Elmore State Park Day Use Beach
Lake Elmore, Vermont · Elmore State Park
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $5
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Elmore State Park Day Use Beach
Elmore State Park Day Use Beach is the official swimming beach and go-to swimming hole on the north end of Lake Elmore in Elmore, Vermont, managed by Vermont State Parks. The 219-acre lake has a sandy, gently sloping beach anchored by a CCC-built (1934-1936) beach house with a concession stand and boat rentals, and the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Depression-era construction.
The park sits at the base of Elmore Mountain (2,608 ft) in the northern Green Mountains/Worcester Range, about 13 miles from Stowe, with the lake ringed by forested hills offering mountain views from the beach.
Swimming at Elmore State Park Day Use Beach
A sandy beach with a gently sloping sandy lake bottom suited to families and casual swimmers; water reportedly warms to 70F+ by August. A 5 hp limit on boat motors keeps the lake relatively quiet for swimmers and paddlers.
The hike in
No hike is needed to reach the swimming beach itself - it's a drive-up/walk-in day-use area. Separately, hikers can combine the visit with the unrelated Fire Tower Trail up Elmore Mountain (trailhead at the campground), a 4.5-mile loop with about 1,145 ft of elevation gain, but that trail leads to a mountain-summit fire tower, not to the swimming spot.
Fire Tower Trail (optional side activity, not required for swimming): moderately difficult, roughly 3 hours round trip, passes rocky outcrops, a glacial erratic ('Balancing Rock'), and moss-covered forest; recommended to start early (by 7am) to beat crowds.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
Good for kids
Sandy, gently sloping beach with a gradual entry into the water, described by a first-hand visitor account as family-oriented and popular with children. No lifeguards are mentioned on-site, so young/weak swimmers should still be supervised. Lake bottom is sandy rather than rocky.
Parking
Lot
A developed day-use parking area serves the beach (park charges a per-person day-use admission of $5 adults/$2 children per prior research), but no source specifies parking-lot size, a separate parking fee, or whether it fills up during peak season.
Restrooms
Yes
CCC-built beach house at the day-use beach contains restrooms and changing rooms; a visitor account also describes a bathhouse with showers near the beach. Separately, the campground area (not the day-use beach) has two restroom buildings with hot showers and a sanitary dump station.
Water clarity
Clear
A firsthand visitor account describes Lake Elmore as a 'cold, clear lake' with a clean sandy bottom. No conflicting (murky/algae) reports were found, though Vermont lakes generally carry some cyanobacteria-bloom risk in late summer that was not specifically documented here.
Hours
Day-use beach open 10am to official sunset, seasonally from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the second Monday in October (one visitor source cites 'May 27 - 2nd Monday in October' for a specific season).
On the water
Restrictions: Boat motors limited to 5 hp, which keeps the 219-acre lake quiet/no-wake for swimmers and paddlers.
Canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and pedal boats are rentable directly from the park's beach house/bathhouse; visitors may also launch their own small craft.
Rentals nearby
Canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard, and pedal boat rentals
At the beach house on the day-use beach, Lake Elmore, Elmore, VT
What regulars say
A firsthand visitor account offers candid tips: weekends and midday get busy, so early mornings are recommended for a quieter visit; mosquitoes emerge at dusk; late-September nights can be cold enough to need warm layers; and the campground area feels noticeably quieter than the day-use beach crowd.
Backstory
The land was donated by the town of Elmore and its residents in 1934; the Civilian Conservation Corps built the access road, beach house, and beach between 1934 and 1936, and a fire tower atop Elmore Mountain in 1939. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 for its CCC-era structures.
Elmore State Park Day Use Beach: FAQ
Does Elmore State Park Day Use Beach charge a fee?
Day-use admission $5 for adults (14+), $2 for children (4-13), free for ages 0-3; season and vehicle passes also available.
Is Elmore State Park Day Use Beach kid friendly?
Sandy, gently sloping beach with a gradual entry into the water, described by a first-hand visitor account as family-oriented and popular with children. No lifeguards are mentioned on-site, so young/weak swimmers should still be supervised. Lake bottom is sandy rather than rocky.
Do I need to hike to reach Elmore State Park Day Use Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Elmore State Park Day Use Beach?
A developed day-use parking area serves the beach (park charges a per-person day-use admission of $5 adults/$2 children per prior research), but no source specifies parking-lot size, a separate parking fee, or whether it fills up during peak season.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Elmore State Park Day Use Beach?
Canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and pedal boats are rentable directly from the park's beach house/bathhouse; visitors may also launch their own small craft.
When is the best time to visit Elmore State Park Day Use Beach?
Summer (Memorial Day weekend through early October, when the park's day-use season operates); one source notes blackflies can be a nuisance in May-June.
What are the rules at Elmore State Park Day Use Beach?
Pets are prohibited on the day-use beach at all times (allowed leashed in campground and on trails). Day-use hours run 10am to official sunset, seasonally from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the second Monday in October.
