Skip to main content.

Michelle Hornaday, Demand Media

Swim at a designated lake beach in Pennsylvania. (Photo: Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images )

Visit one of 117 state parks or 2.1 million acres of forest land managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (dcnr.state.pa.us) for a day of recreation. County and city parks also offer Pennsylvania residents and visitors a place to bike, hike, walk or swim. In the eastern half of the state, several destinations invite visitors to wade in the water from a beach bordering lakes ranging in size from 1.7-acre Fuller Lake to 1,147-acre Blue Marsh Lake.

Located 21 miles south of the New York border and 52 miles north of Williamsport, 407-acre Hills Creek State Park (dcnr.state.pa.us) has a sandy beach bordering 137-acre Hills Creek Lake. A grassy area also welcomes visitors near the lake's shore, and boats may be launched to spend the day fishing for bass, carp or catfish. At 2,158-acre Little Pine State Park, wade in the water from a sand beach with grass turf to swim in the 94-acre Little Pine Lake. Pack a picnic lunch to refuel at one of four designated areas after a day of swimming or explore more than 14 miles of hiking trails through the park.

Located near Leesport, Blue Marsh Lake (nap.usace.army.mil) spans 1,147 acres of water surface and has a designated swimming beach area. Launch a boat or spend time hiking on 36 miles of trails after time spent swimming on the lake. The privately owned Mt. Gretna Lake and Beach (mtgretnalake.com) is 46 miles west of Blue Marsh Lake near Lebanon and features 300 feet of sandy beaches adjacent to a roped swimming area as well as a diving board and water swing. A daily admission fee applies at Mt. Gretna Lake; beach chair rentals, changing areas and picnic tables are available to visitors.

Spend the day on one of 150 lakes in the Pocono Mountains (800poconos.com) region in northeastern Pennsylvania. Access Beltzville Lake from a 525-foot beach at 3,002-acre Beltzville State Park (dcnr.state.pa.us) during the summer months. Located 23 miles south of Scranton, Gouldsboro and Tobyhanna state parks also have sandy beaches open to visitors on 250-acre Gouldsboro Lake and 170-acre Tobyhanna Lake. Head to the beach at Mauch Chunk Lake Park (carboncounty.com) in Carbon County to swim in a designated area under a lifeguard's supervision and near a family picnic area. More than 150,000 visitors annually head the to sandy beaches at Mauch Chunk Lake annually to swim, boat, fish or hike.

At 696-acre Pine Grove Furnace State Park (dcnr.state.pa.us), swim from sandy beaches at both 25-acre Laurel Lake and 1.7-acre Fuller Lake. Snack bars are open during the summer at both beaches; boating is permitted on Laurel Lake. A 3.5-acre lake swimming beach is also available at 273-acre Colonel Deming State Park, located near Landisburg and Newville. Claim a spot on the sandy beaches of 2,338-acre Gifford Pinchot State Park bordering 340-acre Pinchot Lake. Boat rentals, a children's playground and picnic areas are adjacent to the beach. Overnight campsites are available for those planning a multiday stay.

Michelle Hornaday lives in Edmonds, Washington and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Washington State University and a Master of Education from Northern Arizona University. She is currently a freelance writer for various websites.

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Travel Tips editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.

Read more:

Lake Beaches in Eastern Pennsylvania | USA Today