Pat Crawford Beach
Edinboro, Pennsylvania · on Edinboro Lake · Lakeside Drive Park
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Pat Crawford Beach
Pat Crawford Beach is the guarded public swimming beach on Edinboro Lake, a 245-acre lake in the Borough of Edinboro, Erie County, Pennsylvania, about 15 minutes south of the city of Erie. It is the centerpiece of the borough's Parks and Recreation offerings, with a sandy shoreline, lawn area, and lifeguard coverage each summer.
The beach sits directly on the shore of Edinboro Lake within the borough's Lakeside Drive Park area, with a stretch of sandy shoreline and open lawn for picnicking, backed by the small college town of Edinboro. The lake itself is rated for unlimited horsepower and supports fishing (bass, muskie, panfish, walleye), water skiing, and personal watercraft alongside the swimming beach.
Swimming at Pat Crawford Beach
Swimming is in a lifeguard-supervised area of a developed, motorized recreational lake rather than a secluded natural swimming hole; conditions are calm, flat lake water suited to families and casual swimmers during guarded hours, though the lake is shared with boats, personal watercraft, and water skiers outside the roped swim area.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located along Lakeside Drive in Edinboro, PA, on the shore of Edinboro Lake, roughly 15 minutes south of Erie, PA.
Parking: Public parking is available at the beach/park area and at the lake's two free public boat launches, per the Edinboro Borough parks page.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up/park-and-walk lake beach in Lakeside Drive Park on Edinboro Lake, not a hike-in swimming hole. Parking is directly at the park/beach area, so the walk from car to sand is on the order of a minute or two, not a maintained trail hike.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The guarded beach itself (lifeguards on duty daily noon-4pm, Memorial Day-Labor Day) is a calm, shallow-entry lake beach suited to families during those hours, but Edinboro Lake overall is a multi-use, unlimited-horsepower recreational lake shared with motorboats, personal watercraft, and water skiers outside the roped swim area, and a documented incident describes a kayaker needing rescue after capsizing in high wind and waves, so supervision and awareness of open-lake conditions outside guarded hours/areas is warranted.
Parking
Lot
Public parking is available at the beach/Lakeside Drive Park area and at the lake's two free public boat launch ramps, per Edinboro Borough's parks page. The Borough's separate fee schedule references charges for boat dock and canoe-rack rentals, but no source found states a fee specifically for beach parking or general park access.
Hours
Beach is guarded for swimming daily from noon to 4:00 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day; no separate general park/lot operating hours were found in official sources.
On the water
Restrictions: Edinboro Lake is rated for unlimited horsepower per the prior dossier/Paddleways, so motorboats, water skiing, and personal watercraft are permitted lake-wide (not just carry-in paddle craft); no electric-only or no-wake restriction was found for the general lake, though the guarded swim zone at the beach is presumably roped off from boat traffic during lifeguard hours.
Watercraft launch is via the lake's two free public boat launch ramps (not directly at Pat Crawford Beach itself); the Borough also offers seasonal private boat dock rentals and canoe-rack rentals for a fee per its fee schedule.
Rentals nearby
Self-service kayak and canoe rentals, each including a paddle and life vest, unlocked via QR code through the Movatic smartphone app at an unstaffed dock station
South boat launch on Lakeside Drive, Edinboro Lake, a separate launch site from Pat Crawford Beach itself
Pat Crawford Beach: FAQ
Is Pat Crawford Beach kid friendly?
The guarded beach itself (lifeguards on duty daily noon-4pm, Memorial Day-Labor Day) is a calm, shallow-entry lake beach suited to families during those hours, but Edinboro Lake overall is a multi-use, unlimited-horsepower recreational lake shared with motorboats, personal watercraft, and water skiers outside the roped swim area, and a documented incident describes a kayaker needing rescue after capsizing in high wind and waves, so supervision and awareness of open-lake conditions outside guarded hours/areas is warranted.
Do I need to hike to reach Pat Crawford Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Pat Crawford Beach?
Public parking is available at the beach/Lakeside Drive Park area and at the lake's two free public boat launch ramps, per Edinboro Borough's parks page. The Borough's separate fee schedule references charges for boat dock and canoe-rack rentals, but no source found states a fee specifically for beach parking or general park access.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Pat Crawford Beach?
Watercraft launch is via the lake's two free public boat launch ramps (not directly at Pat Crawford Beach itself); the Borough also offers seasonal private boat dock rentals and canoe-rack rentals for a fee per its fee schedule.
When is the best time to visit Pat Crawford Beach?
Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day), matching the lifeguard-staffed swim season.
What are the rules at Pat Crawford Beach?
Beach is guarded and open for swimming daily from noon to 4:00 p.m., Memorial Day through Labor Day (per Edinboro Borough and corroborating sources); a separate section of the lake is designated as a trout stream limited to anglers age 12 and under and individuals with disabilities.
What water body is Pat Crawford Beach on?
Pat Crawford Beach is on Edinboro Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
