The beach at Lake Rutledge is the only designated swim area in Hard Labor Creek State Park, a 5,804-acre park run by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources State Parks and Historic Sites Division in Morgan County, a few miles northeast of the town of Rutledge. The park calls it simply its sand beach. It sits on the shore of Lake Rutledge, a 274-acre reservoir the Civilian Conservation Corps built in the 1930s along with the two group camps, Camp Rutledge and Camp Daniel Morgan, that still face the water. The park's other lake, Lake Brantley, has no swim area.

Rutledge is just off I-20, roughly an hour east of downtown Atlanta. Stop at the park office (the Trading Post, 5 Hard Labor Creek Road) if you need a pass or a kayak key. The park's own directions to the beach run like this: turn left out of the office gate, turn right at the stop sign, drive about a mile past the stone park entrance, then take the first paved road on the left and follow the signs. A one-way paved loop drops you at a small lot beside a restroom building with flush toilets, a short walk from the sand. Hikers can also walk in on the park's Beach Trail, which follows the lakeshore to the sand.

The swim area is a roped section of shallow lake water in front of a strip of sand, with a small pier just to the south. Like most Piedmont reservoirs the water is tinted brown and visibility is short, and the footing gets softer once you leave the sand. There is no current to speak of. By midsummer the lake is warm, often in the 80s Fahrenheit. The park says swimming is allowed year-round from 7 a.m. to sunset, though its facility list marks the beach as seasonal, and summer is when it gets busy. The official swimming page does not mention lifeguards, so plan on watching your own group closely.

There is no separate beach fee. What you pay is the standard Georgia State Parks ParkPass, $10 per vehicle per day, or $70 for an annual pass good at every state park. Overnight guests pay the daily pass once for their whole stay. The park itself is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the office keeps 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours. Some older tourism listings still quote $5 parking, which is out of date.

Keep inside the ropes. The rest of Lake Rutledge is open to paddlers, trolling motors and gas boats up to 10 horsepower, and the boat ramp is on the same lake. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in Georgia summers, so get out of the water at the first sound of thunder. After heavy rain the water can turn muddy for a few days. The park office at 706-557-3001 can tell you whether the beach is open before you drive out.

The kayak rack sits by the beach, with solo kayaks at $40 and tandems at $50 for four hours, usually April through November; renters must be 16 and pay at the park office. Beyond the water, Hard Labor Creek has campsites and cottages, more than 24 miles of hiking and horse trails, an 18-hole golf course, mini golf, fishing on both lakes, and Georgia State University's Hard Labor Creek Observatory.