Lake Shetek State Park - at last a good swimming beach!

I started this summer's tour of state parks in search of a really good swimming beach, and finally found one. Lake Shetek is a surprisingly large and scenic recreational lake in the southwest corner of the state with a lovely Depression-era state park on the east side. The WPA really went nuts here, constructing not only the usual restrooms and picnic shelters but TWO entire group camps with bunkhouses and dining halls, and this spectacular bathhouse and swimming area. 


The bathhouse is really beautiful, fronted with a stone terrace and two long curved staircases sweeping down from the men's and women's discreetly separated dressing areas to meet at the shore. From the outside it looks perfect. Sadly, the changing booths have been left to deteriorate pending some vague future "renovation" (according to a passing janitor). The modern restrooms are in good shape, but I'm sure the architect of this graceful structure did not expect generations of future bathers to be changing into their swim clothes while standing on one foot in the toilet stalls. I was so distressed by the situation that I brought a broom from our cabin and swept out the women's side of the changing room so I could use it without standing on a carpet of acorns. If they ever get around to fixing that up I'd give this beach an A+ 


The lake is shallow and sandy, and this is the very definition of "easy entry."  The steps literally terminate in the sandy lake bottom. And there's even a handy place to sit on either side to take off your flip flops. The swim area is large and includes a huge lap swimming lane. The water was a little green, probably because the lake is never more than 10 feet deep. But it was plenty cold out past the first string of buoys and made for a very refreshing swim.