Round Valley Beach

Bringing kids

Good for kids

The designated Round Valley Swimming Beach is a guarded, developed beach (lifeguards on duty 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. in summer, first-aid station, changing areas) separate from the open reservoir, which is off-limits to swimmers; swimming from boats is also prohibited (dep.nj.gov). Outside the guarded beach zone, the reservoir itself is very deep (up to 180 ft) with a long history of drowning fatalities, so families should stay within the marked beach area (Wikipedia).

Parking

Paid, $5 (NJ resident weekday) to $20 (non-resident weekend/holiday); $2 flat walk-in/bicycle rate; oversized vehicles pay double

Entrance fee charged Memorial Day-Labor Day only, covered by the NJ State Park Pass; free the rest of the year. The South Parking Lot near the park office (approx. 40.6195, -74.8492) serves the trailheads/camping; the swim beach has its own developed lot with the beach complex (concession, playgrounds, volleyball) directly adjacent (dep.nj.gov; njhiking.com).

Restrooms

Yes

The swim beach complex has restrooms, showers, and changing areas plus a concession building (njhiking.com); a separate bathroom building is noted at the East Area and portable toilets sit in the parking lot near the main trailhead (njhiking.com).

Water clarity

Clear

Round Valley Reservoir is a drinking-water supply reservoir up to 180 ft deep, described by Wikipedia as clear water; it is New Jersey's largest and deepest reservoir. No visitor-report water-clarity comments specific to the swim beach were found this session.

Hours

Park gate open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, office 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; swimming itself is only permitted at the designated beach when lifeguards are on duty, roughly mid-June through Labor Day, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (dep.nj.gov).