Windsor Lake

North Adams, Massachusetts

Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: No fee found
SEASON: Best in summer

About Windsor Lake

Windsor Lake is a municipal swimming hole in North Adams, Massachusetts, roughly 1.5 miles from downtown, anchoring the city-run Historic Valley Campground. The City of North Adams officially designates swimming as one of the lake's recreational uses, alongside boating, fishing, and picnicking, and with a public beach, bathhouse, and snack bar on site it is an easy lake to swim in close to town.

Windsor Lake sits at the intersection of Bradley Street and Kemp Avenue in North Adams, in the Berkshires of northwestern Massachusetts, with the surrounding grounds developed as a municipal park and campground (Historic Valley Campground) offering wooded lakeside, wilderness, and pull-through sites.

Swimming at Windsor Lake

The lake has a designated public swimming beach maintained by the city, paired with a bathhouse and snack bar; it is set up as a family- and camper-friendly swim spot rather than a backcountry or hike-in hole, with the city listing swimming alongside boating and fishing as core lake activities.

How to get to this swimming hole

Windsor Lake and its beach sit at the intersection of Bradley Street and Kemp Avenue, about 1.5 miles from downtown North Adams; the adjoining Historic Valley Campground is addressed at 200 Windsor Lake Road, North Adams, MA 01247.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. The swim beach itself is drive-up, reached directly from the Bradley St/Kemp Ave area and the Historic Valley Campground (200 Windsor Lake Road) with no trail required. The city's Windsor Lake page lists 'hiking' among the area's general activities, implying trails exist somewhere on the grounds, but no specific trail name, length, or route was found in available sources, so hiking is not part of reaching the water here.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

Good for kids

Windsor Lake is a calm municipal lake (not a river, no current) with a city-designated public swimming beach adjoined by a bathhouse, snack bar, and playground inside a family campground, a setup built for families rather than a backcountry or cliff-jumping spot. No source confirms whether lifeguards are on duty, so that specific point is unverified.

Restrooms

Yes

Renovated bathhouses at the beach, per the City of North Adams' Historic Valley Campground page.

On the water

The City of North Adams officially lists 'boating' as one of Windsor Lake's designated activities, and a boat launch/boating access point exists on site (per the city's Windsor Lake and campground pages), but no source specifies which craft types are permitted (kayak/canoe/paddleboard/motorboat) or any restrictions such as electric-only or no-wake rules.

Windsor Lake: FAQ

Is Windsor Lake kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Windsor Lake?

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

When is the best time to visit Windsor Lake?

Summer, when the beach is staffed and the city's free Summer Concert Series runs Wednesdays at 6:30 PM from the first Wednesday in June through the last Wednesday in August.

What are the rules at Windsor Lake?

The adjoining Historic Valley Campground enforces check-in at 1:00 PM, check-out at 11:00 AM, and quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM; no separate beach-specific rules or day-use fee schedule were found on the city's site.