Pleasant Valley Beach

Muddy Creek Township, Pennsylvania · on Lake Arthur · Moraine State Park

Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: Free
SEASON: Officially operated as a swimming beach from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, 8:00 A.M. to sunset daily; concession/snack bar operates 11:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M. Wednesday through Sunday during that season.

About Pleasant Valley Beach

Pleasant Valley Beach is an official, staffed-season swimming beach on the south shore of Lake Arthur inside Moraine State Park in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Lake Arthur is a 3,225-acre reservoir created by damming Muddy Creek, and the beach is one of two designated swimming areas the park maintains on the lake. It is a developed, family-oriented beach with a bathhouse, snack bar, and grassy sand shoreline rather than a backcountry or hidden swimming hole.

The beach sits on the south shore of Lake Arthur, a large reservoir within Moraine State Park's rolling, formerly strip-mined and oil-drilled land that the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy restored before the park opened in 1970. It is a developed day-use area about a mile from PA Route 422, with mowed turf leading to a sand beach rather than a wilderness setting.

Swimming at Pleasant Valley Beach

Swimming is in the open water of Lake Arthur off a 400-foot turf-and-sand beach designated for that purpose. There is no lifeguard on duty ("swim at your own risk"), and the setting suits casual, supervised family swimming rather than deep-water or adventure swimming; a sand volleyball court and playground sit on the west side of the beach for non-swimming recreation.

How to get to this swimming hole

Pleasant Valley Beach is located on the south shore of Lake Arthur, about 1 mile from Pennsylvania Route 422, within Moraine State Park.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Drive-up developed beach with adjacent parking; no hike is needed to reach the swimming area.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

Designated turf-and-sand beach built for family swimming, but the official DCNR page states there is no lifeguard ('swim at your own risk'), so adult supervision is needed. No specific water-depth/drop-off profile was documented in sources found this session.

Parking

Free

Park entry and day-use areas are free; no admission fee is mentioned for the beach. Official sources describe the beach as accessible via Pleasant Valley Road (about 1 mile from PA Route 422, half a mile from the park office) but no page found this session gives specific lot size, layout, or whether it's a paved lot vs. roadside pull-off.

Restrooms

Yes

ADA-accessible flush toilet restrooms on site at Pleasant Valley Beach, plus showers and changing facilities associated with the beach (per official Moraine State Park pages).

Hours

Beach season: Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, 8:00 A.M. to sunset daily (snack bar/concession 11:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M. Wednesday-Sunday). The park itself is open year-round, sunrise to sunset daily; day-use areas close at dusk.

On the water

KayaksCanoesPaddleboardsMotorboatsSailboats

Restrictions: Lake Arthur-wide: motors limited to 20 hp / 15 kWh; boating prohibited in the Game Propagation Area and near the dam; non-powered boats need PA state registration or a state park/Fish & Boat Commission launch permit. No source found this session confirms a boat launch directly at Pleasant Valley Beach itself -- the lake's 9 public launches and two marinas (Davis Hollow, Watts Bay) appear to be separate facilities from the designated swim beach.

Per the park's official boating page, allowed craft are motorboats, kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and paddleboards lake-wide.

Rentals nearby

Moraine Boat Rental (Crescent Bay Marina; listed by PA DCNR as concessionaire 'Appalachian Outdoor School')

Single and double kayaks, paddle boards, pontoon boats, and fishing/motorboats

Prices: Exact rates not published on the site (referenced via an on-page pricing graphic); site states rentals run from 1 hour up to all day with price breaks at 4 and 8 hours, and that gas ($2/hr) and 6% sales tax are additional

225 Pleasant Valley Rd, Portersville, PA 16051 -- on the same road as, and very close to, Pleasant Valley Beach · Open daily 8 AM-8 PM for the 2026 season

Kayak Voyager

Short-term kayak and related gear rental for Moraine State Park

Backstory

Moraine State Park opened May 23, 1970, after the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy capped more than 400 abandoned oil and gas wells and revegetated formerly stripmined land to create Lake Arthur by damming Muddy Creek.

Pleasant Valley Beach: FAQ

Does Pleasant Valley Beach charge a fee?

No admission fee is mentioned on the official park page; the park itself is free, day-use areas close at dusk.

Is Pleasant Valley Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Pleasant Valley Beach?

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

Where do I park for Pleasant Valley Beach?

Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Pleasant Valley Beach?

Per the park's official boating page, allowed craft are motorboats, kayaks, canoes, sailboats, and paddleboards lake-wide.

When is the best time to visit Pleasant Valley Beach?

Officially operated as a swimming beach from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, 8:00 A.M. to sunset daily; concession/snack bar operates 11:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M. Wednesday through Sunday during that season.

What are the rules at Pleasant Valley Beach?

Swim at your own risk (no lifeguard indicated). Pets are banned from beach areas. Smoking is prohibited on the beach itself, though designated smoking areas are available nearby.

What water body is Pleasant Valley Beach on?

Pleasant Valley Beach is on Lake Arthur, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.