Twin Lakes State Park
Green Bay, Virginia · on Goodwin Lake · Twin Lakes State Park
Verified · 5 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Twin Lakes State Park
Twin Lakes State Park is a 495-acre Virginia state park near Green Bay in Prince Edward County, formed from two historically segregated Depression-era park areas (Goodwin Lake and Prince Edward Lake) merged in 1976. It has an official, designated swimming beach on Goodwin Lake, a free, unguarded swimming hole that is popular with families in summer and an easy lake to swim in.
The park sits in Virginia's Piedmont region and centers on two small man-made lakes, Goodwin Lake (about 15 acres) and Prince Edward Lake (about 36 acres), surrounded by hardwood forest with about six miles of hiking trails connecting the lakes and campground/cabin areas, plus an adjoining 8-mile multi-use trail network in the Prince Edward-Gallion State Forest.
Swimming at Twin Lakes State Park
Swimming is confined to a designated, sandy swim beach on the east side of Goodwin Lake; it is unguarded (no lifeguard) but free of charge and open year-round, with the official park page noting swimming elsewhere in the park is prohibited. A first-hand source describes the sandy beach as very popular with families for a summer 'cooling splash,' with a fishing pier, playground, and seasonal concession stand adjacent.
How to get to this swimming hole
The park's main entrance and beach are accessed via Twin Lakes Road at 788 Twin Lakes Road, Green Bay, Virginia; the beach itself sits on the east side of Goodwin Lake within the park.
Parking: A daily per-vehicle parking fee is charged for day-use visitors, per the official park page; specific dollar amount was not found on the pages retrieved.
The hike in
No hike is needed to reach the Goodwin Lake swim beach - it's a drive-up/parking-lot beach. For visitors who want to hike after swimming, the easy 1.1-mile Goodwin Lake Trail loop starts at the left side of the beach and circles the 15-acre lake on a shaded path with benches and small bridges; the easy 0.5-mile out-and-back Between the Lakes Trail starts across the parking lot from the beach and ends at a bench overlooking Prince Edward Lake; and the longer, moderate 2.9-mile Otter's Path (multi-use, hikers and bikers) is the park's longest trail.
Trails are optional add-ons, not required to access swimming.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sandy beach with a gentle, shallow entry and an adjacent playground and concession stand make it appealing for families, but the swim area is unguarded (no lifeguard on duty per the official park page), so adults should supervise young children closely.
Parking
Paid
A day-use parking fee is charged per vehicle at the park entrance per the official DCR page; the exact dollar amount was not found on pages retrieved (fees subpage returned a server error).
Restrooms
Yes
Restrooms are located at the beach/concession building near the swim area (concession restrooms noted as accessible); a separate, larger modern bathhouse serves the campground.
Hours
Park gates are open 7 a.m. to dusk daily. Park office hours vary: Sunday-Thursday 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5:30pm. Beach concession and boat rentals run seasonally, roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day.
On the water
Restrictions: Only electric motors are permitted on both Goodwin Lake and Prince Edward Lake (no gas motors); no explicit no-wake designation was found in sources.
Rentals (pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, rowboats, stand-up paddleboards) are run by the park's own concession stand rather than an outside outfitter.
Rentals nearby
Pedal boats, stand-up paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, and rowboats for use on Goodwin Lake (and separately Prince Edward Lake)
On-site at the Goodwin Lake beach concession/gift shop building, adjacent to the swim beach · Per the official DCR page: Goodwin Lake rentals daily 10:30am-5pm (last rental 4pm), through Labor Day; Prince Edward Lake rentals Monday-Thursday 10:30am-5pm. One visitor instead reported 10am-5:30pm, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Hours may vary by season, so this discrepancy is noted rather than resolved.
Backstory
The park originated from two Depression-era, racially segregated recreation areas: Goodwin Lake (opened 1939, for white visitors) and Prince Edward Lake. After businessman Maceo Conrad Martin sued the state in 1948 for being denied entry to Staunton River State Park (litigated by civil rights attorney Oliver Hill), Virginia opened Prince Edward State Park for Negroes in June 1950 as the state's eighth state park and its only pre-Civil Rights-era state park for African Americans. The two parks were integrated/merged in 1976 and renamed Twin Lakes State Park in 1986; a historical marker erected in 1995 commemorates the Martin lawsuit.
Twin Lakes State Park: FAQ
Does Twin Lakes State Park charge a fee?
No general park admission fee; a day-use parking fee applies, and boat rentals/shelter rentals carry separate fees. Swimming itself is free of charge per the official DCR page.
Is Twin Lakes State Park kid friendly?
Sandy beach with a gentle, shallow entry and an adjacent playground and concession stand make it appealing for families, but the swim area is unguarded (no lifeguard on duty per the official park page), so adults should supervise young children closely.
Do I need to hike to reach Twin Lakes State Park?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Twin Lakes State Park?
A day-use parking fee is charged per vehicle at the park entrance per the official DCR page; the exact dollar amount was not found on pages retrieved (fees subpage returned a server error).
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Twin Lakes State Park?
Rentals (pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, rowboats, stand-up paddleboards) are run by the park's own concession stand rather than an outside outfitter.
When is the best time to visit Twin Lakes State Park?
Summer (June through Labor Day) is peak season, when the beach concession stand and boat/paddleboard/kayak rentals operate; swimming is technically permitted year-round in the designated area.
What are the rules at Twin Lakes State Park?
Swimming is unguarded (no lifeguard on duty) and is restricted to the designated swimming area of Goodwin Lake; swimming elsewhere in the park is prohibited. Electric motors only are allowed on both lakes.
What water body is Twin Lakes State Park on?
Twin Lakes State Park is on Goodwin Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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