Guides

Weirs Beach Guide: Camping, Boat Rentals and Things to Do

Weirs Beach is Laconia's busiest summer spot on Lake Winnipesaukee. Here is what to know about parking, swimming, rentals, camping and the boardwalk.

Romeo Octav

Nov 7, 2026 9 min read

A wooden lakeside boardwalk with benches and small docks at sunrise, with misty mountains beyond the water

On this page

Weirs Beach at a glance
Swimming and the public beach
Parking
The boardwalk and things to do
Boat, pontoon and jet ski rentals
Do you need a boating certificate?
Launching your own boat and docking
Where to camp near Weirs Beach
Frequently asked questions
Sources

Weirs Beach is on Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia, New Hampshire, near the outlet of Meredith Bay. A New Hampshire Department of Transportation history of Laconia’s bridges calls it Laconia’s most popular summer destination. The public beach sits in Endicott Rock Park, with a quarter-mile boardwalk, arcades, a scenic railway, a cruise ship dock and boat rentals all within walking distance.

This guide covers what we could confirm from the City of Laconia, the businesses themselves and New Hampshire agencies: parking, swimming, rentals, camping nearby, and the boating rules a visitor needs. Prices and hours change by season, so treat the numbers here as a starting point. Where we quote a year, it is the year of the source.

Weirs Beach at a glance#

Summary card for Weirs Beach showing no lifeguards, parking at 2 and 2.50 dollars per hour, the paid parking season, a quarter mile boardwalk and the cartop boat launch spot — Infographic: Weirs Beach Guide: Camping, Boat Rentals and Things to Do (infographic) · Open full size

Swimming and the public beach#

The City of Laconia runs the public beach, listed on its site as Weirs Beach (Endicott Rock Park). Its beaches page said the beach season would officially begin on June 27, and that beaches are not maintained or tested outside the season. The City’s pages do not state a year, so confirm the dates for the season you plan to visit.

Lifeguards. The City’s pages said there would be no lifeguards at Weirs Beach “this summer”, so patrons swim at their own risk. The beaches page said the same for Opechee Point, Opechee Cove and Bartlett Beach, and that the only guarded beach was Bond Beach, which is for residents and taxpayers. Children 12 and under must be supervised under the City’s rules.

Bathhouses. The City’s Weirs Beach page said bathhouses open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. Its general beaches page said bathhouses open weekends only from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The two pages disagree, so check the beach page before you plan around the bathrooms.

Rules. The City’s park rules say animals are not allowed in the water or on the beach, and that no RVs, trailers or buses may park in any park or beach lot. Parks open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m., except Weirs Beach, which closes at midnight. Endicott Rock Park has a stated limit of 1,500 people.

Water quality. New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services monitors public beaches for fecal bacteria from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It posts current advisories and cyanobacteria warnings on its Healthy Swimming Mapper, updated daily. It does not close waterbodies, but it recommends avoiding swimming near a bloom. Our guides on whether a lake is safe to swim in and blue-green algae in lakes explain what to look for. For other beaches on the lake, see the best beaches on Lake Winnipesaukee.

A small public sandy lake beach with a roped swimming area, a bathhouse and canoes pulled up away from the swimmers — Swimmers stay inside the floats and paddle craft launch away from the swim area. AI-generated illustration.

Parking#

The City lists two public lots in the Weirs Beach area: Lakeside Avenue and Endicott Rock Park. Both use pay-by-space parking, with space numbers painted on the pavement by the driver’s door.

Lakeside Avenue: $2.00 per hour, with 2-, 3- and 5-hour spaces.
Endicott Rock Park: $2.50 per hour, with no time limit.
When you pay: from the Saturday before Memorial Day through Columbus Day, between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m.
How you pay: coins, credit or debit cards, or by text.

The City also says no saving spaces is allowed. These are the rates on the City’s page when we checked in November 2026.

The boardwalk and things to do#

The boardwalk begins on Lakeside Avenue and runs the full length of Weirs Beach. A local tourism site gives its length as a quarter mile from the beach to the pier, with five points where you can step down to the beach or docks and benches along the way.

Within walking distance, the same site lists penny arcades, a family fun center, bumper cars and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. A few places worth knowing:

Funspot is at 579 Endicott Street North in Laconia. It advertises 600 games, a 20-lane bowling center and 18-hole indoor mini-golf.
Winnipesaukee Railway lists one-hour rides departing from Weirs Beach in summer and fall. The local tourism site calls it the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.
Mount Washington cruises. The summer port for the Mount Washington is at the center of the boardwalk, at 211 Lakeside Avenue. Its narrated scenic tour page listed daily departures from Weirs Beach, with prices from $48 for adults and $28 for children ages 4 to 12. Check for current prices.

Events. Laconia Motorcycle Week is held in June. The City’s event page set the 2026 dates at June 13 to 21, although one City page listed a June 12 start. The Weirs Beach fireworks organizer scheduled the Independence Day show for July 3, 2026, at 10 p.m., with regular shows at 9:30 p.m. on July 18, August 1, August 15 and September 6. When a show is fired from the beach, the beach closes for safety and the boardwalk or public docks are the best places to watch.

Boat, pontoon and jet ski rentals#

Several businesses rent boats near the Weirs. We did not test any of them, and each sets its own price, deposit and rules, so confirm on their sites. See our guide to the best boat rentals on Lake Winnipesaukee for a wider list and our tips for renting a boat for the first time.

Winni Marine says it runs 41 rental boats near Weirs Beach, including pontoons, bowriders and deck boats. Renters must be 21 or older with a valid driver’s license, and its rental day runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It says its 20-foot pontoon boats, powered by 25 hp engines, do not require a New Hampshire boating certificate.
North Water Marine rents 23- to 25-foot Coach pontoon boats and says every boat has a GPS and depth gauge. Its full-fleet season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with a full rental day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It says state law requires rental operators to be 21 or older.
Irwin Marine rents pontoons and bowriders, with a minimum age of 21 and a refundable $2,000 damage deposit.
Weirs Beach Jet Ski Rentals operates at the Weirs Beach pier. Its posted rates ran from $130 for one hour to $2,500 for one week. Operators must be at least 18 with a valid driver’s license, passengers must be at least 7, and Coast Guard approved life jackets are provided at no extra cost.

Three white rental pontoon boats and a bowrider tied at a wooden dock with a stack of life jackets — Rental pontoons and bowriders are the usual choice for a day on Winnipesaukee. AI-generated illustration.

Do you need a boating certificate?#

New Hampshire requires a boating education certificate for anyone 16 or older who operates a motorboat over 25 horsepower on New Hampshire waters. The state accepts NASBLA-approved certificates issued by another state agency, as well as certificates from the US Power Squadron and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

If you do not have one, a 14-day temporary certificate is available through an agent after you take and pass a boating safety exam. State Police list Channel Marine, Irwin Marine, Lakes Region Jet Ski Rental and Thurston’s Marina among the agents near Weirs Beach. Operators quoted fees of $20 or $25, so ask when you book.

A few other rules that matter on the water:

Children 12 and younger must wear a life jacket when being transported in a boat. State Police recommend that everyone wear one.
Boats must keep headway speed within 150 feet of swimmers, permitted swimming areas, shore, docks, mooring fields and other vessels.
On Lake Winnipesaukee, the statutory speed limit is 30 mph from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise and 45 mph at any other time, unless a lower speed is prudent.
Marine Patrol has enforcement authority on all bodies of water of 10 acres or more.

Our lake boating safety guide covers the basics for first-time renters.

Launching your own boat and docking#

The Weirs Beach swim area is not a boat launch. The City allows cartop boats, meaning canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, to launch from the area to the far left of the swim area, beyond the bathhouse. Anything with paddles will be asked to leave the swim area. Laconia’s park rules also limit watercraft launches to designated areas.

For a trailered boat, New Hampshire Fish and Game says there are more than 400 public federal and state-owned launch sites in the state, plus town ramps. A 2014 state access map for Winnipesaukee labels Downing’s Landing in Gilford as a Fish and Game trailer ramp. We did not find a current fee or parking schedule for it, so check Fish and Game before you go. See our boat ramp checklist for first-time boaters.

At the Weirs Beach public docks, overnight docking is prohibited between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. docking is limited to a maximum of three hours.

Where to camp near Weirs Beach#

Camping is not allowed on the public beach. Laconia’s park rules prohibit overnight camping or parking in city parks except with prior approval, and the nearest campgrounds are a short drive away. The Weirs Beach tourism directory lists Paugus Bay Campground, Pine Hollow Campground, Hack-Ma-Tack Camping Area, a members-only veterans’ campground and Resort on the Bay. Gunstock Campground in Gilford says it is minutes from Lake Winnipesaukee, the Weirs and Funspot. We compare the main options, with site counts and rates, in Paugus Bay and Laconia campgrounds, and our Lake Winnipesaukee campground list covers the wider lake.

Frequently asked questions#

Does Weirs Beach have lifeguards?

Not according to the City of Laconia’s beach pages when we checked in November 2026, which said Weirs Beach would not have lifeguards “this summer” and that patrons swim at their own risk. The pages carry no year, so check the City’s beach page for the current season.

How much does it cost to park at Weirs Beach?

On the City’s parking page, parking cost $2.00 per hour on Lakeside Avenue and $2.50 per hour at Endicott Rock Park. The City charges from the Saturday before Memorial Day through Columbus Day, between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. You pay by space number at a kiosk with coins, a card or by text.

Can you launch a boat at Weirs Beach?

Only cartop boats such as canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, from the area to the far left of the swim area. The swim area itself is not for boats. Trailered boats need a ramp elsewhere; New Hampshire Fish and Game maintains public launch sites, and its Downing’s Landing site in Gilford is one.

Do I need a license to rent a boat at Weirs Beach?

For a boat over 25 horsepower you need a boating education certificate, which New Hampshire issues or accepts from another state if it is NASBLA-approved. Rental companies can arrange a 14-day temporary certificate with a short test, and fees quoted by operators were $20 to $25. Rental pontoons with a 25 hp engine do not require one at one operator.

Can you camp at Weirs Beach?

Not on the public beach. Laconia’s park rules prohibit overnight camping or parking in city parks without Commission approval. Campgrounds are nearby, including Paugus Bay Campground, Pine Hollow Campground, Gunstock Campground and Ellacoya State Park.

Sources#

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