Carbon County is limiting access of Mauch Chunk Lake Park to only locals for the Labor Day weekend.

On Thursday, the commissioners announced that on the weekend of Sept. 3-5, there will be a temporary change to beach access.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said the board had a discussion with David Horvath, park director; and Sheriff Dan Ziegler regarding the change.

Under the changes for that weekend, Lukasevich announced that Mauch Chunk Lake Park will be available for boating, watercraft rentals, fishing, hiking, biking, camping and pavilion rentals, as well as for general recreational activities around the 3,500-acre park.

However, beach access is being limited to only Carbon County residents, Carbon County property taxpayers, Coaldale residents with children in the Panther Valley School District, and noncounty and county season passholders, campers and pavilion renters.

Daily admission passes will only be available for purchase for these local residents, as season passholder sales have ended for the year.

“The purpose of this temporary modification to beach access is to assess the practicality of future implementation of altered admission policies for weekends and holidays beginning the 2023 season with the ultimate end state being clearly, maintaining, and where practical, enhancing the already high-quality outdoor recreational experience that Mauch Chunk Lake Park provides residents and guests alike,” Lukasevich said.

He added that the upcoming Labor Day weekend is a test to see how “existing infrastructure, policies, procedures and personnel demands of a historically high volume weekend.” Other higher volume weekends include Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

“It’s to see if it makes sense going forward to make some modifications,” he said. “ ... We must act decisively and have a plan and the resources in place to execute a modified entry policy for next season. My current position is weekends and holidays should have limited access.

“We continue to welcome noncounty residents to Mauch Chunk Lake Park … but we are at the tipping point of either retaining the quality of Mauch Chunk Lake Park or going the other side of Beltzville.”

Carbon County’s Mauch Chunk Lake Park has historically been an overflow destination for visitors coming from out of the area in hopes of having a day at Beltzville State Park’s beach, which closes almost weekly during the summer season as capacity is reached.

For more information on the park or the admission fees for county residents, visit www.carboncountypa.gov/services/mauch_chunk_lake_park/index.php.