Presque Isle: Beach 11
Erie, Pennsylvania · on Lake Erie · Presque Isle State Park
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Yes, see below
- SEASON
- Guarded swimming season runs Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, with beach hours of noon to 7:30 P.M. during that period, per the official park page.
About Presque Isle: Beach 11
Beach 11, officially named Kohler Beach, is one of 13 numbered swimming beaches along the Lake Erie shoreline inside Presque Isle State Park near Erie, Pennsylvania. An official, lifeguard-guarded freshwater swimming hole on Lake Erie, it is described by the state park system as the most sheltered of the park's beaches, making it one of the calmer places to swim on the peninsula.
Beach 11 sits on the Lake Erie shore of the Presque Isle peninsula, a sandy spit that forms Presque Isle State Park. The official park description calls it the most sheltered of the park's swimming beaches, with a large sandy beach and shallow water, set next to picnic areas, playground equipment, and a reservable picnic pavilion.
Swimming at Presque Isle: Beach 11
Swimming is in Lake Erie itself, a freshwater Great Lake, within a designated and lifeguard-guarded zone at Beach 11. The state park describes the beach's water as shallow and the site as sheltered compared to other Presque Isle beaches, suggesting calmer conditions than the park's more exposed, surf-facing beaches.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Beach 11 is a drive-up beach along Presque Isle's perimeter road system; no hike is required and no trail leads to it. No source specified an exact walk distance from adjacent parking to the sand, so that detail is left null rather than guessed.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Good for kids
The official PA DCNR park page describes Beach 11 (Kohler Beach) as 'the most sheltered' of Presque Isle's 13 numbered swimming beaches, with shallow water and a large sandy beach; it is lifeguard-guarded during the posted season (noon-7:30pm, Memorial Day Weekend-Labor Day), and unguarded wading elsewhere on Presque Isle is capped at knee-depth within 10 feet of shore. Together these make it one of the calmer, easier options for young kids compared to the park's more exposed, surf-facing beaches.
Restrooms
Yes
A beach house with changing areas and restrooms sits on-site at Beach 11, per the official PA DCNR park swimming page; the beach also has an adjacent picnic area, playground, and reservable pavilion.
Hours
Guarded swimming season runs Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, with Beach 11 open for guarded swimming noon-7:30pm during that window; the park overall is open 5am until sunset year-round, though individual facility hours (restrooms, beach house) vary seasonally per the park office (per official PA DCNR pages).
On the water
Restrictions: Per the official PA DCNR boating info and Wikipedia: internal combustion engines are banned in Presque Isle's interior lagoons (except Graveyard Pond); water-skiing is prohibited within 500 feet of shore (except for takeoff/approach); and a slow/minimum speed must be observed within 500 feet of any shoreline park-wide.
These boating rules describe Presque Isle Bay, the marina, and the interior lagoon/pond system generally (e.g., Graveyard Pond, Misery Bay, Marina Lake) -- no source found indicates watercraft are launched from or used directly at swimming Beach 11 itself, which is a designated, lifeguard-guarded swim zone under the park's swimming regulations. Treat the watercraft permission as park-wide, not Beach-11-specific.
Rentals nearby
Presque Isle Canoe and Boat Livery
canoes, kayaks, small motorboats, and pontoon boats
Graveyard Pond, within Presque Isle State Park's interior lagoon system -- several miles by park road from Beach 11 on the outer peninsula shoreline · 8am-8pm daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day; 10am-5pm weekends only, mid-April through mid-October (per Wikipedia's Presque Isle State Park article)
Backstory
Presque Isle became a Pennsylvania state park in 1921 and was previously used as a naval base during the War of 1812 (per Wikipedia); the peninsula was inhabited by the Erielhonan people before French traders named it in the 1720s.
Presque Isle: Beach 11: FAQ
Does Presque Isle: Beach 11 charge a fee?
No admission fee is charged for Presque Isle State Park (per Wikipedia, citing the park's no-fee policy).
Is Presque Isle: Beach 11 kid friendly?
The official PA DCNR park page describes Beach 11 (Kohler Beach) as 'the most sheltered' of Presque Isle's 13 numbered swimming beaches, with shallow water and a large sandy beach; it is lifeguard-guarded during the posted season (noon-7:30pm, Memorial Day Weekend-Labor Day), and unguarded wading elsewhere on Presque Isle is capped at knee-depth within 10 feet of shore. Together these make it one of the calmer, easier options for young kids compared to the park's more exposed, surf-facing beaches.
Do I need to hike to reach Presque Isle: Beach 11?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Presque Isle: Beach 11?
No source reviewed this session (official DCNR pages, Wikipedia, or other fetchable sites) specified a dedicated parking lot, its location, or any fee for Beach 11 specifically; the general park page confirms no park admission fee but does not break out per-beach parking. Left null rather than guessed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Presque Isle: Beach 11?
These boating rules describe Presque Isle Bay, the marina, and the interior lagoon/pond system generally (e.g., Graveyard Pond, Misery Bay, Marina Lake) -- no source found indicates watercraft are launched from or used directly at swimming Beach 11 itself, which is a designated, lifeguard-guarded swim zone under the park's swimming regulations. Treat the watercraft permission as park-wide, not Beach-11-specific.
When is the best time to visit Presque Isle: Beach 11?
Guarded swimming season runs Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, with beach hours of noon to 7:30 P.M. during that period, per the official park page.
What are the rules at Presque Isle: Beach 11?
Per the official park swimming page: swimming is only permitted within designated guarded zones; outside those zones, wading is limited to knee-depth and no more than 10 feet from shore. The beach is designated smoke-free (no cigarettes, pipes, cigars, e-cigarettes, or other lighted smoking devices). Leashed dogs are allowed in the tree-line area within guarded zones, and on the sand and in the water outside guarded zones.
What water body is Presque Isle: Beach 11 on?
Presque Isle: Beach 11 is on Lake Erie, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
