Last year I discovered Percy Priest Lake and its Anderson Rd. recreation beach.
My family purchased the $30 Corps of Engineers pass so we could visit all summer.
This year, when we returned, Nashville's best lake beach looked very different. Here's how...
The $4/car fee is still the same.
The same friendly Corps workers were picking up trash.
Sailboats still float across the channel.
But the beach?
Dramatically narrow. Take a look at 
these photos:
Left, the beach in 2007. Right, the beach in 2008.
See how much less sand?
I'd say at least half of the beach is under the water.
But that's not all! Not only is the beach narrower, the water level is almost 2 feet higher than last year.
The red floating barrier marked 4 feet last summer. This year? 6 feet, or a little more dangerous for children.
See this aluminum railing?
Last year, the end of the ramp just touched the edge of the water.
This year, the whole ramp is submerged!
We still had a fabulous time swimming at Percy Priest Lake. Sure, the water is a little deeper, but it was plenty shallow for my toddler. The beach is a little narrower, but there was plenty of sand for digging.
I do have some great news to report:
We saw no evidence of the reported goose poop, despite the fact that the beach hadn't been raked in 2 weeks. (The water level was still too high.)
Plus, two loaner life jacket stations have been installed, with instructions in Spanish and English.
Life jackets are not required for swimming, but there are no lifeguards.
Click here for more photos & directions to Percy Priest Lake's best swimming beach.
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I have frequented Anderson beach for the past 11 years. Early morning during the week has always been a great experience. Bring lots of sand toys for castles and don't forget the camera!
Meredith-- thank you for posting this. We've been here 5 years and I've not been to the beach here (except for Nashville Shores). My 4 year old has been BEGGING me to go to the beach and I've been so reluctant to tackle it, since I had no idea where it was and doubted it was nice. So, I'm going this coming week, thanks to your wonderfully helpful and informative posting!
Kendra