Lake Garfield Beach
Monterey, Massachusetts · on Lake Garfield
Verified · 3 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $20 per day
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Lake Garfield Beach
Lake Garfield Beach is the official town beach of Monterey, Massachusetts, on the western shore of 275-acre Lake Garfield off Tyringham Road, about a half mile from the town center. A lifeguarded, publicly accessible freshwater beach with docks, picnic areas, and an adjacent boat launch, it serves as the town's go-to swimming hole and an easy lake to swim in close to the village.
Lake Garfield is a 275-acre 'Great Pond' in the southern Berkshires, surrounded by forested hills and largely ringed by private lakefront homes; the town beach and boat launch at the lake's western end, off Tyringham Road, is the main public access point since the rest of the shoreline is private.
Swimming at Lake Garfield Beach
A supervised, family-oriented lake swimming area with a designated buoyed zone and docks roughly 50 feet offshore used for diving and swim breaks; water is described as clear (visibility to about 11 feet) with average depth around 16 feet and a maximum of about 35 feet, suiting families and casual swimmers rather than open-water or deep-water swimmers.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located at 78 Tyringham Road in Monterey, MA, off Route 23 about a half mile north of the town center, at the western end of Lake Garfield next to the town boat launch.
Parking: Residents with a parking sticker park in the lot in front of the beach; non-residents typically use a grass area to the north. Sources differ on whether a fee applies to non-resident beach parking: Friends of Lake Garfield states the town beach itself requires no parking pass, while a separate $20/day/vehicle fee is charged specifically for non-resident boat launch use.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up town beach: parking lot/grass area sits immediately adjacent to the shoreline, no trail walk needed. (Separately, the wooded Brewer Lake/Pond loop trail across Tyringham Road is a nearby optional hike, not required to reach the swimming area.)
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Lifeguards on duty daily ~noon-6pm from about June 22 through early September and swimming is restricted to a marked buoyed zone, which supports families; but water reaches average depth of 16ft and max 35ft not far offshore, swim docks used for diving sit about 50ft out, and no source describes a gently-shoaling sandy entry for small kids, so supervision is warranted.
Parking
Lot
Sticker-holding Monterey residents park in the lot directly in front of the beach; non-residents park on a grass area to the north. Sources conflict on cost: Friends of Lake Garfield and a local outdoor guide both say the beach itself has no parking fee, though berkshiresoutside.org mentions a 'suggested' $20/day/vehicle non-resident fee (that confirmed $20/day/vehicle charge otherwise applies specifically to the adjacent boat-ramp lot, not general beach parking).
Restrooms
Yes
Accessible portable restroom/seasonal porta-potties located adjacent to the parking area at the beach.
Water clarity
Clear
Friends of Lake Garfield (first-hand lake-association source) states the water is transparent to about 11 feet, with a lake-bottom mix of boulders, clay and mud; a third-party beach directory (sandee.com) independently corroborates 'clear waters ideal for swimming.'
Hours
Beach is lifeguard-staffed daily 12pm-6pm during the summer season (about June 22 through early September); no gate or closing time is specified outside lifeguard hours. The adjacent boat ramp is closed to launching noon-6pm during that same season to keep the cove clear for swimmers.
On the water
Restrictions: Motorboats must stay at least 150ft from the swimming area and hold to headway speed (6mph or less) within 150ft of any shoreline; the town boat ramp itself is closed to all launching noon-6pm daily during the summer swim season; flotation devices/personal watercraft are not permitted inside the buoyed swim zone at the beach; life jackets required on kayaks/canoes/SUPs from Sept 15-May 15; PWC operators must be 16+, use a kill-switch lanyard, and not operate between sunset and sunrise.
Boating and paddling launch from the adjacent town boat ramp/cove at the western end of the lake, right next to the swim beach, not from the beach itself.
Rentals nearby
Single kayaks, tandem kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards (plus winter snowshoes)
Prices: Kayaks $45/day (1-5 days) or $35/day for 5+ days; tandem kayaks $75/day (1-5 days) or $65/day for 5+; paddleboards $45/day (1-5 days) or $35/day for 5+; delivery $20 for first item plus $10 each additional item
Lenox, MA, roughly 15-18 miles from Lake Garfield; the shop's own delivery service is confirmed to the Stockbridge Bowl public boat ramp and 'other locations nearby,' but delivery specifically to Lake Garfield/Monterey is not confirmed
Lake Garfield Beach: FAQ
Does Lake Garfield Beach charge a fee?
No fee confirmed for beach access/swimming itself; non-residents launching boats at the adjacent town ramp pay $20 per day per vehicle.
Is Lake Garfield Beach kid friendly?
Lifeguards on duty daily ~noon-6pm from about June 22 through early September and swimming is restricted to a marked buoyed zone, which supports families; but water reaches average depth of 16ft and max 35ft not far offshore, swim docks used for diving sit about 50ft out, and no source describes a gently-shoaling sandy entry for small kids, so supervision is warranted.
Do I need to hike to reach Lake Garfield Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Lake Garfield Beach?
Sticker-holding Monterey residents park in the lot directly in front of the beach; non-residents park on a grass area to the north. Sources conflict on cost: Friends of Lake Garfield and a local outdoor guide both say the beach itself has no parking fee, though berkshiresoutside.org mentions a 'suggested' $20/day/vehicle non-resident fee (that confirmed $20/day/vehicle charge otherwise applies specifically to the adjacent boat-ramp lot, not general beach parking).
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Lake Garfield Beach?
Boating and paddling launch from the adjacent town boat ramp/cove at the western end of the lake, right next to the swim beach, not from the beach itself.
When is the best time to visit Lake Garfield Beach?
Summer, with lifeguards on duty daily from about June 22 through early September, 12-6pm.
What are the rules at Lake Garfield Beach?
No alcohol, smoking, dogs, glass containers, or fires; no flotation devices and no swimming outside the marked buoy area; no swimming when thunder or lightning is audible/visible; no running, pushing, or flipping off the docks; children not potty-trained must wear swim diapers. Boat launch is closed to boating from noon-6pm (last Saturday in June through first Monday in September) to protect swimmers, and boat launches require police supervision.
What water body is Lake Garfield Beach on?
Lake Garfield Beach is on Lake Garfield, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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