Looking for the best beaches in Dallas Texas to cool off? Isn’t Dallas in the middle of the hot, dusty plains?
It is! But if you had to live through hot humid summers like the people of Dallas have to, you would not mind driving more than 300 miles to the ocean or a bit less to a nearby lake.
Many parks in Dallas have lovely lakes with all sorts of facilities. There are actually plenty of choices, including a man-made beach in Dallas.
Not sure where to go? That is when we come in!
Here is our ultimate selection of some truly wonderful beaches in Dallas Texas. Or nearby Dallas Texas. Well, some are not so nearby but near enough!
Lake Beaches in DFW and Nearby
Dallas is part of what is called the Texas Prairies and Lakes Region so when Dallas folks want to cool off in a hurry, they head to one of the nearby lakes.
Joe Pool Lake Recreation Area | Grand Prairie
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Joe Pool Lake has some of the best beaches in the DFW area. It is the nearest lake to Dallas if you are looking for a sandy beach and cool water to swim in.
This lake is great for families. Besides designated swimming areas, there are picnic tables and a ship-shaped playground.
There is also a sand volleyball court and of course plenty of concession stands for those always hungry kids.
There are four parks around this large 7,740-acre reservoir and everyone has his or her favorite. All are well-organized and have great facilities for some summer family fun.
As you can imagine, you will not be the only one looking for cooling off so expect crowds in the summer. Try to come early to get the best spot and a parking place.
Windsurf Bay Park | Lake Ray Hubbard | Dallas
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Located right in Dallas Texas, Windsurf Bay Park is located on Lake Ray Hubbard, the largest lake in Dallas.
This beautiful 42-acre park has two long sandy beach areas. They offer a pleasant walk but swimming in the lake is not allowed.
There are only a few picnic tables but there are wide grassy areas if you want to have a picnic.
This part of the lake is at times very windy, attracting surfers, which gave the park its name.
The park is a day-use only and is open from 6 am to 12 am.
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Lynn Creek Park | Grand Prairie
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Lynn Creek Park is one of the four parks around the popular Joe Pool Lake. The park offers a wonderful sandy area, but you can also go boating, jet skiing, fishing, hiking and bird-watching.
Lyn Creek Park has a fine, soft sandy beach. Your kids can make sandcastles and you can stretch under an umbrella and sip a cool drink.
If you really feel for some sports, you can go fishing, boating (there is a marina and a boat ramp), a large kids’ playground and a big open picnic area.
There are also changing rooms, showers and restrooms.
The beach is closed from October to February.
White Rock Lake Park | Dallas
Bridge at White Rock Lake, Dallas, TX, USA
Only about five miles from downtown Dallas, White Rock Lake Park is by far the most popular park in town. And so is its lovely beach, although you cannot swim in it.
While you are in the park, go check out White Rock Lake Museum, Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas Arboretum, Audubon Society Bird Watching Area, the wetland and more.
You can also do nothing and relax watching the tranquil lake waters from your beach chair. There are beach areas all around the lake. There are also nice picnic areas if you brought picnic stuff.
White Rock Lake Park is the venue of many summer festivals and other activities.
Pebble Beach Park | Nevada
Aerial view sandy shore line with people bank fishing at Ticky Creek Park, northern end of Lake Lavon in Princeton, Texas, America.
Pebble Beach Park is located on the shore of Lake Lavon, one of the largest lakes in northern Texas.
Lovely wide sandy beach, perfect for swimming or just relaxing in the shade of large trees around the lake.
There is no lifeguard on duty on the beach, keep an eye on the kids.
Some of the facilities you will find there: few covered picnic tables for a nice family picnic, and a boat ramp if you want to put your boat in the water.
This park is normally quiet and secluded, perfect if you want to relax on the beach and just cool off.
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Burger’s Lake | Fort Worth
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Burger’s Lake has been one of the favorite cooling-off spots for the Dallas folks since 1930s. The 30-acre lake is cool, clear and spring-fed and its shores are sandy and wonderfully beachy.
Mature trees create pleasant shade in the park around the beach. There are 300 picnic tables and plenty of barbecue grills.
On the beach, there is a lifeguard on duty and you and the kids can enjoy a 20-foot slide, a 25-foot trapeze and six diving boards. And yes, there are bathrooms too.
Little Elm Park | Little Elm
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With its 233-mile long shoreline, lovely sandy beach and only 45-minute drive, Lake Lewisville in Little Elm Park is one of the favorite beaches in Dallas Texas.
Perfect summer weekend destinations for the Dallas folks.
Lake Lewisville is one of the largest lakes in North Texas. Its wonderful sandy beach and a big swimming area make it a great cooling-off spot.
Just do not forget that there is no lifeguard, so keep an eye on the kids.
If you are not into relaxing on the beach, you can go boating, paddleboarding, kayaking or playing volleyball in one of 10 courts.
The park has a boat ramp, covered picnic areas not far from the beach, grills in some areas and even a few campsites.
Grapevine Lake | Grapevine
Morning sunrise on a rocky shore of Grapevine Lake with rows of fluffy clouds across the sky as the sun is just beginning to appear on the distant horizon.
Only about 20 miles from Dallas, Grapevine Lake is the reason so many people love Meadowmere Park. It has a wonderful swimming area, a boat ramp and several fishing piers.
The large 8,000-acre reservoir is a popular destination for boating, windsurfing, water-skiing, fishing and camping. There are plenty of picnic tables for the family lunch.
There are about nine miles of wilderness trails around the lake, wonderful for biking and hiking.
Ray Roberts Lake State Park | Pilot Point
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Ray Roberts Lake State Park is located about an hour’s drive from the DFW Metroplex area.
Its four great sandy beaches and pleasant swimming are the biggest draw, but this relaxed, tranquil park offers many other activities.
You can go paddling through the lake or fishing, or if you want to stay out of the water you can go biking, hiking or horseback riding.
The park offers many campsites if you want to stay overnight. There is a marina if you bring your boat.
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Lavon Lake | Collin County
The magnificent 21,400-acre Lavon is one of the North Texas most popular lakes.
Less than an hour’s drive from Dallas, this large reservoir has 121 miles of shoreline with five wide sandy beaches. The beaches are great for swimming and playing in the sand.
In the lake, you can go fishing, boating and waterskiing. There are numerous boat ramps around the lake.
If you want to stretch your legs, there are trails that will take you around the lake through nice shady areas.
There are 16 parks around the lake with great facilities for a picnic or overnight stay. You can get tent camping sites, RV hookups and group shelters. There are restaurants in most parks.
Granbury City Beach Park | Granbury
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Granbury is a charming city about an hour and a half from Dallas that has its own city beach on Granbury Lake.
The lake is a fairly new addition, created after damming of the Brazos River. The city itself is worth visiting, but the beach is just fantastic.
A part of the Granbury City Beach Park, the park’s wide sandy beach is a delight for anyone who wants to spend some time swimming.
You can also walk in the sand or just lounge in the sun and watch the tranquil lake water.
The park has wonderful amenities around the lake. There are covered picnic pavilions, volleyball courts and a spacious kids’ splash pad. There are kayaks for rental if you feel for a bit of paddling.
The beach has all the amenities such as showers and bathrooms.
Willow Grove Park | Lake Lewisville
Bluebonnet blossom near Lake Lewisville, Texas.
About a 45-minute drive from Dallas, Willow Grove Park is a great destination for folks looking for a spot to cool off on Lake Lewisville.
Not well known, this park is often less crowded in summer than other beach parks so you can go swimming, or just enjoying the view of the lake from the beach.
The sandy beach is pretty narrow but it is surrounded by grass where you can use one of the picnic tables or spread a blanket for a picnic.
The beach has a large playground for the kids and a network of trails around the lake for hikers and bikers. There are a few boat ramps and fishing piers.
Twin Points Beach | Fort Worth
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About a 50-minute drive from Dallas, on the tranquil Eagle Mountain Lake, the beach in Twin Points Park is one of the local favorites during the hot summer in Fort Worth.
The lake’s wide sandy beach is popular for swimming and lounging in the sun, but it also has volleyball courts.
You can also find paddleboard rentals, large pavilions for rent and a pleasant shaded forested natural area. There is a boat ramp too.
The beach is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
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Island View Park | Pottsboro
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Island View Park is the beach park around Lake Texoma near Pottsboro. It is famous for its truly magnificent sandy beaches, probably the best beaches in Dallas Texas that are not on the ocean.
The park, located about an hour and 20-minute drive from Dallas, has two beaches. One is pretty wild, deliberately left natural and serene.
There are no amenities, just you, sand, water and the shady trees nearby.
The park is open year-round.
Beaches in Dallas Texas on Watering Holes
Tonkawa Falls Beach | Crawford
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This popular swimming hole is famous for its waterfall and smooth surrounding cliffs.
The high cliffs are irresistible for kids who love jumping off them into the deep water, although it is forbidden.
There is a small sandy beach and shady area to relax with the view of the fall. There are always families there, having a good time and relaxing in the shade.
Except for picnic pavilions, there are not many facilities and there is no lifeguard on duty.
Blue Lagoon Beach | Huntsville
Two of the most beautiful Dallas Texas beaches are located on the edge of a deep, crystal clear watering hole near Huntsville called Blue Lagoon, about two-hour drive from Dallas.
The lake is a famous scuba diving center, but it is open for non-divers as well.
Blue Lagoon is a former limestone quarry. It is as large as a lake and breathtakingly beautiful.
It is surrounded by steep limestone cliffs and dense pine forest. Two small sandy beaches are as wonderful as in the tropics and slope gradually towards the deep lake.
There are no lifeguards so watch the children.
There are no facilities on the beaches but you can bring your own food and even have a barbecue, as long as you clean after yourself.
The Best Beaches near Dallas Texas
The Texas beaches on the Pacific Ocean are so big and magnificent that people do not mind driving for five hours to spend a weekend on one of the barrier islands or the Pacific coast.
Surfside Beach | Follet’s Island
Surfside, Texas Gulf Coast Sunrise
If you are a surfer, you will not mind driving four hours from Dallas to Follet’s Island near the city of Freeport. Surfside Beach is a thriving beach town with miles of wide hard-packed golden sand.
There are seven parks and 36 beach access spots. If you wish, you can count it as 36 beaches. Or just one, but four miles long.
There are some parts of the beach where you can drive and others where you can play tennis, bocce, and volleyball. Kids can play in sand, swim or snorkel. Keep an eye on them, the waves can be powerful.
If you are not into sports, put your sunscreen on, work on your tan. And watch surfers’ antics on the waves.
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South Padre Island | Resort Town | Texas
Waves crashing along the endless Beach over South Padre Island Beach
Can you imagine a 113-mile long beach? There is one on South Padre Island.
Most of us have heard about South Padre Island as the most popular destination of the Texas youth during the spring break.
Who can blame them, South Padre, a resort town on the barrier island overlooking the Pacific, is magnificent.
The golden sands are facing quiet water on one side and pounding waves on the other.
The weather is fantastic, the sand is golden, and the beach is surrounded by parks that offer all the usual facilities.
About a five-hour drive from Dallas, South Padre Island is very popular and it can get crowded. There is so much to do besides swimming and sun-worshiping.
You can do fishing, surfing, zip lining, horseback riding, collecting shells or having fun in the Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark.
Crystal Beach | Bolivar Peninsula
Bolivar Point Lighthouse
Crystal Beach is a 27-mile long stretch of sparkling white sand on the Bolivar Peninsula. Less than five hours drive from Dallas, and you can drive right to your favorite spot on the sand.
The waves on Bolivar Peninsula are mild and the crystal clear water is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Let the kids roam along the sandy shore and collect shells or splash around.
Take the kids to see the historic famous Bolivar Point Lighthouse and learn about the history of the area.
Galveston Island | Texas Gulf Coast
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Once you come to Galveston Island, you will forget about driving over 250 miles from Dallas and listening to the endless “are we there yet” from the kids.
Galveston’s beach is 32 miles long and there is no end of fun there. You can surf on the Pacific side of the island, stretch on the beach under an umbrella, walk or bike on the boardwalk.
You can also go boating, golfing, fishing, surfing or kayaking.
Take the kids to see Moody Gardens, with its huge glass pyramids that house sharks, monkeys and other animals. There is also Schlitterbahn Waterpark with some scary rides.
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Sea Rim State Park | Sabine Pass
Flock of sandpipers on a Gulf Cost beach in Sea Rim State Park in Texas
With 5.2 miles of sandy beach and 4,000 acres of marshlands, Sea Rim State Park is a very different beach destination.
Located on the Gulf of Mexico near Port Arthur, this remote, tranquil park is a favorite with nature lovers.
You can spend time doing all the usual beach things like swimming, walking along the beach, and building sandcastles.
Another option is to go bird watching, paddling in a kayak or canoe, fishing, watching the birds while walking along the Gambusia Nature Trail Boardwalk.
Why not camp on the beach or in one of 15 campsites with all the proper utilities.
Conclusion – Beaches in Dallas Texas
There are certainly enough beaches in Dallas Texas to cool off when it gets hot and muggy in July and August.
From tiny lakes and watering holes to the massive miles long Pacific Ocean beaches, you will find a wonderful beach to swim, relax, enjoy some water sports and maybe get some tan!
