Laurel Hill State Park Beach

Somerset, Pennsylvania · on Laurel Hill Lake · Laurel Hill State Park

Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: No fee found
SEASON: May

About Laurel Hill State Park Beach

Laurel Hill State Park Beach is an official, designated swimming beach on Laurel Hill Lake, a 63-acre reservoir built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s within a 4,000+ acre state park near Somerset, Pennsylvania. The beach is a state-run, staffed seasonal facility rather than an informal swimming hole.

The lake sits within Laurel Hill State Park's forested Laurel Highlands terrain in Somerset County, an area that was heavily logged in the late 1800s/early 1900s and restored by CCC crews starting in 1935; much of the park's CCC-era stonework and architecture is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The beach and lake are surrounded by wooded picnic areas, campground loops, and hiking trails including the Lake Trail and Copper Kettle Trail.

Swimming at Laurel Hill State Park Beach

Swimming takes place off a 1,200-foot man-made sand beach on Laurel Hill Lake, in a designated, buoy-marked swim area with a maximum depth of five feet, making it well suited to families and casual swimmers rather than deep-water or open-water swimming. Swimmers are cautioned to swim at their own risk.

The hike in

No hike is needed, the beach has its own parking lot with a short walk-in. The Copper Kettle Trail, a 1.25-mile out-and-back ADA-accessible crushed-stone path along the lake's western shore connecting the Old Mill Picnic Area to the beach, is an optional scenic walking route, not a required approach.

Short walk from beach parking to sand; no elevation gain or scrambling involved.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

1,200-ft sand beach with a designated buoy-marked swim area maxing out at 5 feet deep is gentle and family-suited, but the beach is unguarded ("swim at your own risk" per official DCNR page, no lifeguard mentioned anywhere found) so adult supervision matters.

Parking

Free

Large parking area directly at the beach; Pennsylvania state parks charge no day-use entry or parking fee. Exact lot capacity/signage not documented in sources found.

Restrooms

Yes

Modern, ADA-accessible restrooms at the beach itself; additional restrooms plus a small camp store are at the Visitor Center near the campground entrance.

Water clarity

Mostly clear

Visitors describe the lake as having 'clear water' and being clean and well kept; no scientific turbidity data was located, so the rating is based on secondhand visitor accounts rather than direct lab or firsthand confirmation.

Hours

Beach open late May through Labor Day, 8:00 a.m. to sunset daily; park grounds themselves are open year-round, sunrise to sunset.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboardsRowboatsMotorboats

Restrictions: Electric motors only, slow, no-wake speed; gas motors prohibited. Motorboats need current registration; non-powered vessels need a boat registration, state park launch/mooring permit, or PA Fish and Boat Commission launching-use permit.

Laurel Hill Lake (63 acres) has 30 mooring sites and two boat launches; a dedicated canoe/kayak launch sits in the Beach Area and feeds a six-mile water trail ending at an improved take-out near the historic Kings Covered Bridge.

Rentals nearby

Hazelbaker's Canoe Rentals

Canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, rowboats, paddleboats, and bikes

Prices: Boat rentals ~$12/person/hour; bikes ~$7/hour; walk-in fee $5/person; children 7 and under free with a paying adult

Rental office located right on the swim beach at Laurel Hill State Park, Somerset, PA · Laurel Hill Lake location open 7 days a week, 10am-5pm (last rentals at 5pm, equipment due back by 6pm), seasonal

What regulars say

Visitors call Laurel Hill State Park a scenic, historic destination worth the trip, praising the campground and describing the surrounding Alleghenies and Laurel Highlands setting as a highlight; some also flagged that trailhead signage (for example, for Lyons Road to a scenic overlook) has occasionally gone missing.

Backstory

Laurel Hill Lake's dam was built during the Great Depression by Civilian Conservation Corps camps NP-5-PA and SP-15-PA, part of a federal land restoration effort after decades of heavy logging; the resulting Laurel Hill Recreational Demonstration Area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as the largest collection of CCC architecture in Pennsylvania's state parks.

Laurel Hill State Park Beach: FAQ

Is Laurel Hill State Park Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Laurel Hill State Park Beach?

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

Where do I park for Laurel Hill State Park Beach?

Large parking area directly at the beach; Pennsylvania state parks charge no day-use entry or parking fee. Exact lot capacity/signage not documented in sources found.

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Laurel Hill State Park Beach?

When is the best time to visit Laurel Hill State Park Beach?

Beach is open late May through Labor Day, 8:00 a.m. to sunset daily.

What are the rules at Laurel Hill State Park Beach?

Swimming permitted only within the designated buoyed swim area, at swimmers' own risk; beach and swim area are smoke-free (no cigarettes, pipes, cigars, or e-cigarettes), with designated smoking areas adjacent to the beach.

What water body is Laurel Hill State Park Beach on?

Laurel Hill State Park Beach is on Laurel Hill Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.