Pearl Lake Beach RV Resort in South Beloit, IL will be open to the public for the first time in four years beginning next month.
The 207-acre beach, campground and RV resort was sold earlier this month and the new owner says he wants the community to enjoy it as much as he does.
“The water is crystal blue,” said new owner, Lance Beatch, a former investment banker who spent a decade of his career acquiring campgrounds and RV resorts.
This is an exceptional asset with what I call an outstanding raw cloth to work with.”
But Pearl Lake is special. Beatch owns it on his own. He purchased the property from Zeman Homes, a company that bought it from the Witte family in 2019 but never opened it to the public.
“This is an exceptional asset with what I call an outstanding raw cloth to work with,” Beatch, who also owns Fox Bluff Vacation Cottage & RV Resort in Yorkville, said.
On that raw cloth, the beach will get new cabanas, a floating water park and upgrades to the bar and concession area–all part of a goal to make Pearl Lake Beach a top regional draw for swimmers and campers.
“We are going to make this beach fantastic,” Beatch said. “Back in the day, there used to be 500 to 1,000 people per day on the beach on the weekend.”
The resort includes the 50-acre lake and 340 sites for camping, and RVing. There’s also room to expand; something the city of South Beloit welcomes with open arms.
”We are invigorated that there’s about to be some life brought back to a hidden treasure,” said City Administrator Sonya Hoppes. “Anybody who’s lived her for all of their life will tell you there’s a handful of things that are just natural beauty things about South Beloit. They’re the things were remember about our childhood.”
Seasonal campers have already started arriving at Pearl Lake. Beatch hopes to be open to the public by Memorial Day weekend.
