Where should I swim / enjoy leisure?

July 6, 2011 9:49 AM

Swimming in Pittsburgh! I'm not interested in swimming in the rivers, but looking for great (not as in the Great Lake Erie) lake suggestions, ideally within an hour of Pittsburgh/Shadyside.

I used to live in Cincinnati, and I would go with friends to East Fork Lake. It was perfect - easy to get to, it has a beach and good, clean water.

So, PGH MeFites, what options exist or have you enjoyed near the Steel City?

posted by glaucon to sports, hobbies, & recreation (5 answers total)

Morraine State Park is about an hour north of the city, and has a pretty big lake with swimming and boating.
posted by Oxydude at 10:17 AM on July 6, 2011

Swimming at Morraine State Park.

If you're up for a bit of a drive (it's just barely over an hour from Shadyside), Ligonier Beach is right on Route 30 in Ligonier, PA. It is a 1.3 million gallon freshwater pool, with a bar, and occasionally live bands. It's definitely worth the trip.
posted by namewithoutwords at 10:23 AM on July 6, 2011

My family used to go to Keystone, which is just straight down the parkway and then on 22. There aren't lifeguards there anymore though.
posted by oreofuchi at 11:11 AM on July 6, 2011

@oreofuchi

What's Keystone like? Big beach? Clean? Decent size?
posted by glaucon at 11:41 AM on July 6, 2011

Raccoon Creek is about an hour west of town, a bit past the airport between 22 & 30. Another state park with a damned creek to create a lake, with sand beach & swimming. Predictably crowded on holidays, less so on generic weekends (though still popular, to be sure).
posted by FlyingMonkey at 9:59 AM on July 8, 2011