Lake Wallenpaupack Shoreline Trail and Beach
Lake Wallenpaupack, near Hawley
Hawley, PA
A three-mile walking path along the shore of the biggest lake in the Poconos, with a sandy swimming beach nearby and the ruins of a flooded town resting somewhere beneath the water.
Lake Wallenpaupack looks like it has always been here, a great blue sheet of water folded into the Pocono hills, but it is younger than it seems. It was created in 1926, when the local power company dammed Wallenpaupack Creek to make electricity, flooding the valley and turning a farming-and-lumber landscape into one of the largest lakes in Pennsylvania, thirteen miles long with fifty-two miles of shoreline.
Today it is the recreational heart of the northern Poconos. A packed-gravel shoreline trail runs about three miles along the water near Hawley, an easy walk with the lake always in view, and the lake's only public sand beach gives families a place to swim on a hot afternoon. Underneath it all, if you know the story, lies the quiet ghost of a town.
What Guests Love
- An easy, mostly level path right along the water with lake views the whole way
- A real sandy public swimming beach with lifeguards in summer, rare for a mountain lake
- Bald eagles, ospreys, and other wildlife along the shore and over the coves
- The strange, wonderful fact that a whole village lies drowned somewhere beneath the lake
Worth Knowing
- The public swimming beach is open for the summer season with lifeguards; the shoreline trail is walkable most of the year
- The lake is owned and managed for hydroelectric power, so water levels can rise and fall and some shoreline is private
- The six recreation areas around the lake each have their own access, parking, and rules, so pick your spot before you go
- One island is closed to visitors in spring and early summer to protect a bald eagle nest, so give nesting birds their space
Details
Hawley, PA
Learn about Lake Wallenpaupack Shoreline Trail and Beach
The lake that drowned a village
Before the dam, this valley held a small settlement called Wilsonville, founded in the late 1830s around a busy lumber mill. For a few decades it thrived, but when the demand for lumber fell off and the sawmill closed in the 1870s, the town slowly emptied. By the time the power company arrived in the 1920s to buy and clear the valley, only remnants were left.
When the gates of the new dam closed in 1926 and the water rose, whatever remained of Wilsonville disappeared beneath the lake. Old stone walls and foundations are said to rest on the bottom near what is now the Wilsonville Recreation Area, a submerged reminder that this beautiful lake is also a kind of memorial to a vanished town. It is the sort of local legend that makes a swim or a paddle here feel a little more haunted, in the best way.
The name itself is older still. Wallenpaupack comes from the Lenape people, and has been translated as deep, dark, or slow-moving water, a fitting name for a lake this large and still.
Walking the shore and swimming the lake
The Wallenpaupack shoreline trail is a friendly, packed-gravel path that runs roughly three miles along the water. It is nearly level and easy for almost anyone, a place for a morning stroll, a run, or a slow walk with kids, and the lake stays in view the whole way. In the cooler months it is a quiet, uncrowded ramble; in summer it is a lively part of a very active lake scene.
For swimming, the lake's public beach near Hawley offers a genuine stretch of soft sand with gentle water and lifeguards on duty through the summer season, which is a treat, since many mountain lakes have only rocky or private access. Spread a towel, wade in, and let the kids splash while the boats drift by out on the big water.
Around the lake, six public recreation areas run by the power company, with names like Ironwood Point, Ledgedale, and Wilsonville, add hundreds of acres of forest, more walking trails, boat launches, fishing piers, and picnic spots, so there is always another cove to explore.
Eagles, fishing, and the Pocono lake life
Lake Wallenpaupack is one of the best places in the Poconos to see bald eagles, which have made a remarkable comeback and now nest around the shoreline and on the lake's islands. Ospreys, herons, and other water birds work the coves, and quiet early mornings on the trail or the water are the best time to spot them. The lake is a favorite with anglers too, known for its bass, walleye, and trout.
The whole scene ties back to the little town of Hawley just to the north, a walkable Victorian village of brick and stone that grew up as a canal and railroad hub and now anchors the lake with places to eat, shop, and stay. Between the town, the trail, the beach, and the ring of recreation areas, Lake Wallenpaupack rewards both a quick stop and a whole lazy day by the water.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Hawley
Hawley
About 2 miles
A charming Victorian mill and canal town just north of the lake, with a walkable main street, the huge stone Bellemonte silk mill, and places to eat and shop.
Ledgedale Recreation Area
About 8 miles
One of the lake's public recreation areas, with forest trails, a boat launch, and quiet shoreline for fishing and picnicking.
Lacawac Sanctuary
About 6 miles
A nature preserve and field station on a pristine glacial lake, with easy trails through forest and wetland and a historic lodge.
Promised Land State Park
About 12 miles
A woodsy state park with two lakes, sandy swimming beaches, and miles of hiking trails in the heart of the Poconos.