Public beach on Lake Murray that draws 100,000-plus visitors set to reopen this week
One of the few public beaches in the Columbia area is about to begin welcoming visitors again.
The beach on the Lexington side of Lake Murray, just beyond the Dreher Shoals Dam, will be open to visitors beginning Wednesday, Dominion Energy officials said Monday in a news release. Dominion is the utility that runs the reservoir.
The beach and recreation area on the Lexington side will remain open for the 2022 season through Labor Day, which is Sept. 5.
Parking will cost $5 for all vehicles, and season passes can be purchased for $50 per vehicle, officials said.
The money will be used to partially offset the cost of maintenance, security and improvements at the parks, and the fees will be collected through Labor Day.
“Many people look forward to visiting Lake Murray every summer to enjoy this beautiful recreational site in the Midlands of South Carolina,” Billy Chastain, manager of lake management for Dominion Energy South Carolina, said in the release. “We urge everyone to put safety first — be careful while swimming in the lake and follow boating safety rules.”
For the first two-plus weeks of the season, the beach will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the Monday to Friday work week. Beginning May 1, an extra hour will be added as the beach will stay open until 8 p.m.
On all weekends until Labor Day, the beach will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
No lifeguards will be on duty at the beach, where there are also picnic areas and restrooms available.
For people who don’t own lakeside real estate or boats, the beach at the Lake Murray dam is about the only place to swim.
Capacity to the beach was limited last year in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The beach did not open to the public in 2020 because of safety concerns about the coronavirus. In the past, the beach has attracted 100,000 people a year to Lake Murray, according to Dominion.
Alcohol and pets are prohibited at the beach, as well as at the boat launch area on the Irmo side of the Lake Murray dam.
Seasonal parking fees are in effect at the boat launch during normal operating hours. The boat launch is open to the public 24 hours per day, year-round.
But don’t try to go swimming there. State law prohibits swimming within 50 feet of boat landings.
There might be temptation because Lake Murray, a nearly 48,000-acre reservoir built in the early 20th century, has fewer public beaches than any of South Carolina’s largest recreational lakes.
Located in one of South Carolina’s biggest metropolitan areas, Lake Murray has developed almost exclusively as a place for waterfront property owners and boaters to enjoy. Of Lake Murray’s nearly 650 miles of shoreline, 392 miles are privately owned.
For more information, call the Lake Management Office at 803-217-9221 or go to dominionenergy.com/lakes-and-recreation/lake-murray-sc.
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This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 2:14 PM.
