Swimming at Presque Isle State Park (2024)

The sandy beaches, washed by the clear waters of Lake Erie, provide visitors with the only surf swimming within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Beaches are open daily from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day, unless otherwise posted.

The regular hours are 12:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.

People may not swim outside designated guarded zones; however, they may wade up to the knees -- no more than 10 feet from the shore.

For more information, call the park office at 814-833-7424.

Swimming Area Pet Guidelines

Inside designated guarded zones, leashed dogs are permitted in the tree line area only.

Outside of designated guarded zones, leashed dogs are permitted on the sand and in the water.

In addition, dogs must never be left unattended, and owners are responsible for cleaning up after their dogs.

Smoke-Free Beaches

Smoking is prohibited on several Presque Isle State Park beaches. For visitors who smoke and still want to use the beach, designated areas adjacent to the beach are provided. The restriction includes:

  • Cigarettes
  • Pipes
  • Cigars
  • E-cigarettes
  • Other handheld, lighted smoking devices

Presque Isle State Park Beaches

Beach 1

This long stretch of sand is located near the park entrance and has restrooms and a reservable pavilion.

Beach 3 (Barracks Beach)

Near Beach 1, this beach has restrooms and three first-come, first-served picnic pavilions.

This is a smoke-free beach.

Beach 6 (Lyons Beach)

This large beach has sand volleyball courts, a beach house with changing areas, and restrooms.

Beach 7 (Waterworks Beach)

In addition to restrooms, this beach features a ramp that provides access to the water’s edge. Beach wheelchairs are available at the Public Safety Building. This beach is adjacent to picnic areas, including playground equipment, the Rotary Pavilion, and other reservable picnic shelters.

Beach 8 (Pettinato Beach)

This activity or structure is ADA accessible.

In addition to changing areas and restrooms, this beach features a ramp that provides ADA access to the water’s edge. Beach wheelchairs are available at the Public Safety Building.

Mill Road Beaches

Stone Jetty, Short Jetty, Saw Mill, Ainsworth, Goddard

These beaches allow visitors to enjoy unspoiled, relatively quiet shoreline. Restrooms are at Saw Mill. Swimming is prohibited at the Mill Road Beaches. Visitors may walk the shoreline and use the shaded picnic areas.

This is a smoke-free beach.

Beach 9 (Pine Tree)

This beach has picnic facilities, a reservable picnic pavilion, and a restroom.

Beach 10 (Budny Beach)

Equipped with a beach house with changing areas and restrooms, this beach lies between the Sunset Point area (popular with kite flyers and wind surfers) and Gull Point.

Beach 11 (Kohler Beach)

This is the most sheltered beach and features shallow water, a large sandy beach, and a beach house with changing areas and restrooms. Beach #11 is adjacent to picnic areas, playground equipment, and a picnic pavilion.

This is a smoke-free beach.

Swimming at Presque Isle State Park (2024)

FAQs

Can you swim at Presque Isle State Park? ›

As Pennsylvania's only “seashore,” Presque Isle offers its visitors a beautiful coastline and many recreational activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and in-line skating.

Is Lake Erie safe to swim in Erie, PA? ›

Swimming is still permitted, but to reduce the risk of illness, beach users are recommended to take the following precautions: Avoid swallowing lake water. Parents should monitor children. Wash your hands before handling food.

What bacteria is at Presque Isle? ›

(WJET/WFXP) – One of Presque Isle State Park's beaches is under restricted swimming for the time being as Escherichia coli (E. coli) levels are on the rise. Park officials said in a release on Wednesday that elevated E. coli bacteria caused the restriction and they will be testing the waters twice weekly.

Can you bring alcohol to Presque Isle State Park? ›

A: Alcohol is not permitted on any part of the park. Q: Does the park allow smoking on the beaches? A: Smoking is prohibited on several Presque Isle State Park beaches.

What are the hazards at Presque Isle beach? ›

coli bacteria plagued the waters off certain Presque Isle State Park beaches last summer. High levels of E. coli, a bacterium that is a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste, forced park officials to issue 87 swimming restriction days and 31 swimming advisory days in 2023.

Can you take rocks from Presque Isle? ›

Can you rock collect on presque isle? - Presque Isle Lighthouse. “Can you rock collect on presque isle?” You can pick up stones on the beach that wash up. That is it for the rocks.

What causes E. coli in Lake Erie? ›

Raccoons that may be living in storm sewers can be a source of E. coli-containing feces, as can farm-manure runoff. Finally, aging sanitary sewer pipes and other wastewater infrastructure can leak sewage that then makes its way into our lakes.

Is Lake Erie clean now? ›

According to their most recent assessment in 2023, Lake Erie continues to exhibit eutrophic conditions, which occur when the environment becomes enriched with nutrients, increasing the amount of plant and algae growth.

Is Lake Erie warm enough to swim? ›

The warmest water temperature is in August with an average around 76.1°F / 24.5°C. The coldest month is February with an average water temperature of 32.4°F / 0.2°C.

How deep is the Presque Isle? ›

Presque Isle Bay is a natural bay located off the coast of Erie, Pennsylvania. Its 5.8-square-mile (15 km2) embayment is about 4.6 miles (7.4 km) in length, about 1.8 mi (2.9 km) across at its widest point, and an average depth of about 20 feet (6.1 m).

What is the primary contaminant of Lake Erie? ›

Lake Erie is the shallowest and warmest of the five Great Lakes, and the basin is also intensively developed with agriculture, urban areas, industries and sewage treatment plants. For decades, pollution filled Lake Erie with far more nutrients than the lake could handle, with phosphorous being the main culprit.

Does anyone live on Presque Isle? ›

Normally, people are not allowed to live in a state park. This feature was grandfathered into the legislation at the time. In the 1950s, the U.S. Coast Guard dug a channel from Misery Bay into Horseshoe Pond. At the time, there were between 29 and 36 houseboats on Misery Bay.

Can you swim at Presque Isle? ›

Presque Isle State Park is a 3,200-acre sandy peninsula that arches into Lake Erie. As Pennsylvania's only “seashore,” Presque Isle offers its visitors a beautiful coastline and many recreational activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and in-line skating.

Is Lake Erie safe to swim in? ›

Currents in Lake Erie can be dangerous! Any current flowing faster than 2 mph is considered dangerous. Dangerous currents can exceed 5 mph — faster than an Olympic swimmer can swim.

What is Presque Isle known for? ›

The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Northern Maine Fairgrounds, the Aroostook Centre Mall, and the Presque Isle International Airport. Presque Isle is the headquarters of the Aroostook Band of Micmac, a federally recognized tribe.

Can you swim in Echo lake Presque Isle Maine? ›

Presque Isle, Aroostook County

Head north to visit Maine's first state park, Aroostook State Park, where Quaggy Jo Mountain rises from the shore of Echo Lake. Enjoy swimming in the lake's pure water or rent a kayak or canoe from the park to explore farther afield.

Can you swim in PA state parks? ›

Swimming at State Park Lakes

With the exception of Presque Isle State Park and Fuller Lake in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, all park beaches operate under the “open swim” policy, meaning you swim at your own risk. While lifeguards are not present, beaches are patrolled by park staff.

Is Freeport beach safe to swim? ›

Swimming will be permitted and the public will be informed that the E. coli level exceeds standards and what precautions to take if they choose to enter the water.

Is E. coli found at several Lake Erie beaches? ›

coli found at 10 Lake Erie beaches: ODH. CLEVELAND (WJW) — Multiple Lake Erie beaches in Northeast Ohio are under a bacteria contamination advisory. Several Lake Erie beaches are listed as having high bacteria levels.

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