Cedar Creek to serve as the city's municipal water supply; Poplar Camp Beach was developed as the lake's public recreational swim facility.

Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake: FAQ

Does Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake charge a fee?

Single-day admission $2.50; children age 4 and under free; 10-visit pass $20; 20-visit pass $35 (passes valid for the current beach season only).

Is Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake?

When is the best time to visit Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake?

Seasonal beach, open daily 11 a.m.-7 p.m. from late May (around Memorial Day weekend) through Labor Day weekend, with reduced weekday hours in the final weeks of the season.

What are the rules at Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake?

Swim-at-your-own-risk facility; lifeguards enforce rules only when on duty. Swimmers/floaters must stay within the designated buoyed swim area and exit 30 minutes before closing. No alcohol, marijuana, smoking, or glass bottles in the beach or parking area. No nudity or thong-style suits; children 11 and under must be accompanied by someone 18+; children 6 and under must be kept within arm's reach in the water. Swimming prohibited during lightning and for 30 minutes after. No diving/jumping from shoulders or rafts, no fishing in the buoyed swim area, no pets except service animals, no team sports in the swim area.

What water body is Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake on?

Poplar Camp Beach at Cedar Lake is on Cedar Lake, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.