Swim with the kids at Pineview Reservoir
Jonah Roylance, 7, of Farr West, kicks back in his inner tube near Spring Creek at Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016. The Spring Creek area is a free beach.
Jonah Roylance, 7, of Farr West, kicks back in his inner tube as a paddle boarder goes by near Spring Creek at Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016. The Spring Creek area is a free beach.
Jonah Roylance, 7, and his brother Kaden, 5, both of Farr West, play in the surf near Spring Creek at Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016. The Spring Creek area is a free beach.
The view near Spring Creek at Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016. The Spring Creek area is a free beach.
Mike McDonald, his son Drake, 8, and Mike's granddaughter, Khaleesi, dry out after swimming at Spring Creek at Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016. The Spring Creek area is a free beach.
Parents bring their kids to free beaches along the Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Parents bring their kids to free beaches along the Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Parents bring their kids to free beaches along the Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Parents bring their kids to free beaches along the Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Parents bring their kids to free beaches along the Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Parents bring their kids to free beaches along the Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Parents bring their kids to free beaches along the Pineview Reservoir in Huntsville on Monday, August 1, 2016.
HUNTSVILLE –Pineview Reservoir can provide hours of water fun for kids — whether it’s a day on the boat or sitting on the shore playing in the sand. There are a variety of free beaches around the reservoir, as well as some that cost a nominal fee.
Clinton resident Melissa Goodey hits Pineview almost weekly during the summer. She visits Cemetery Point with her sister-in-law, a beach that costs $16 for the day. To access the facility, follow U.S. 39 to the eastern side of Huntsville. Follow the signs to the swim beach and marina. Cemetery Point is at the end of the road through Huntsville.
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For her and her sister-in-law, the cost is worth it because the area is clearly marked and has great parking and just a short walk to the beach. “We go for four or five hours. I love it because it’s great time to spend with my kids. Because there is water, they don’t bring their phones and I have their attention,” Goodey said.
They don’t go boating, but have brought paddleboards some weeks. Other times, they bring float chairs and just float in the water. “They get in water fights and play in the sand,” Goodey said.
She admits it can get pretty crowded some days, but everyone seems to get along. “We see people barbecuing and just having a good time,” she said. Fishing is also an option on the reservoir.
Ogden resident Brandy Anderson took her kids kayaking there for the first time recently.”The scenery was beautiful and the water was like glass at the end of the day. I can’t wait to go again,” Anderson said in a Facebook post asking about activities at the reservoir.
U.S.Forest Service Ranger Charles Delrio said Windsurfer Beach, which is on the west side of the reservoir, as well as Pelican Beach, are popular free beaches.
“At Windsurfer Beach, there is a trailhead a lot of people like to recreate there and kayak,” Delrio said. Pelican Beach is past Cemetery Point and Huntsville on the north end of the dam, he said. Both beaches have a parking lot, and the beach is a short distance from the parking lot, he said.
“We have a lot of recreation opportunities available at Pineview. Recreationalists come to relax on the beach, boat, swim, kayak, paddleboard, bike, hike and many other activities in and around the Reservoir,” said Lisa Thompson, Volunteer and Partnership Coordinator for the Forest Service office in Ogden.
Anderson Cove offers camping right off the reservoir with boating options and plenty of play areas. There are several campsites near the reservoir that require only a short drive as well as picnic spots. Both Delrio and Thompson said the park rangers can provide information at entrances. Detailed information on the beaches can be found at the Forest Service website or by calling 801-625-5112.