Palmyra Township Public Beach

Hawley, Pennsylvania · on Lake Wallenpaupack · Palmyra Township Beach

Verified · 4 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: Yes, see below
SEASON: Best in summer

About Palmyra Township Public Beach

Palmyra Township Public Beach is a small municipal swimming hole on Lake Wallenpaupack in the Wilsonville section of Palmyra Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania, near Hawley. The Township secured the beach property from PPL (the utility that impounds the lake) on the specific condition that it remain open to public swimming, so this stretch of Wallenpaupack stays a public lake to swim in, and the beach operates seasonally with a concession stand.

The beach sits on the shore of Lake Wallenpaupack, a roughly 5,700-acre reservoir created by PPL's hydroelectric dam on Wallenpaupack Creek, in the Wilsonville area of Palmyra Township. It lies along the Wallenpaupack Walking Trail, a roughly 1.8-mile path that runs from the dike along the lake to the PPL Environmental Center (with a further half-mile extension along Wallenpaupack Creek).

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up township beach with a concession stand, not a hike-in swimming hole. The Wallenpaupack Walking Trail (~1.8 mi lakeside path from the dike to the PPL Environmental Center, plus a further ~0.5 mi extension along Wallenpaupack Creek) begins at/connects to this beach, but it's an optional recreational trail, not a route required to reach the swimming area.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

It's a maintained township swimming beach (shallow shoreline entry typical of a designated beach), but Lake Wallenpaupack reaches depths of up to 60 ft not far from shore, and a regional tourism source explicitly recommends life jackets for inexperienced/young swimmers. No lifeguard presence could be confirmed from any source, so treat it as supervised swimming rather than assuming lifeguards are on duty.

Parking

Free

The Township's 2023 official fee schedule has no line item for beach, swimming, or parking charges, indicating free access/parking. No source specifies lot size, surface type, or exact location of parking relative to the beach, so those details are left null. Note that Wilsonville is separately listed (via Wikipedia) as one of the lake's 'launch-for-fee access areas' for trailered boats, that fee applies to boat launching, not to the beach itself, and it's unclear if it's the same parking area.

Water clarity

Mostly clear

Regional tourism promotion describes the lake water at this beach as 'safe and clean' for swimming. That is a promotional description rather than a first-hand clarity report, so it is treated as a soft data point. No first-hand visitor accounts of clarity could be located this session despite multiple attempts.

Hours

Per the Township's page, the 2024 season ran June 15 through Wally Fest weekend, roughly 11am-5pm daily (weather permitting); a tourism aggregator lists official 2026 opening day as Friday, June 12, 2026, consistent with a similar mid-June-to-early-September season.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboardsMotorboatsPontoon

Restrictions: Lake-wide (per Wikipedia's Lake Wallenpaupack article): no boat horsepower limit; speed capped at 25 mph from sunset to sunrise, and 45 mph on summer weekend daytimes. Wilsonville (the beach's location) is named as one of the lake's launch-for-fee access areas for trailered boats, separate from the free Township beach itself.

No source specifically restricts watercraft launching directly from the swimming beach itself (as opposed to the nearby Wilsonville boat-launch access point), so beach-specific watercraft rules are left unconfirmed.

Rentals nearby

Rubber Duckie Boat Rentals

19-21 ft ski/pleasure boats, pontoon boats, and a 15 ft Boston Whaler; family-owned since 1970, staffed by PA Boat Certified professionals

Prices: Ski/pleasure boats & pontoons: $200/hr, $350 half-day (4.5 hrs), $585 full-day (8 hrs). Boston Whaler: $100/hr, $160 half-day, $300 full-day. 2-hour minimum; 3% cash discount; renter pays fuel/oil; PA 6% sales tax not included.

106 Bungalow Ln, Hawley, PA 18428, on Lake Wallenpaupack (Hawley is ~2.4 mi from the beach per nearby-towns data) · 8:30am-6:00pm daily, May through September (weather permitting)

Pocono Action Sports at Lighthouse Harbor Marina

Pontoon boats, slide boats, runabout boats, jet car boats, fishing boats, plus tubes/kneeboards and an 18-passenger Tiki Boat; half-day, full-day, and multi-day rentals; captained charters available on pontoon/slide boats

969 Route 507, Greentown, PA 18426, at Lighthouse Harbor Marina on Lake Wallenpaupack · Open 7 days a week (exact times not published)

Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tours & Rentals

Captained scenic boat tours and boat rentals on Lake Wallenpaupack

Hawley, PA area (exact address and working website not confirmed this session) · Mid-June through Labor Day

Backstory

The beach property was secured by Palmyra Township from PPL (the utility company that dammed Wallenpaupack Creek to create the lake) specifically on the condition that the Township keep it open to the public.

Palmyra Township Public Beach: FAQ

Does Palmyra Township Public Beach charge a fee?

No admission fee is mentioned on the Township's official pages, and the Township's 2023 schedule of fees contains no line item for beach, swimming, or parking charges.

Is Palmyra Township Public Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Palmyra Township Public Beach?

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

Where do I park for Palmyra Township Public Beach?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Palmyra Township Public Beach?

When is the best time to visit Palmyra Township Public Beach?

Summer; the Township's beach season in 2024 ran from June 15 through Wally Fest weekend, roughly 11am-5pm daily, weather permitting.

What are the rules at Palmyra Township Public Beach?

The Township secured the beach from PPL on the condition that it remain open to the public; the beach has posted seasonal hours (per the 2024 season, 11am-5pm daily, weather permitting) rather than being open access at all times, and it has been closed on occasion for scheduled community events (e.g., the Chamber of the Northern Poconos' 'Dragon Races').

What water body is Palmyra Township Public Beach on?

Palmyra Township Public Beach is on Lake Wallenpaupack, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.