Swimming holes in Washington
Swimming holes in Washington, each compiled from its own sources: access, legality, water season, and the walk in. No ratings; every entry carries its status.
Point at a dot to see the place.Tap a dot to see the place. Road map of 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.
Swimming Holes in all eleven states; next door in Oregon.