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Your guide to over 1,000 beautiful,
natural places for a dip in the US and Canada. A refreshing swimming
hole or warming hot spring in a river, creek, spring or
waterfall is the perfect complement to your favorite outdoor activity -
be it hiking, camping, canoeing, tubing, rafting or just exploring.
Come back and visit us often, we are always adding new places.
650,000 VISITORS TO THIS PAGE IN 2007 - 12 YEARS ON THE WEB
Are you a camper? Have a look our new "sister" site www.pubcamp.info Guide to ALL US Public Campgrounds.
THE FINE PRINT: This web page is operated as a
hobby only, with no income to the authors. The information presented is
compiled from many sources with varying degrees of reliability. Local
conditions also change over time. Accuracy of the information and the
safety and legality of visiting these places cannot be assured. Our
intent is to relay this information as accurately as possible; but we
do not "direct" the public to use these swimming holes. Each visitor is
personally responsible for safety and legality (including observance of
private property) each time a place is visited. Also, inappropriate behavior continuously reduces our access to these special places - don't contribute to this tragic loss!
NOTE:
Many of our places require a hike. You cannot rely on
Google road directions or your car GPS to get you to places that aren't
real close to a road. You must use our written directions
for these.
CLICK ON STATE/PROVINCE BELOW
SAFETY FIRST!
Many swimming hole accidents are due to STRONG
CURRENTS. A swimming hole that is safe at low flows may be unsafe at
high flows. Stop and think every time you go!
Do not assume that, because it was safe last summer or last week, that
it is safe now! If it looks unsafe for your skill level, DO NOT GO IN!
Do not go in if you see any tree branches or other debris in the water.
Do not let peer pressure get you into a situation you cannot deal with.
Each time, wade in gradually and check the current as you go. Do not jump
in until you have checked both the depth AND the current first. NEVER dive in head first.
Large rivers have hidden currents below the surface - assume large rivers are NEVER safe to swim regardless of how calm they look on the surface.
PLEASE, NEVER, EVER:
Dive headfirst (paralysis, death)
Swim alone
Drink alcohol and swim
Go barefoot (glass, sharp rocks)
Stand directly under a water fall (rocks wash over falls)
Swim in upper pools of a waterfall (you wash over falls)
Climb above or alongside a waterfall (many deaths from this)
Try to stand up in strong currents (feet get trapped in
bottom rocks and current holds you down.) Instead, float on your back
with feet downstream until current subsides.
FOLLOW THESE ADDED CAUTIONS:
Don't put your hands or feet into places you can't see (snake dangers)
Be careful when on a rope swing (rope dangers)
Be careful when swimming where alligators may be present (alligator safety)
FOR YOUR HEALTH:
A very rare but fatal aomeba infection has occured in Florida waters
recently where stagnant mud on the bottom is stirred up and gets into a
person's nasal passages. Avoid waters like this - but if you go you
should: 1) not submerge your head, 2) wear a nose clip, 3) pinch your
nose closed if you jump into the water. THIS PRECAUTION SHOULD BE
FOLLOWED WITH ALL NATURAL HOT SPRINGS AS WELL!
If the water runs through farms, pastures or developed areas, do not get it in your mouth, eyes, ears or nose.
If you get in poison ivy, put some rubbing alcohol on a tissue and wipe the skin as soon as possible.
Always check for ticks after walking in a grassy area.
DISCLAIMERS:
SAFETY
Swimming in natural places can be dangerous. There are risks to life, limb and health
involved. Caution can minimize but not eliminate these risks. The Webmasters assume no
responsibility for sickness, injury or death resulting from use of information contained herein.
LEGALITY
Much of the information on this web site is derived from other sources
- such as hiking and travel books, magazine articles, publications,
emails from visitors and other Internet sites. Our intent is to relay
this information as accurately as possible; we do not direct the public
to use these swimming holes. The existence of private property or other
matters of legality may have been inadvertently omitted or may be
inexact in some cases. We are not able to do an on-site visit to each
place, and even when we do property ownership or legality is sometimes
not evident. It is not our intention to cause negative impacts to
private property owners or to increase their liability. When this is
brought to our attention by bona-fide sources, we act promptly to add
this information to the listing or otherwise resolve the matter on a
case-by-case basis.
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Remember the "old swimmin' hole"? Well, many are still there and they are still lots more fun
and naturally beautiful than a chlorinated swimming pool!
SwimmingHoles.info focuses on moving, fresh water spots - like creeks,
rivers, springs and waterfalls. Also listed are some selected hot
springs (in the west) and other swimming places on lakes, quarries or
bays which have unique features that make them especially beautiful or
fun for swimming.
You may need to get into some cold water to enjoy many of these (but not the hot springs!), but the cold doesn't
last while the warm memories of a swim in a beautiful setting certainly will.
RELATED
LINKS
See our HUGE collection of links to other web pages, books, articles
and other information related to swimming places, hot springs,
waterfalls, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities. |
 We have latitude and longitude in the listing for every swimming hole. See GPS and GOOGLE MAPS TIPS for how to get these into your GPS. |
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Do you visit several swimming holes in a couple of days as we do? Do you want to spread ROCK SNOT? We thought not! ABOUT ROCK SNOT Note the section on "Preventing the Spread". |
This summer, grab your map and GPS and join in the great American BLUE HOLE HUNT!
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WALDEN'S PONDS
Swimming holes that are safe and fun for the whole family. |
BEST
SWIMMING HOLE
SCENE IN A MOVIE:
"A Walk On The Moon" (rated R). Rent it at your video store. |
PRINTING TIPS
This material is copyrighted but you can print from it for your own personal use. |
| BEST SWIMMING
HOLE DESCRIPTION IN A BOOK: "Little Altars Everywhere" by Rebecca Wells, see
chapter titled: "Skinny Dipping". Borrow it at your local library. |
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EMAIL US
mail@swimmingholes.info
If you have a new swimming hole or hot spring for us, or better
information about one we have - PLEASE - Good directions are VERY
important, refer to a MAP to give directions!
COPYRIGHT
All the material on this web site is registered with the U.S. Copyright
Office (Registration
Number TX6-245-508, Date 5/23/2005) and may not legally be reproduced
except for personal use without permission of the WebMaster.
Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Hillegass
.
ABOUT THE
WEBMASTERS
Tom Hillegass has explored natural areas both near and far
from his home in
Alexandria, Virginia for over 35 years. With a patient wife and
enthusiastic children, he has
learned by experience how to have exciting (but comfortable) outdoor
experiences. A
pleasant swimming hole has cooled many a warm day for him. Tom is a
retired engineer and a dabbler in idle
pursuits far and wide; in the East- canoeing, hiking and camping; in
the West - exploring deserts, mountains, river rafting and soaking in
hot springs - and electric bass rock/blues whenever possible.
Dave Hajdasz owns and operates a financial services firm in
Connecticut.
He's an avid outdoor enthusiast who has enjoyed exploring fun and
unique
places such as caves, waterfalls and remote forests for the past 25
years.
He's an experienced rock climber, kayaker, hiker, mountain biker and
trout
fisherman, though he always manages to get in a bit of swimming no
matter
where he goes. He holds the unusual distinction of swimming in 12
different natural bodies of water (one each month) in New England
during the course of a year.
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