Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach
Greenfield, Ohio · on Paint Creek Lake · Paint Creek Recreation Area
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $35
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach
Shoemaker Beach is the designated swimming beach on Paint Creek Lake, a 1,148-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir inside Ohio's 5,652-acre Paint Creek State Park near Bainbridge, and the obvious swimming hole if you want a lake to swim in here. Ohio DNR, which operates recreation at the Corps-owned lake, maintains a 1,000-foot sand beach with seasonal restrooms and posted swimming rules. The Shoemaker name is confirmed in USACE's own materials and local sources, even though the state park's own web copy simply calls it 'the beach.'
The beach sits on the shore of Paint Creek Lake, a reservoir formed by a Corps of Engineers dam on Paint Creek, within a state park known for limestone bluffs and cliffs below the dam and the adjoining Highlands Nature Sanctuary; the surrounding valley has a history of Native American and early-settler use and once powered water mills.
Swimming at Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach
Swimming is in a large man-made reservoir off a 1,000-foot sand beach, a designated, unguarded swim area (no lifeguard mentioned) suited to families and casual lake swimmers rather than swimmers seeking clear creek or spring water; the state park advises caution while swimming and monitors bacteria/algae levels through Ohio's BeachGuard program each summer.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located within Paint Creek State Park at 280 Taylor Rd, Bainbridge, OH 45612; the broader park/campground area is reached from Chillicothe by taking Route 50 west about 18 miles and following signs via Rapid Forge Road.
The hike in
No hike is required to reach Shoemaker Beach; it is a drive-up designated swim beach accessed directly from a park road. Elsewhere in the Paint Creek Lake recreation area (not at the beach) there is a separate 1.5-mile hiking trail that meanders near Little Pond, per recreation.gov, but this is unrelated to beach access.
Exact walk distance from the beach parking area to the water was not documented in any source found this session.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Shoemaker Beach is a designated, engineered sand swim beach on a large reservoir with no lifeguard indicated in official sources. Ohio DNR guidance calls for exercising caution while swimming, and the state's BeachGuard program issues periodic bacteria/algae advisories in summer, so caregivers should supervise closely even though the beach itself is built for casual family swimming rather than technical/hazardous access.
Restrooms
Yes
Seasonal portable restrooms are provided at the beach during the summer season (Memorial Day-Labor Day) per official state park info. Elsewhere in the broader Paint Creek Lake recreation area, the visitor center has flush restrooms and the Overlook Shelter has an environmental (vault) restroom with no water/electric hookups (per recreation.gov); these are not confirmed to be at the beach parking area itself.
Hours
Park hours 6am-11pm daily (per Ohio DNR park page, already established in prior dossier).
On the water
Paint Creek Lake (the broader reservoir, not the beach cove specifically) has three boat ramps and an on-site marina offering boat rentals, per recreation.gov's Paint Creek Dam Site campground page. Two access points on Paint Creek below the dam separately provide kayaking/canoeing opportunities on the river. No explicit no-wake, electric-only, or other watercraft restriction specific to this lake was found in official sources reviewed. It is not confirmed whether motorized boats are permitted to approach the swim beach itself versus being confined to ramps/marina areas elsewhere on the lake.
Backstory
Paint Creek Lake was created by a dam whose construction began in 1967; the surrounding area was dedicated as Paint Creek State Park in 1972. The valley was historically used by Native Americans and early settlers, whose mills were once powered by the creek.
Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach: FAQ
Does Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach charge a fee?
No fee is mentioned for beach/day-use access at the state park; the separate Paint Creek Dam Site campground (a different area of the same lake) charges $35-45 per night.
Is Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach kid friendly?
Shoemaker Beach is a designated, engineered sand swim beach on a large reservoir with no lifeguard indicated in official sources. Ohio DNR guidance calls for exercising caution while swimming, and the state's BeachGuard program issues periodic bacteria/algae advisories in summer, so caregivers should supervise closely even though the beach itself is built for casual family swimming rather than technical/hazardous access.
Do I need to hike to reach Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach?
No source found gives specifics on the beach's parking lot location, capacity, or any fee; day-use entry to the state park generally appears to be free based on prior sourcing, but this was not independently re-confirmed this session.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach?
Paint Creek Lake (the broader reservoir, not the beach cove specifically) has three boat ramps and an on-site marina offering boat rentals, per recreation.gov's Paint Creek Dam Site campground page. Two access points on Paint Creek below the dam separately provide kayaking/canoeing opportunities on the river. No explicit no-wake, electric-only, or other watercraft restriction specific to this lake was found in official sources reviewed. It is not confirmed whether motorized boats are permitted to approach the swim beach itself versus being confined to ramps/marina areas elsewhere on the lake.
When is the best time to visit Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach?
Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day), matching the period portable restrooms are open and BeachGuard water-quality advisories are issued.
What are the rules at Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach?
Swimming is permitted only in designated areas; pets are not allowed on the swimming beach; water quality is monitored via Ohio's BeachGuard advisory system from Memorial Day to Labor Day; park hours are 6am-11pm daily.
What water body is Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach on?
Paint Creek Shoemaker Beach is on Paint Creek Lake, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
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