Whitewater Memorial State Park Beach is the swimming area on Whitewater Lake, a 200-acre man-made lake at the center of Whitewater Memorial State Park in Union County, Indiana. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources manages the park, which was set aside in 1949 as a memorial to the soldiers who died in the two World Wars. The beach is on the lake's east shore, a little over two miles southwest of Liberty, and the park also touches the northeast corner of Brookville Lake, the much larger U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir next door.

The park entrance is on State Road 101 south of Liberty (mapping address 1418 S. State Road 101, Liberty, IN 47353). After the gatehouse, follow the park road to the main day-use area by the camp store and playground, where you can park and walk down to the sand. The DNR property map marks both the beach and a beach house there. If you are staying in the family campground, the 1-mile Cattail Alley Trail runs from the campground to the beach area, passing a big stand of cattails at its northwest end.

The beach and beach house are open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Indiana state park beaches outside Indiana Dunes run under a swim-at-your-own-risk policy, so there are no lifeguards here, and children 12 and under must be supervised by someone 16 or older. Pets are not allowed to swim at the beach. The water is flat lake water with no current, and only electric trolling motors are allowed on Whitewater Lake, so boat traffic near the swim area is light. The DNR does not publish depth or bottom details for the swim area, so wade in and check the depth yourself before letting kids loose.

Swimming at the beach costs nothing beyond the park entrance fee, but that fee is not optional. It is $7 per day for a noncommercial vehicle with Indiana plates and $15 per day for out-of-state plates, covering the driver and all passengers. Visitors age 5 and older who come in on foot, by bicycle or on horseback pay $2 each. An annual entrance pass is $50 for Indiana residents and $120 for nonresidents. The park office number is 765-458-5565.

Blue-green algae is the main thing to watch. The DNR tests its beaches through the season, and Whitewater Lake Beach has been posted at the yellow Advisory level for algae, which means swimming and boating are permitted, but avoid contact with algae, don't swallow the water, and shower with warm soapy water afterward. Weekly E. coli testing has also closed beaches in this complex; the Mounds SRA beach on Brookville Lake has been shut for bacteria at times when Whitewater's beach stayed open. The beach at Quakertown SRA is now permanently closed, which leaves Whitewater and Mounds as the two DNR beaches in the area.

The beach doubles as a base for the rest of the park. Rental canoes, paddleboats and rowboats are available on Whitewater Lake, and hiking trails include the 2.5-mile Memorial Loop along the east shore, the 2.7-mile Lakeshore Trail and the rugged 1.2-mile Red Springs Loop near the spillway. There are about 9 miles of bridle trails, family cabins, and campgrounds with 236 electric, 45 non-electric and 37 horsemen's sites.