Setting: Lake front visit, shallow gravel beach, view of pilings of an old dock and the Lake House Inn. Why not a 10 for Outdoor Appeal? Well despite the lake setting, it does have an abandoned feel to it. The details are below. Explorable Op's: A few. There are hiking trails that are accessible from the parking area but this post is just about the lake access. It is a quick stop for a picnic or just to mess around near the water.
Difficulty: Easy. There are two place to access Lake Nockamixon from the parking area. The closest is a steep drop at the lakeside parking spots, but it is only a few feet down. The other way to get to the lake is simply by walking down the barricaded section of Old Bethlehem Road. About one football field from the barricade the road tapers into the lake.
Facilities: Primitive. Nothing but a garbage can.
Review: Old Bethlehem Road appears on both sides of the lake and it seems that the road actually did span the valley before Lake Nockamixon was created. Apparently at some later time there was a dock at the north side of Old Bethlehem Road because the pilings are still sticking out of the water like a miniature scene from an old seaport. This was a quick trip for us. We were on our way to grandmom's house and we just needed a little time out of the car to expend some energy and cool off. In many ways this was a perfect little trip. Walking the abandoned section of Old Bethlehem Road is easy for small kids, both down to the lake and back. You don't have to worry about traffic, meandering or even walking too far. It's only a football field in length so you can easily see the lake on the way down and the parking lot on the way back. The visual goal is good motivation for little kids. The lake is very shallow at both access points with knuckle size stones blanketing the wading area. It's a very manageable place for kids to explore and relatively worry free for parents. Plus the view of the lake is beautiful.
Recommendations: Bathing suits and a change of clothes. Even if you're not planning on getting wet, it's pretty tempting to dip your toes in the water. If you're looking to make the trip more worth your while, there are hiking trails that head out from the parking area. We ventured down the Quarry Trail through a few turns and then headed back. But the Quarry Trail looks to be a very short loop on the map - 3/4 of a mile at most. From our short trek we found out that it skirts the lake for 100 yards or so and is very manageable for kids. Hope you enjoy. Happy trails.
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