Turkeyfoot Beach is the public swimming beach at Portage Lakes State Park, a 411-acre park run by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in the city of New Franklin, on the south side of Akron in Summit County. The sand strip runs about 900 feet along the south shore of Turkeyfoot Lake, one of the Portage Lakes, a chain of glacial kettle lakes and old canal feeder reservoirs that together cover roughly 2,000 acres of water. It is the only full public swim beach in the park. Rex Lake and Cottage Grove Lake have small swim areas meant for people arriving by boat.

The park's mailing address is 5031 Manchester Road, Akron, OH 44319, and the beach sits on the park road a short distance from there, with a large paved lot just above the sand. The new Portage Lakes Visitor Center, opened in October 2025, stands right at the top of the beach. An accessible switchback sidewalk and a set of steps lead from the parking lot down to the water, and the center has restrooms that open onto the beach side. Older vault latrines and picnic shelters are spread along the lot.

The beach itself is sand, with a playground and sand volleyball courts behind it and a basketball court by the parking lot. ODNR does not publish depth figures or water temperatures for the swim area, so wade in and check the drop-off before letting kids head out. This is a still inland lake with no current, and it warms through the summer; June mornings already bring swimmers and paddleboarders out. There are no lifeguards. The park's rule is plain: swim at your own risk, and swimming is allowed during daylight hours only. Pets are not allowed on the swimming beach, but the park's dog park nearby has its own unfenced dog swim area.

There is no charge. Ohio does not collect an entrance fee at any of its state parks, and ODNR lists no beach or parking fee here. The park is open 6am to 11pm daily, though the beach rule limits swimming to daylight. For questions, the park office number is (330) 644-2220.

The biggest hazard is boat traffic. Unlike most of the Portage Lakes, parts of Turkeyfoot Lake allow wake activity on a fixed schedule, with water skiing and full-speed boating blocks running from 9am to 8pm, so stay inside the swim area and keep an eye on the open water. Water quality is the other thing to check. The Ohio Department of Health tests state park beaches through its BeachGuard program from Memorial Day to Labor Day and posts bacteria advisories when E. coli counts run high, which has happened on Turkeyfoot Lake in past summers. Look at BeachGuard or the signs at the beach before you go in. The city of New Franklin points people to the Turkeyfoot beaches as the best place to watch the Portage Lakes Independence Day fireworks, so expect a crowd that night.

Beyond the beach, the park has a 5-mile Shoreline Trail that passes near the swim area, an 18-hole disc golf course, a fishing pier at the New Ramp area, a boat camping area at Latham Bay and eight launch ramps spread around the lakes. Boat rentals are available at private marinas around the lakes, and the park manager notes that most of the lakes are linked and can be portaged by kayak, so paddlers can travel from Turkeyfoot to the reservoirs.