Jefferson Lake Beach

Richmond, Ohio · on Jefferson Lake · Jefferson Lake State Park

Verified · 4 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: Free
SEASON: Varies by conditions

About Jefferson Lake Beach

Jefferson Lake Beach is the designated swimming beach, and the main swimming hole, on Jefferson Lake, a 17-acre reservoir inside 962-acre Jefferson Lake State Park near Richmond, Ohio. The state park maintains a 200-foot sand beach with a bathhouse for swimming and sunbathing, giving visitors a ready-made lake to swim in alongside camping, fishing, and extensive hiking, biking, and bridle trails.

The beach sits within Jefferson Lake State Park's oak-and-hickory-forested hills in the Appalachian Highlands of Jefferson County, eastern Ohio, roughly an hour from Pittsburgh. The lake itself is an artificial reservoir formed by a dam that a Civilian Conservation Corps crew built in 1934, with the lake filling by 1946, leaving a 17-acre lake ringed by wooded ridges.

Swimming at Jefferson Lake Beach

Swimming takes place at a 200-foot sand beach with an adjacent bathhouse, showers, and toilets, plus a swing set for kids nearby. The beach is not lifeguarded, so swimmers are responsible for their own safety. Some reports separately note that swimming here has at times been limited by water conditions, which conflicts with other accounts describing it as a standard swim and sunbathe beach, so current conditions should be checked before visiting.

How to get to this swimming hole

The beach is located within Jefferson Lake State Park at 501 Township Rd 261A, Richmond, Ohio 43944, in Jefferson County near Carrollton, East Liverpool, and Steubenville.

Parking: Free parking, as at all Ohio state parks (no entrance fee is charged to enter).

The hike in

The swim beach is a drive-up spot with parking adjacent to the bathhouse - no trail walk is needed to reach the water. The park separately maintains roughly 15 miles of hiking and bridle trails through its oak-hickory hills, but none of the sources found describe a specific named trail leading to or connecting with the beach itself.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Shallow, gently-sloped lake beach with no current, but the beach is not lifeguarded and multiple visitor reports describe lily pads/seaweed periodically overrunning the swim area and blocking access, which upset at least one family with kids. Bring your own supervision and check conditions before counting on open water.

Parking

Free

No entrance or parking fee (all Ohio state parks are free to enter). Sources describing the beach in detail do not specify the beach lot's layout or capacity, and one low-reliability aggregator (sandee.com) claims there is no dedicated lot and only street parking, which conflicts with it being a maintained state-park beach with a bathhouse - this detail is unconfirmed.

Restrooms

Yes

Bathhouse with showers and toilets directly at the 200-foot swim beach; latrines and water fountains also serve the campground area.

Water clarity

Varies with season and flow

No lab or scientific clarity data found. Visitor reports are mixed: one dated review (Joe_B) states 'you can not swim at the beach because of the Lilly pads and seaweed,' describing it as having upset their kids, while another visitor (jerry rydarowicz) calls the park 'very peaceful and quiet, also clean.' A separate aggregator (sandee.com) independently claims swimming has at times been limited by water conditions, echoing the vegetation complaint. Net read: likely fine in normal conditions but prone to algae/lily-pad bloom episodes, especially late summer.

Hours

Dawn to dusk, year-round (standard Ohio state park hours; no separate posted hours found for the beach specifically).

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboardsElectric motorboat

Restrictions: Non-motorized boats and boats with electric motors up to 4 horsepower only - no gas outboards. A boat launch ramp is available in the park.

No boat/kayak rental concession found operating at Jefferson Lake itself or in the immediate area (Richmond/Shane/Fairfield, OH) despite dedicated searching; the 17-acre lake appears to be bring-your-own-watercraft only.

What regulars say

Visitor reports are split: one visitor reported the swim beach unusable due to lily pads and seaweed ('my kids was very upset'), while others describe the broader park as clean, peaceful, and a good camping spot. This lines up with separate reports that swimming here has at times been limited by water and vegetation conditions, suggesting it is a real, recurring issue rather than a one-off.

Backstory

Jefferson Lake's dam was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, and the lake filled in by 1946. The park covers roughly 962 acres in the Yellow Creek valley.

Jefferson Lake Beach: FAQ

Does Jefferson Lake Beach charge a fee?

No admission or parking fee; Ohio state parks are free to enter. Camping and other activity fees apply separately.

Is Jefferson Lake Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Jefferson Lake Beach?

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

Where do I park for Jefferson Lake Beach?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Jefferson Lake Beach?

What are the rules at Jefferson Lake Beach?

The swimming beach is not lifeguarded. Pets are not allowed on the swimming beach (leashed pets up to 6 feet are permitted elsewhere in the park and may not be left unattended more than 30 minutes). Alcohol is prohibited throughout the park.

What water body is Jefferson Lake Beach on?

Jefferson Lake Beach is on Jefferson Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.