Lake Wenatchee State Park South Beach is the designated swim beach in the South Park section of Lake Wenatchee State Park, run by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. It sits on the southeast shore of Lake Wenatchee, a five-mile-long, glacier-fed lake of about 2,480 acres at roughly 1,870 feet of elevation in the eastern Cascades. The Wenatchee River leaves the lake a few hundred yards to the north and splits the 492-acre park in two: South Park holds the swimming area, the camp store and the South Campground, while North Park is mostly forested campsites with undeveloped shoreline.

From Leavenworth, drive west on US 2 for roughly 16 miles to Coles Corner, then turn north on State Route 207 for about 4 miles. The South Park entrance comes before the highway crosses the Wenatchee River. Day-use parking is a short walk from the sand, and the camp store, restrooms and picnic tables are all close to the beach. In summer the park is open 6:30 a.m. to dusk (8 a.m. to dusk in winter), and the gates close at dusk, so day visitors have to be out by then.

The beach is coarse sand with driftwood logs along the top, and the bottom turns to rounded stones and gravel as you wade out. A buoy line marks the swimming area in summer. The water is very clear and stays cold well into August because it comes from snowmelt and glaciers higher in the range, so expect a short swim rather than a long soak. The park's pages do not list lifeguards, so treat it as an unsupervised beach and keep children within reach. The live park webcam is mounted on this beach, which makes it easy to check crowds and wind before you drive up.

Entry is not free. A Washington Discover Pass is required for vehicles: $10 for one day or $45 for the annual pass, sold online or at the park's automated pay station. Launching a boat costs $7 a day. Once snow arrives the park becomes the Lake Wenatchee Sno-Park, a Sno-Park permit replaces the Discover Pass, and the campgrounds close. An adaptive beach wheelchair can be borrowed at no cost from May 1 through October 31 by calling the park at (509) 763-3101, and Mobi-mats lead to two ADA picnic table spots on South Beach, one shaded and one at the water's edge.

Afternoon wind often builds whitecaps on this long lake, and the boat ramp near the river outlet keeps motorboats and personal watercraft moving nearby, so stay inside the buoys. Do not drift north toward the outlet, where the lake starts flowing into the Wenatchee River. This is bear country: State Parks requires coolers and food to be stored away. A Level 2 burn ban was posted in July 2026, limiting wood fires to designated pits, so check the park alerts before you go.

Lake Wenatchee Adventures rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards next to the camp store from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store sells food, espresso, ice cream and firewood. The park also has 197 campsites, about 7 miles of hiking trail, a 0.4-mile interpretive trail, and guided horse rides from Icicle Outfitters.