Beach Lake
Beach Lake, Pennsylvania · on Beach Lake
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Local spot, unofficial
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Beach Lake
Beach Lake is a roughly 113-acre, spring-fed natural lake (locally also called Beech Pond) in Berlin Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, over a mile long, that gives its name to the surrounding village. It is privately held and ringed by lakefront cottage-rental resorts, so as a swimming hole it is a lake to swim in mainly for cottage guests, not a county or state public-access lake.
The lake sits in the rolling, forested hill country of Northeastern Pennsylvania's Wayne County, near the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and not far from the New York border; the surrounding village of Beach Lake is small and rural. The 144-acre Van Scott Nature Reserve, a public Delaware Highlands Conservancy preserve with 3+ miles of walking trails through woods, meadows, ponds, and wetlands, sits in the village and drains via a tributary to "Beach Lake Creek," though it is a separate property and does not itself border the lake or provide lake access.
Swimming at Beach Lake
Swimming happens off sandy beaches maintained by lakefront cottage resorts (e.g., Pine Grove Cottages, Lakeside Cottages), which also offer tubing, rowboats, kayaks, and paddleboats; the water is described by an on-lake business as clear and spring-fed. Pine Grove Cottages also offers an on-site swimming pool as an alternative to the lake itself. No independent account of water depth, bottom type, or water quality testing was found.
The hike in
No hike leads to the lake itself. Swimming access is a short walk from guest parking to the private shoreline at cottage resorts on the lake. Two unrelated public trail systems exist in the village of Beach Lake but neither touches the lake: the Damascus Forest Trail (a ~2-mile flat loop through old-growth forest, parking at 109 Maccubbins Rd) and the Van Scott Nature Reserve (3+ miles of trails through woods/meadows/wetlands, parking at 571 Perkins Pond Rd), both are separate conservancy/forest properties, not lake access points.
Mapped trails in the general 'Beach Lake, PA' area correspond to the Damascus Forest Trail / Van Scott Nature Reserve system above, not a path to the lake.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sandy beach and calm lake water at the cottage resorts (Pine Grove Cottages, Lakeside Cottages) suit families, and complimentary rowboats/paddleboats/life preservers are provided, but no lifeguard, posted depth markers, or public safety signage was documented anywhere for the lake, so supervision is on the family/guest, not a managed beach.
Parking
No dedicated parking
No public parking, boat launch, or day-use lot was found for Beach Lake. Access to the shoreline is only through the driveways/guest parking of private lakefront cottage resorts (e.g., Pine Grove Cottages, Lakeside Cottages); Wayne County's own recreation page and Berlin Township's site list no public access point at this lake.
Water clarity
Mostly clear
Described as a 'clear, natural, spring-fed lake' by a lakefront cottage business (Pine Grove Cottages) and as 'a clear, natural lake' in a general community description; no independent water-quality data or neutral visitor account was found to corroborate. No visitor discussion specifically covering Beach Lake's clarity, crowds, or conditions was located, and broader roundups of Pennsylvania freshwater swimming spots do not mention it, consistent with it being a private, cottage-guest-only lake rather than a known public swimming destination.
On the water
Restrictions: Private lake with no public boat launch found. Watercraft use appears limited to non-motorized boats (kayaks, rowboats, paddleboats) provided complimentary to paying lodging guests at lakefront cottage resorts; no evidence of motorboats, jet skis, a public launch, or an hourly/day rental option open to non-guests.
No dedicated third-party kayak/canoe/paddleboard rental or outfitter business serving Beach Lake itself was found. Searches surfaced whitewater/river outfitters (e.g. Kittatinny Canoes, Indian Head Canoes) on the Delaware River near Matamoras, PA, roughly 25+ miles away, these serve the Delaware River, not Beach Lake, and are not listed as rentals here.
Rentals nearby
Complimentary kayaks, rowboats, and paddleboats (plus life preservers) included for guests renting lakefront cottages on Beach Lake
Directly on Beach Lake, Beach Lake, PA
Boat rentals for guests of this seasonal lakefront cottage property on Beach Lake
On Beach Lake (113-acre private lake), Beach Lake, PA
What regulars say
No independent visitor discussion specifically naming Beach Lake, Wayne County PA was located; broader conversations about freshwater swimming in Pennsylvania do not surface it. This is consistent with the lake being privately held and accessed almost entirely through paying guests of a couple of lakefront cottage resorts rather than being a known public or day-use swimming spot that would show up in crowd-sourced lists of best swimming holes.
Backstory
Also historically known as "Beech Pond" per Wikipedia's entry on the village of Beach Lake. A published local history, "Your Heritage in Beach Lake: The Story of Beach Lake, Pennsylvania" by Isabel N. Baldwin (1957), documents the village's settlement history, though its contents on the lake itself were not accessible for this research pass.
Beach Lake: FAQ
Does Beach Lake charge a fee?
No public day-use fee or free public access point was found. The only documented paid access is via renting cottages/cabins (and their included boats/beach use) from private lakefront resorts such as Pine Grove Cottages and Lakeside Cottages; neither Wayne County nor Berlin Township lists a public fee-based or free access point at the lake.
Is Beach Lake kid friendly?
Sandy beach and calm lake water at the cottage resorts (Pine Grove Cottages, Lakeside Cottages) suit families, and complimentary rowboats/paddleboats/life preservers are provided, but no lifeguard, posted depth markers, or public safety signage was documented anywhere for the lake, so supervision is on the family/guest, not a managed beach.
Do I need to hike to reach Beach Lake?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Beach Lake?
No public parking, boat launch, or day-use lot was found for Beach Lake. Access to the shoreline is only through the driveways/guest parking of private lakefront cottage resorts (e.g., Pine Grove Cottages, Lakeside Cottages); Wayne County's own recreation page and Berlin Township's site list no public access point at this lake.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Beach Lake?
No dedicated third-party kayak/canoe/paddleboard rental or outfitter business serving Beach Lake itself was found. Searches surfaced whitewater/river outfitters (e.g. Kittatinny Canoes, Indian Head Canoes) on the Delaware River near Matamoras, PA, roughly 25+ miles away, these serve the Delaware River, not Beach Lake, and are not listed as rentals here.
What are the rules at Beach Lake?
Beach Lake is privately owned; it is not listed among Wayne County's public lakes with boat ramps/fishing access, nor does Berlin Township's own site list any township park or public access point at the lake (it instead directs residents to the Delaware River for public swimming/fishing/boating). Swimming access found in sources is via paying guests of lakefront cottage-rental businesses (Pine Grove Cottages, Lakeside Cottages) rather than free public/day-use access. No sign of a public swimming beach or county/state managed access point was found.
What water body is Beach Lake on?
Beach Lake is on Beach Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
More swimming holes near Beach Lake
★ Top verifiedSkinner's Falls Main Beach
Cochecton, New Yorkriver
🛶🛟
Palmyra Township Public Beach
Hawley, Pennsylvanialake
🛶🏄🚤
Lake Wallenpaupack
Tafton, Pennsylvanialake
🛶🏄🚤
Hideout North Beach
Lake Ariel, Pennsylvanialake
🛶
Laurel Ridge Beach
Hawley, Pennsylvanialake
🛶🏄🚤
★ Top verifiedPromised Land Main Beach
Greentown, Pennsylvanialake
⛺🛶🏄🚤