Swimming holes in the West
Swimming holes across the West, each compiled from its own sources: access, legality, water season, and the walk in.
Point at a dot to see the place.Tap a dot to see the place.
Arizona
- Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic RiverCamp Verde · Wild and scenic riverA spring-fed creek in a 1,600-foot canyon southeast of Camp Verde, Arizona, where a century of hydropower diversion ended in 2005 and travertine dams have begun to regrow.
- Grasshopper Point Swimming & Picnic AreaSedona · Day-use siteA Forest Service day-use swimming hole on Oak Creek, about two miles north of Sedona, Arizona, where two waterfalls spill into a pool beneath a black and red cliff.
- Pebble Beach Day Use AreaMesa · Developed recreation siteThis site is a most popular inner tube starting and take-out point. With the abundance of tables and shade ramadas, families like to camp out for the day at the water's edge and cool off from the summer heat.
- Sabino Canyon swimming holes (Sabino Dam, Hutch's Pool)Tucson · Recreation sitesThe Sabino Canyon Crawler Tour is a guided, narrated shuttle tour that travels the 3.7-mile Sabino Canyon Road Trail and returns to the Visitor Center.
- Slide Rock State ParkSedona · 43-acre historic apple farm located in oak creek canyonOriginally a homestead apple farm, Slide Rock State Park is one of our most popular recreation spots. Escape the heat in the cool waters of Oak Creek.
- Tanque Verde Falls Recreation AreaTucson · Recreation areaNew trails and amenities at this popular recreation destination invite visitors to experience the stunning desert, beautiful rock formations, and seasonal creek and waterfalls of Tanque Verde Canyon.
- Water Wheel Falls, East Verde RiverPayson · 1.6-mile out-and-back trailA 1.6-mile out-and-back trail north of Payson along Ellison Creek and the East Verde River.
- Wet Beaver Creek day useRimrock · Day-use picnic siteOnce listed as a campground, Beaver Creek is now a day-use site popular for picnicking and birding year round, and water play in the summer. The area has limited space and can get over-crowded on hot days and holiday weekends.
California
- Auburn State Recreation AreaAuburn · CA state parkA state recreation area along forty miles of the North and Middle Forks of the American River near Auburn, California, on land set aside for a dam begun and never finished.
- Blue Hole River AccessSomes Bar · Swimming holeA Forest Service river access on the lower Salmon River near Somes Bar, California, where a short trail drops to a sandy beach and a very deep swimming hole.
- Brannan Island State Recreation AreaRio Vista · State recreation areaServes as an entryway to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, with opportunities for camping, boating, swimming, walking, and great fishing.
- D. L. Bliss State Park (Lester Beach)South Lake Tahoe · State parkA California state park on Lake Tahoe's west shore just north of Emerald Bay, with two swimming beaches, a 130-ton balanced granite rock, and a lighthouse first lit about 1919.
- Del Valle Swim BeachesLivermore · Regional park with two swimming beachesTwo lifeguarded swim beaches on Lake Del Valle, a State Water Project reservoir south of Livermore, California, whose level rises for summer and drops each autumn.
- Diana Pools/Diana FallsGroveland · Swimming holeA cliff-walled swimming hole on the North Fork of the Merced River in Stanislaus National Forest, reached by a flat 1.4-mile trail and fed by a waterfall of roughly 20 feet.
- Folsom Lake State Recreation Area swim areasFolsom · State recreation areaFive named swim beaches on Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma east of Sacramento, one of them facing the dredged-over site of a Gold Rush camp worked by Black miners.
- Gallatin Beach, Eagle LakeSusanville · Day use area near aspen campgroundA free sand beach on the pine-forested south shore of Eagle Lake in Lassen County, California, named for the family whose 1913 summer house still stands nearby.
- Jones Beach Picnic and River AccessFort Jones · Nice day use area with a small beach along the scott river.Nice day use area with a small beach along the Scott River. Popular for swimming, water play and fishing.
- Kings Beach State Recreation AreaKings Beach · Day-use only areaKings Beach State Recreation Area features 979 feet of beautiful frontage property along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. This day-use only area has a large sandy beach and multiple picnic tables under the shade of Jeffery pines.
- Medicine Lake swim beachMedicine Lake · Designated swimming areaThe popular Medicine Lake Recreation Area and adjacent Medicine Lake are located in the Medicine Lake Highlands in northeastern California. The Recreation Area is located in the Modoc National Forest at an elevation of 6,770 feet.
- Rainbow Pool Day Use AreaGroveland · Day use areaAlong Highway 120 at the South Fork Tuolumne River bridge. Originally a toll stop in the stagecoach days, later a popular resort until 1958 when fire burned the resort. Now, a popular picnic area. Vault toilets, limited parking.
- Red Rock PoolsSanta Barbara · Swimming holes on the santa ynez riverRed Rock / Gibraltar trail is accessed from this parking lot; from the main trailhead it is about 0.5 miles to the main Red Rock pools, and the trail continues towards Gibraltar dam as about a 7-mile loop.
- Shadow Cliffs Swim BeachPleasanton · Regional recreation areaA haven for swimming and fishing can be found at Shadow Cliffs, only a mile from downtown Pleasanton on Stanley Boulevard.
- Silverwood Lake State Recreation AreaHesperia · State recreation areaHigh in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest and formed by Cedar Springs Dam, the highest reservoir in the State Water Project offers views of snow-capped mountain peaks and features hiking trails, swimming beaches and designated areas for boating, waterskiing and fishing.
- South Yuba Recreation AreaNevada City · Accessible swimmingThe South Yuba Recreation Area and National Trail is located approximately 10 miles northeast of Nevada City, California.
- Stoney Creek Swim AreaWeaverville · Swimming and picnic areaLocated on the Stuart Fork Arm of Trinity Lake, 14 miles north of Weaverville on State Route 3; a popular swimming and picnic area with a beach, two picnic sites with brick patios, tables, pedestal grills, a paved path to the beach and a paved parking lot.
Colorado
- Boyd Lake State ParkLoveland · State parkBoyd Lake State Park, a Loveland irrigation reservoir on the plains below Long's Peak, sits on the homestead of a man who helped build northern Colorado's first trans-mountain ditch.
- Clear Creek tube run and whitewater parkGolden · Whitewater parkA free whitewater course on Clear Creek in downtown Golden, Colorado, which designer Gary Lacy pitched to a reluctant city council in 1996 as "a nice little amenity."
- Guffey Gorge / Paradise CoveGuffey · Swimming siteA Bureau of Land Management day-use swimming hole in southern Park County, Colorado, where West Fourmile Creek drops through granite into a pool once known to a few hundred people a year.
- Highline Lake State ParkLoma · State parkA two-lake state park near Loma, Colorado, fed by spill from the Government Highline Canal, whose larger lake was drained in 2024 to kill zebra mussels.
- Jackson Lake State ParkOrchard · State parkTop park beach with shoreline camping and large warmwater reservoir; first Colorado State Park to be certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.
Idaho
- Billy Rice Swim BeachWarm Lake · Swimming holeA small sandy day-use beach on the west shore of Warm Lake in Idaho's Boise National Forest, named for the son of a forester who paid the Boy Scouts' lease there.
- Five Mile PondHighway 14 Corridor · PondA small day-use pond beside Crooked River in Idaho's Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, stocked each year with rainbow trout and fished and swum by all ages.
- Jump Creek Falls swimming holeMarsing · Swimming siteJump Creek features a surprising waterfall and lush riparian community filled with water birch and red osier dogwood trees. Visitors can hike the easy Jump Creek Falls Trail, walk to the Falls Overlook or picnic near the rock crevices and meandering stream. Swimmers can enjoy a refreshing dip at the base of the falls.
- Priest Lake State ParkCoolin · State parkPriest Lake State Park lies just 30 miles from the Canadian border, nestled deep below the crest of the Selkirk Mountains. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Northern Idaho and mile-high mountains, Priest Lake State Park sits along the eastern shores of Priest Lake, a 19-mile long, 300-foot-deep waterbody.
Montana
- Axtell Bridge Fishing Access SiteFour Corners · Fishing access siteA state fishing access on the Gallatin River south of Four Corners, where swimmers and anglers use the water beneath a one-lane truss bridge built in 1919.
- Fairy LakeBozeman · CampgroundA small glacial lake below Sacagawea Peak in Montana's Bridger Range, reached by steep gravel road from Bozeman, whose bottom sediments hold a 15,000-year record of forest and fire.
- Fish Creek State Park swimming beachAlberton · Swimming holeA small swimming beach on Fish Creek, in a state park west of Missoula whose 5,600 acres were carved from the middle of a wildlife management area in 2010.
- Kobayashi BeachEnnis · Day-use areaThe main public access point on Ennis Lake and a popular place to spend a summer afternoon.
- Lake Alva swimming beachSeeley Lake · Swimming beachDay use area with a swimming beach on the north shore of Lake Alva, a glacial lake in the Clearwater River valley between the Swan and Mission mountain ranges at about 4,200 feet elevation.
- Lake Como Beach Swimming SiteDarby · Designated swimming areaA swimming area on Lake Como between Darby and Hamilton, Montana, with a sandy beach, picnic tables, accessible restrooms, dressing facilities, paved parking, water, and garbage service.
- Somers Beach State ParkSomers · State parkMontana's newest state park. The development will include day-use amenities, such as trails, picnic areas, and a hand launch area for boats, as well as overnight lodging opportunity with three rental cabins. FWP will also enhance additional park shoreline with an erosion control beach.
- Swan Lake Swimming SiteBigfork · Swimming holeThe Swan Lake Swimming Site is located in the Swan Lake Day Use Area. There are plenty of picnic tables and fire rings available. There are restrooms, water faucets, and trash containers at this site as well as a boat ramp, dock, and swimming beach.
- White Sandy beachHelena · CampgroundWhite Sandy is located on the west side of Hauser Lake at the confluence of Prickly Pear creek. It is in an ideal location for outdoor recreation, wildlife watching, water sports, camping and swimming.
- Yellow Bay State ParkBigfork · State park unitThe Yellow Bay unit of Flathead Lake State Park is located 14 miles south of Bigfork on the eastern shore of Flathead Lake. The park includes Yellow Bay Creek and a wide, gravelly beach that is a popular location for swimming, sunbathing, and kayaking.
Nevada
- Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation AreaLaughlin · State recreation areaNevada's southernmost state park, about two miles of sandy Colorado River shore just south of Laughlin, where water leaving Davis Dam runs clear and cool year round.
- Cave LakeEly · State parkA 32-acre trout reservoir in the Schell Creek Range southeast of Ely, Nevada, drained in 2021 to rebuild its 1939 dam and full again by March 2025.
- Echo Canyon State ParkPioche · State parkA Lincoln County reservoir park twelve miles east of Pioche, Nevada, where a 65-acre lake held by a 1969–70 dam lies under basalt cliffs at the head of Dry Valley.
- Rye Patch State Recreation AreaLovelock · State recreation areaOpen year-round, Rye Patch State Recreation Area is situated on a 22-mile long reservoir that has 72 miles of shoreline and 11,000 acres of water surface when full. Visitors enjoy camping, picnicking, swimming and water-skiing, and fisherman delight in the available white bass, catfish, black bass and walleye.
- Sand Harbor Swim BeachIncline Village · State parkThe largest alpine lake in North America, Lake Tahoe is a cobalt blue lake atop the Sierra Nevada mountain range. On its eastern shores, gently sloping beaches, crystal-clear water and interesting rock formations allow for wonderfully sublime swimming, kayaking and scuba diving at Sand Harbor. Boaters, water-skiers and fisherman can easily launch from one of the park's two ramps. Visitors who would like a peaceful retreat from surf and sun can picnic in the shade of cedars and Jeffrey pines in one of many picnic sites equipped with barbecues and tables. The park also hosts the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival every summer.
- Walker Lake Recreation AreaRecreation areaThe 30,000-acre, 12 mile long by 5 mile wide lake has a shoreline that varies from steep and rocky on the west side to sandy beaches on its east side.
New Mexico
Oregon
- Cantrall-Buckley ParkRuch · County parkA county park of 88 acres on the Applegate River near Ruch, Oregon, laid out around a pioneer swimming hole and run for twenty years by its neighbors.
- Cavitt Creek Falls Recreation Site (BLM), Douglas County, ORGlide · Recreation siteA ten-site BLM campground near Glide, Oregon, built on three terraces above a six-foot falls on Cavitt Creek, where salmon and steelhead leap from September through April.
- Dabney State Recreation AreaTroutdale · State recreation areaA state park on the Sandy River outside Troutdale, Oregon, where a summer swimming beach, an 18-hole disc golf course and the take-out for a seven-mile float share the same shaded bank.
- Divers Hole Day Use (USFS Rogue River-Siskiyou NF), Josephine County, ORSelma, Oregon · Day-use recreation siteA free, unimproved swimming hole 8.5 miles west of Selma, Oregon, where the Wild and Scenic Illinois River widens into a deep pool beside Forest Road 4103.
- Forks State Park, West Fork Illinois RiverCave Junction · State park near medfordA day-use state park just south of Cave Junction, Oregon, where the east and west forks of the Illinois River meet, enlarged in the 1970s by a lawyer's gifts of land.
- Loon Lake Recreation Site (BLM), Douglas County, ORReedsport · BLM lakeside recreation site with a warmA BLM campground and swim beach on Loon Lake in Douglas County, Oregon, where a sandstone landslide dammed a Coast Range canyon about 1,400 years ago.
- Lower Lake Creek Falls (BLM), Lane County, ORTriangle Lake · Watchable wildlife and recreation siteNatural bedrock slide with cascades spilling into Triangle Lake; popular swimming and slide area on Lake Creek, about a half mile walk from the parking lot.
- Macks Canyon Recreation Site (BLM), Deschutes River, Sherman County, ORLower Deschutes River · BLM recreation siteThe Macks Canyon archaeological site is a large, prehistoric village locale overlooking the Deschutes River in north-central Oregon. The site is characterized by shallow, circular, semi-subterranean house depressions, surface artifacts, and riverine shell deposits.
- Priest Hole Recreation Site (BLM), Wheeler County, ORMitchell · Recreation sitePriest Hole is a local favorite for fishing and swimming. Stopping here is a natural part of a visit to the Painted Hills, a gateway to the "John Day Country" of eastern Oregon.
- Scaredman Recreation Site (BLM), Douglas County, ORRoseburg · Swimming hole / BLM recreation siteMinimally developed BLM campground along Canton Creek with riverside picnic sites and outstanding undeveloped swimming holes along both Canton and Steamboat Creeks.
- Sharps Creek Recreation Site (BLM), Lane County, ORCottage Grove · Recreation siteStep off the beaten path and explore a delightful gem nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains with ties to the historic Bohemia Mining District, 18 miles southeast of Cottage Grove. The site offers a 12-unit campground, day-use picnicking area, and a nearby swimming hole formed naturally among rounded boulders at the base of an overlook extending above Sharps Creek.
- Shotgun Creek Recreation Site (BLM), Lane County, ORMarcola · Day-use siteThe refreshing location with its lush, forest setting, coupled with comforts normally associated with an urban park, blend seamlessly at this popular day-use site. Here, one can immerse in the enjoyment of surrounding hiking trails, a swimming area, meandering creeks, and picnicking units.
- Steelhead Falls Trail (BLM), Deschutes River, Crook County, ORTerrebonne · TrailA 20-foot cascade tumbles over a rocky stretch in the Deschutes River.
- Tamolitch Falls (Blue Pool), USFS Willamette NF, Lane County, ORMcKenzie Bridge · Swimming holeA cliff-rimmed basin on the McKenzie River where the river resurfaces at the base of normally dry Tamolitch Falls, fed by underground springs. Renamed 'Tamolitch' in 1933 by William Parke, a Willamette National Forest recreational engineer, after the Chinook jargon word for bucket.
- TouVelle State Recreation SiteCentral Point · Day-use state recreation siteA Rogue River day-use park at the foot of Table Rock with picnicking, fishing, boat launch, swimming, and a 2-mile trail
- Yellowbottom Recreation Site (BLM), Linn County, ORSweet Home · BLM recreation site with a swimming hole on quartzville creekA beautiful swimming hole on the Wild and Scenic Quartzville Creek with a one-mile trail to old-growth trees; vault toilets and a day use area.
Utah
- Homestead CraterMidway · Natural geothermal springA warm spring inside a 55-foot limestone dome at Homestead in Midway, Utah, reached by a tunnel blasted in 1996, where divers go 65 feet down in 90-degree water.
- Ken's LakeMoab · Swimming siteKen's Lake, constructed from 1979 to 1981, is an approximately 2,610 acre-feet reservoir located in the upper Spanish Valley.
- Sand Hollow State ParkHurricane · State parkLocated at the south end of the park, the store has ATV’s, UTV’s, kayaks, paddle boards and more for those of all ages, shapes and sizes!
Washington
- Beebe Bridge State ParkOrondo · State parkA 56-acre Columbia River beach and campground near Orondo, Washington, where the concrete towers of an orchard company's suspension bridge still stand beside the steel arch of US 97.
- Big Eddy, Washougal RiverWashougal · ParkBig Eddy is a county-owned swimming beach on the Washougal River near Washougal, Washington, where a deep summer pool sits above the run's one class IV rapid.
- Boundary Reservoir / Forebay Recreation Area (BLM), Pend Oreille County, WAMetaline · CampgroundSeattle City Light's campground and boat launch at Boundary Dam, Pend Oreille County, Washington: the usual way onto a 17.5-mile reservoir whose shore camps are reached only by water.
- Curlew Lake State ParkRepublic · State parkA Washington state park at the south end of Curlew Lake in Ferry County, a glacier-carved trout lake taken over by illegally planted yellow perch since about 2011.
- Dougan Falls Swimming HoleWashougal · Parking lotDougan Falls, where the Washougal River in Skamania County, Washington, drops 19 feet sideways into a deep pool used for summer swimming at the end of the pavement.
- Douglas Creek (BLM), Douglas County, WAWenatchee · HikeA year-round creek in a basalt canyon below Washington's Waterville Plateau, with swimming pools, beaver ponds, and the grade of a 1909 wheat railroad whose tunnel caved in.
- Fishtrap Recreation Area (BLM), Spokane/Lincoln County, WASpokane · Recreation areaFederal land straddling the Spokane–Lincoln county line in Washington, once the Miller Ranch, where two volunteer-built trail loops meet on a bluff above Fishtrap Lake.
- Lyons Ferry State ParkWashtucna · Day-use state park with sandy beach and swimmingA day-use state park on Corps of Engineers land where the Palouse meets the Snake in eastern Washington, beside a steel bridge moved 85 miles from the Columbia.
- Naked FallsWashougal · Day use areaThe second largest waterfall on the Washougal River, a decades-long hotspot for kayakers and cliff divers, with day use and riverside camping on the crystal clear Washougal.
- Sandy Swimming HoleWashougal · Swimming holeThe Sandy Swimming Hole Park is located at the upper end of lower Washougal River Greenway. Facilities include restrooms, picnic tables, a beach, a boat launch for non-motorized boats, and parking. Swimming is permitted, with no lifeguard on duty.
- Twin Lakes Recreation Area (BLM), Spokane County, WADavenport · Recreation areaNestled in at the south end of Upper Twin Lake, this site offers picnicking and camping in a serene setting with a few primitive campsites.
- Yakima River Canyon Recreation Sites (BLM), Kittitas/Yakima County, WAEllensburg · Developed river access sitesThe gentle Yakima River winds through rolling desert hills and basalt cliffs, some rising more than 2,000 feet, for 27 miles between Ellensburg and Yakima, Washington. The canyon offers excellent wildlife watching, fishing for Blue Ribbon trout, family-friendly rafting, and camping. The BLMs crevices and cliffs make a perfect home for the densest concentration of nesting hawks, eagles, and falcons in the state.
Wyoming
- Firehole Canyon Swimming AreaMadison Junction · Swimming areaA designated swim area on the Firehole River in Yellowstone, two miles south of Madison Junction, where geothermal water warms a mountain river enough to swim in.
- Firehole Swimming BeachDutch John · Swimming siteA Forest Service swim beach at Firehole Canyon, on the Wyoming shore of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, where water began rising behind a Utah dam on December 10, 1962.
- Glendo State Park Sandy BeachGlendo · Swim beachA white-sand swim beach on the east shore of Glendo Reservoir, Wyoming, where by August a quarter mile of sand may lie between the campsites and the water.
- Guernsey State Park swimming beachesGuernsey · Swimming areaThe three swimming beaches of Guernsey State Park in Platte County, Wyoming, on a 1927 North Platte reservoir that Reclamation lowers for an annual silt run.
- Sandy Beach Swimming AreaPinedale · Swimming areaSandy Beach Picnic Area is located on the southeast shores of pristine Fremont Lake at an elevation of 7,400 feet, just 3 miles northeast of Pinedale, Wyoming. Water sports and fishing are popular activities.
- Sylvan Bay Swimming AreaPinedale · Day use areaApproximately 7 miles north of Pinedale, and just a short hike from Fremont Campground is Sylvan Bay. This day use area provides quiet little beach and a vaulted toilet.
More under Out of Doors: Hot Springs, Trailheads, Rockhounding, and Spring Water.