Tunnelville Beach
Ford City, Pennsylvania · on Crooked Creek Lake · Crooked Creek Lake Park (Usarmy Corps. Engineers)
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Tunnelville Beach
Tunnelville Beach is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' designated swimming hole on Crooked Creek Lake, a flood-control reservoir near Ford City, Pennsylvania, sited on a sandy peninsula close to the site of the historic Tunnelville community. The beach has an official, marked swimming zone with no admission fee, making Crooked Creek a free lake to swim in, and it is part of the Corps' Crooked Creek Lake Park recreation area, which also includes campgrounds, pavilions, and the Baker Trail.
The beach sits on a sandy peninsula jutting into Crooked Creek Lake, a reservoir created by an Army Corps of Engineers flood-control dam authorized under the 1936/1938 Flood Control Acts to manage flooding on the Allegheny River basin. It lies within the larger Crooked Creek Lake Park recreation area near the dam and spillway, close to the site of the former community of Tunnelville, with the 141-mile Baker Trail passing through the surrounding grounds.
Swimming at Tunnelville Beach
Swimming takes place in a rope/buoy-marked zone directly off the sandy beach and grass strip, separated from a no-swim boat channel by navigation buoys; official rules note the lake water is tested weekly by a certified lab monitored by the PA Department of Health, with the beach closed if bacteria levels rise. Children under 13 are required to wear personal flotation devices while in the water, and adult supervision of children is mandated at all times, indicating a lake swim area suited to families and casual swimmers rather than a deep-water or current-driven site.
How to get to this swimming hole
Crooked Creek Lake is reached from Kittanning by heading about 7 miles south on PA Route 66; the beach/day-use area is part of Crooked Creek Lake Park near Ford City, PA, with the Corps park office address listed as 114 Park Main Rd., Ford City, PA 16226.
Parking: Paved, one-way loop parking area serving the beach (from the entrance stop sign the loop runs to the far end and back); a 15 mph speed limit applies, with a crawl speed required at the congested end. Vehicles towing trailers are directed to the two upper lots, and marked handicapped spaces require an official placard.
The hike in
Baker Trail (141-mile long-distance trail) passes through the surrounding Crooked Creek Lake Park recreation area, including near the dam/spillway
The Baker Trail crosses through the Crooked Creek Lake recreation area but is a separate long-distance backpacking route, not the access path to the beach -- Tunnelville Beach itself is a drive-up sandy peninsula beach reached directly from its own paved parking loop, with no hike required to reach the water.
Could not find a specific trailhead location, mile marker, or trip report pinpointing where the Baker Trail passes closest to this beach; treating hike-to-swim distance as not applicable since the beach is a standard drive-up facility.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Official rules describe a marked, buoy-separated swim zone on a sandy beach designed for family use (PA law requires PFDs for children under 13 in the water and constant adult supervision is mandated), but the beach rules do not mention any lifeguard staffing, and a boat channel/no-swim zone runs immediately adjacent to the swim area, marked by buoys visitors are told not to approach or hang onto -- so it's a good family beach if kids stay in the marked zone and are supervised, not a set-and-forget spot.
Parking
Free
Paved, one-way loop parking lot serves the beach directly (enter at the stop sign, loop runs to the far end and back); 15 mph limit, crawl speed at the congested end. Vehicles towing trailers are directed to two upper lots instead of the beach loop; marked handicapped spaces require an official placard; parking/driving on the grass at pavilions is not permitted, with overflow parking arranged through park rangers if needed.
Restrooms
Yes
A restroom facility with flush toilets and running water sits between the pavilions in the adjoining Spillway Recreation Area, a short walk from the beach.
Hours
Swim beach open dawn to dusk; the sand is groomed daily 8-9am and no beach setup is permitted before 8am for maintenance/janitorial work. No closing time beyond dusk is specified.
On the water
Restrictions: Boating and waterskiing occur on the lake generally, but the marked swim zone at the beach is buoy-separated from a boat channel and off-limits to watercraft; Pennsylvania law requires PFDs on board for all canoes/kayaks and any boat under 16 feet. The nearest formal boat launch is Hancock Bend Boat Launch and Recreation Area, about 1.5 miles from this beach per RIDB data.
No specific motor horsepower or no-wake-zone restriction for the lake overall was located in the sources reviewed; only the swim-zone/boat-channel separation at the beach itself is documented.
Backstory
Crooked Creek Lake was formed by a dam built under the Flood Control Acts of 1936 and 1938 to control flooding along the Allegheny River basin; the surrounding recreation area was formerly known as Crooked Creek State Park before coming under Army Corps of Engineers management, and the beach's name reflects the nearby historic (now largely vanished) community of Tunnelville.
Tunnelville Beach: FAQ
Does Tunnelville Beach charge a fee?
No fee for swimming or use of the beach.
Is Tunnelville Beach kid friendly?
Official rules describe a marked, buoy-separated swim zone on a sandy beach designed for family use (PA law requires PFDs for children under 13 in the water and constant adult supervision is mandated), but the beach rules do not mention any lifeguard staffing, and a boat channel/no-swim zone runs immediately adjacent to the swim area, marked by buoys visitors are told not to approach or hang onto -- so it's a good family beach if kids stay in the marked zone and are supervised, not a set-and-forget spot.
Do I need to hike to reach Tunnelville Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Tunnelville Beach?
Paved, one-way loop parking lot serves the beach directly (enter at the stop sign, loop runs to the far end and back); 15 mph limit, crawl speed at the congested end. Vehicles towing trailers are directed to two upper lots instead of the beach loop; marked handicapped spaces require an official placard; parking/driving on the grass at pavilions is not permitted, with overflow parking arranged through park rangers if needed.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Tunnelville Beach?
No specific motor horsepower or no-wake-zone restriction for the lake overall was located in the sources reviewed; only the swim-zone/boat-channel separation at the beach itself is documented.
What are the rules at Tunnelville Beach?
Swimming is restricted to the marked swim zone (no swimming in the boat channel, no disturbing or hanging on navigation/swim-line buoys); pets are banned from the sandy beach and grass strip (but allowed on either end off the sand) and must be on a 6-foot leash park-wide; alcoholic beverages are prohibited anywhere at Crooked Creek Lake; constant adult supervision of children is required, and children under 13 must wear PFDs on the water; cooking/food prep (including grills) is banned on the sand/grass per state sanitation law; rescue equipment is for emergency use only; audio must be kept to personal devices; fishing is allowed on the peninsula except on the sandy swim beach itself.
What water body is Tunnelville Beach on?
Tunnelville Beach is on Crooked Creek Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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