Canyon Park Swim Beach #1
Canyon Lake, Texas · on Canyon Lake · Canyon Recreation Area
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $5
- SEASON
- September
About Canyon Park Swim Beach #1
Canyon Park Swim Beach #1 is one of two designated swimming beaches inside Canyon Park, a 485-acre day-use park on the north shore of Canyon Lake near Canyon Lake, Texas. The park sits on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land but the swim beach itself is operated by the Water-Oriented Recreation District (WORD) of Comal County. It is an officially designated, fee-access lake swim beach rather than an informal or hidden swimming hole, and among the sanctioned places to swim on Canyon Lake.
Canyon Park occupies the north shore of Canyon Lake, a Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. The 485-acre park is developed with mowed lawns, shade trees, a fishing pier, a pollinator/native-plant garden (Madrone Trail Pollinator Garden), and picnic pavilions overlooking open lake water; Swim Beach #1 sits near a separate entrance about a mile before the park's main gate.
Swimming at Canyon Park Swim Beach #1
Swimming is in open reservoir water off a maintained beach area rather than a river or creek current. No official source describes water depth, clarity, or bottom composition, so those specifics are unconfirmed. The beach is set up as a family day-use area (playground, volleyball, hammock stations nearby) and is only staffed/open as a swim beach on weekends.
How to get to this swimming hole
Canyon Park is on the north shore of Canyon Lake in Comal County, Texas. Per the park operator (WORD), the Swim Beach #1 entrance is located about a mile before the park's main entrance gate; exact turn-by-turn directions were not published on the pages reviewed.
Parking: On-site parking within the fee park; the park enforces a capacity limit and posts 'Park Full' signage when the lot reaches maximum occupancy, per the operator's site.
The hike in
Drive-up swim beach; the parking area is directly adjacent to the beach off Canyon Park Road, so no hike is needed to reach the water.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Designated, WORD-staffed swim beach with adjacent playground, volleyball court, and hammock stations, so it's set up as a family day-use spot, but no source confirms lifeguards on duty, and it's open-reservoir entry (not a graded, monitored kiddie pool) so watch small children closely, especially since it's only open/staffed weekends 10am-6pm entry.
Parking
Paid, $5 (Comal Co. resident sticker) / $20 (out-of-county) + $1 processing fee per vehicle
Entrance is nearly a mile before Canyon Park's main gate on Canyon Park Road (off FM 306 near Brookshire Brothers); flagpoles mark the left turn into the Swim Beach #1 parking area. Gate attendant collects fee when present; ParkMobile app required to pay when no attendant is on duty. Lot has a posted capacity limit ('Park Full' signage when maxed out).
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms are provided within Canyon Park generally (per operator WORD's site); exact building location relative to Swim Beach #1 isn't specified, but the park has multiple restroom facilities distributed across its 485 acres.
Water clarity
Mostly clear
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department classifies Canyon Lake's water clarity as 'clear to slightly stained' overall (a normal reading), but notes clarity drops off ('becomes stained') moving up-reservoir toward the Guadalupe River inflow, away from the main lake body where Canyon Park sits.
Hours
Swim Beach #1: Saturdays and Sundays only, 10:00am-7:30pm, no entry after 6:00pm. Broader Canyon Park operates as a day-use park March-October with seasonal hour changes (up to 8:00am-7:30pm in peak summer).
On the water
Restrictions: Lake-wide WORD rules require idle-speed/no-wake in designated no-wake areas, mandate life jackets for all boat occupants (same count as people aboard), and require children 12 and under to wear a life jacket whenever boating, kayaking, canoeing, or rafting. USACE rules prohibit swimming/wading at boat-launch sites, mooring points, and docks, keeping general watercraft traffic separated from the designated swim beach itself.
Watercraft use applies to the open lake and nearby boat ramps (e.g., Boat Ramp 18, about a mile from the swim beach along Canyon Park Rd), not the roped-off swim beach area itself.
Rentals nearby
Jet ski rentals and pontoon boat rentals on Canyon Lake; captain/guide service available for those who don't want to operate the vessel themselves
1769 Canyon Park Rd, Canyon Lake, TX 78133, at Boat Ramp 18 (roughly a mile from Canyon Park Swim Beach #1 on the same road) · Open 7 days/week, 8:00am-7:00pm; launches before 10am by reservation only; last rental departs 6:15pm, all vessels back by 7:15pm
Kayak and canoe rentals for fishing, swimming, and exploring the lake; also rents wakeboards, kneeboards, tubes, water floats, life jackets, and fishing gear
Canyon Lake, Texas (exact street address not published on site) · 8:00am-7:00pm
Canyon Park Swim Beach #1: FAQ
Does Canyon Park Swim Beach #1 charge a fee?
Day-use vehicle entry fee (per WORD): $5 for Comal County residents with a registration sticker, $20 for out-of-county visitors, plus a $1 processing fee; free entry for disabled veterans with DV plates. Cash, debit, and major credit cards accepted. No free re-entry once you leave.
Is Canyon Park Swim Beach #1 kid friendly?
Designated, WORD-staffed swim beach with adjacent playground, volleyball court, and hammock stations, so it's set up as a family day-use spot, but no source confirms lifeguards on duty, and it's open-reservoir entry (not a graded, monitored kiddie pool) so watch small children closely, especially since it's only open/staffed weekends 10am-6pm entry.
Do I need to hike to reach Canyon Park Swim Beach #1?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Canyon Park Swim Beach #1?
Entrance is nearly a mile before Canyon Park's main gate on Canyon Park Road (off FM 306 near Brookshire Brothers); flagpoles mark the left turn into the Swim Beach #1 parking area. Gate attendant collects fee when present; ParkMobile app required to pay when no attendant is on duty. Lot has a posted capacity limit ('Park Full' signage when maxed out).
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Canyon Park Swim Beach #1?
Watercraft use applies to the open lake and nearby boat ramps (e.g., Boat Ramp 18, about a mile from the swim beach along Canyon Park Rd), not the roped-off swim beach area itself.
When is the best time to visit Canyon Park Swim Beach #1?
Park operates March through October as a day-use facility; Swim Beach #1 itself is only open on weekends within that season, with the longest hours (and presumably best swimming conditions) in the April-September peak.
What are the rules at Canyon Park Swim Beach #1?
Swim beach open only Saturday-Sunday, 10:00am-7:30pm with last entry at 6:00pm; the broader park is open daily during its March-October day-use season with seasonal hour changes (e.g., 8:00am-7:30pm in peak summer months). Park-wide rules prohibit glass containers, Styrofoam/foam products, unleashed pets, drones, RVs, and unauthorized commercial activity. Lake-wide WORD water-safety rules require lifejackets for children 12 and under while boating/kayaking/rafting, ban jumping from bridges or cliffs, and note violations can carry fines up to $500.
What water body is Canyon Park Swim Beach #1 on?
Canyon Park Swim Beach #1 is on Canyon Lake, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
More swimming holes near Canyon Lake
Cypress Falls Swimming Hole
Wimberley, Texascreek
🛶🏄🛟
Blue Hole Regional Park
Wimberley, Texascreek
★ Top verifiedUpper McKinney Falls
Austin, Texaswaterfall pool
🥾 0.6 mi hike
Blue Hole Park
Georgetown, Texasriver
⛺
★ Top verifiedHancock Springs Free Flow Swim Area
Lampasas, Texasspring
Stillhouse Park
Belton, Texasreservoir
⛺🛶🏄🚤