Gouldsboro State Park Beach
Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania · on Gouldsboro Lake · Gouldsboro State Park
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- September
About Gouldsboro State Park Beach
Gouldsboro State Park Beach is the official swimming area on Gouldsboro Lake, a 250-acre man-made reservoir in Monroe and Wayne counties in the Pocono region of northeastern Pennsylvania, and a reliable lake to swim in for the area. The state-run sand beach is open seasonally with no lifeguards, and like any unguarded swimming hole, swimmers use it at their own risk. The park itself dates to 1958, built on land tied to Jay Gould-era railroad and ice-harvesting history and a former military reservation.
The beach sits on the shore of Gouldsboro Lake, a 250-acre reservoir created by a dam built in 1895, within the 2,800-acre Gouldsboro State Park in the Pocono Mountains region of Monroe and Wayne counties, PA. The park is adjacent to Tobyhanna State Park, which shares management staff.
Swimming at Gouldsboro State Park Beach
Swimming takes place off a designated sand beach on the reservoir; there are no lifeguards on duty, and the state park website advises that all swimmers do so entirely at their own risk. No details on water depth, clarity, or bottom conditions were found in official sources.
How to get to this swimming hole
The park is located one-half mile south of Gouldsboro village on PA Route 507. PA 507 connects to I-380 at Exit 13 (about two miles south) and to I-84 (about 13 miles north). Park GPS coordinates given by DCNR: 41.22936, -75.46337.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up park beach on Gouldsboro Lake, not a hike-to swimming hole. Separate hiking trails exist elsewhere in the park (Old Route 611, ~1.25 mi easy; Prospect Rock Trail, 5.8 mi difficult loop; Frank Gantz Trail, 3.2 mi difficult, connecting to Tobyhanna State Park) but none of them lead to or are required to reach the swim beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Official designated sand beach on a reservoir, which typically means a gentler, more gradual entry than a river or quarry, but DCNR's own swimming page states there are no lifeguards on duty and swimming is entirely at your own risk. No depth or bottom-condition details are published, so caregivers should supervise closely rather than assume a lifeguarded, kid-proofed setup.
Parking
Free
Pennsylvania state parks charge no entrance or day-use fee (confirmed on DCNR's state parks overview page: "Pennsylvania state parks do not charge an entrance fee"), so access to the beach itself is free. No source found describing the specific beach lot's size, surface, or exact walk distance from car to sand -- left null rather than guessed.
Restrooms
Yes
Rustic (vault-style) restrooms located at the beach itself, per the official DCNR swimming page.
Hours
Beach open seasonally from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through mid-September (Wikipedia cites the season ending Labor Day weekend), 8:00 AM to sunset daily. The park overall is open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset, with day-use areas closing at dusk.
On the water
Restrictions: Only electric or non-powered boats are permitted on Gouldsboro Lake -- gas motors are prohibited, and electric motors must operate at slow, no-wake speed. Motorboats need current registration; non-powered craft need a boat registration, a state park launching/mooring permit, or a PA Fish and Boat Commission permit.
50 overnight mooring spaces are available through the Tobyhanna State Park office, which co-manages Gouldsboro.
Rentals nearby
Rowboats, kayaks, paddleboats, canoes, and electric motorboats (weather permitting)
On Gouldsboro Lake within Gouldsboro State Park · Daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, except in inclement weather
Backstory
The area is named for Jay Gould, a 19th-century railroad magnate who co-owned a nearby tannery; Gouldsboro and neighboring Tobyhanna lakes were major ice-harvesting centers from 1900-1936, shipping up to 150 boxcar loads of ice per day at peak. The federal government acquired the surrounding land in 1912 as the Tobyhanna Military Reservation. Pennsylvania gained title to most of the 26,000-acre reservation in 1949; the PA Fish Commission purchased Gouldsboro Lake itself in 1956, and Gouldsboro State Park opened in 1958. The Fish and Boat Commission's holdings transferred to DCNR in 2004. The lake's dam dates to 1895; the lake has been drained for dam/spillway repairs multiple times (1985, 1995, and fully in January 2005, refilled by January 2008).
Gouldsboro State Park Beach: FAQ
Is Gouldsboro State Park Beach kid friendly?
Official designated sand beach on a reservoir, which typically means a gentler, more gradual entry than a river or quarry, but DCNR's own swimming page states there are no lifeguards on duty and swimming is entirely at your own risk. No depth or bottom-condition details are published, so caregivers should supervise closely rather than assume a lifeguarded, kid-proofed setup.
Do I need to hike to reach Gouldsboro State Park Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Gouldsboro State Park Beach?
Pennsylvania state parks charge no entrance or day-use fee (confirmed on DCNR's state parks overview page: "Pennsylvania state parks do not charge an entrance fee"), so access to the beach itself is free. No source found describing the specific beach lot's size, surface, or exact walk distance from car to sand -- left null rather than guessed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Gouldsboro State Park Beach?
50 overnight mooring spaces are available through the Tobyhanna State Park office, which co-manages Gouldsboro.
When is the best time to visit Gouldsboro State Park Beach?
Beach is open seasonally from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through mid-September, 8:00 AM to sunset, per the official park swimming page (Wikipedia describes the season as running through Labor Day weekend).
What are the rules at Gouldsboro State Park Beach?
Swimming is at one's own risk; beach has no lifeguards. The beach is smoke-free (no cigarettes, pipes, cigars, e-cigarettes, or other lighted smoking devices), with a designated smoking area adjacent to the beach. Only electric or non-powered boats are allowed on the lake (gas motors prohibited).
What water body is Gouldsboro State Park Beach on?
Gouldsboro State Park Beach is on Gouldsboro Lake, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
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