AGUA CALIENTE PARK
Moderate Hike
32.9517°N, 116.3058°W
INTO THE WILD · SWIMMING HOLES
Swimming Holes in California
120 Sites Found Public & Accessible Land
California swimming holes span more geography than most states. The American River Canyon above Sacramento has deep green pools in granite gorges accessible from Auburn State Recreation Area. The Trinity Alps north of Redding have cold, clear river swims in some of the most remote roadless terrain in the lower 48. The South Fork Kings River in the Sierra Nevada has swimming in the cedar-lined corridor through Kings Canyon. In the north, the Eel River has warm flatwater swimming in the gravel-bar meanders near Leggett by late July. Coast Range rivers like the Garcia warm up faster than the Sierra drainages and see far fewer people.
Always check current conditions before visiting — water levels, algae advisories, and access roads change seasonally. Never swim alone in remote sites. Tell someone your plans. Explore all swimming holes on the Trek4Free map →
Hike In
AQUATIC PARK
Easy Access
37.8073°N, 122.4235°W
ARROYO SECO RIVER
Moderate Hike SALINAS Area
36.2347°N, 121.4833°W
AZTEC FALLS
Moderate Hike LAKE ARROWHEAD Area
34.2726°N, 117.1289°W
BASS LAKE
Moderate Hike
37.9507°N, 122.7645°W
BIDWELL PARK
Easy Access CHICO Area
39.7622°N, 121.7923°W
BIG BAR
Easy Access WILLOW CREEK Area
41.2521°N, 123.6361°W
BIG FLAT
Easy Access WILLOW CREEK Area
40.7363°N, 123.1936°W
BLACK CANYON
Moderate Hike
33.1247°N, 116.8021°W
BLOW HOLE
Easy Access
33.5270°N, 117.7702°W
BOISE
Easy Access WILLOW CREEK Area
40.9466°N, 123.6597°W
BRUSH CREEK
Moderate Hike KERN RIVER Area
35.9711°N, 118.4714°W
BRYCEBURG RECREATION AREA
Moderate Hike
37.5959°N, 119.9845°W
BUCKEYE
Easy Access
38.2388°N, 119.3263°W
BUTTE CREEK
Easy Access CHICO Area
39.7290°N, 121.7053°W
CAMP WISHON
Easy Access TULE RIVER Area
36.1890°N, 118.6612°W
CAMPGROUND
Easy Access BIG SUR Area
36.2503°N, 121.7821°W
CARLON FALLS
Moderate Hike
37.8141°N, 119.8617°W
CARSON HOT SPRINGS RESORT
Easy Access
39.1935°N, 119.7530°W
CASCADE CREEK
Moderate Hike
37.7520°N, 119.7370°W
CEDAR CREEK FALLS
Moderate Hike
32.9898°N, 116.7300°W
CHEATHAM GROVE
Easy Access VAN DUZEN RIVER Area
40.4833°N, 123.9629°W
CHILNUALNA CREEK
Moderate Hike
37.5554°N, 119.6272°W
CHINA HOLE
Moderate Hike SALINAS Area
37.1727°N, 121.4925°W
CLARKS HOLE
Moderate Hike AUBURN Area
38.9293°N, 121.0385°W
CLEAR CREEK 1
Easy Access Happroximate locationPY CAMP Area
41.7287°N, 123.5338°W
CLEAR CREEK 2
Easy Access Happroximate locationPY CAMP Area
41.7101°N, 123.4480°W
DARWIN FALLS
Moderate Hike DEATH VALLEY Area
36.3208°N, 117.5245°W
DEEP CREEK HOT SPRINGS
Moderate Hike LAKE ARROWHEAD Area
34.3637°N, 117.1620°W
DIANA FALLS
Easy Access
37.7433°N, 120.0455°W
DOWNIEVILLE AREA
Moderate Hike YUBA RIVER Area
39.5595°N, 120.8277°W
EDWARDS CROSSING
Easy Access YUBA RIVER Area
39.3302°N, 120.9841°W
ELK CREEK HOLES
Easy Access Happroximate locationPY CAMP Area
41.7477°N, 123.3554°W
ESALEN HOT SPRINGS
Easy Access BIG SUR Area
36.1262°N, 121.6417°W
FEATHER FALLS
Moderate Hike CHICO Area
39.6431°N, 121.2733°W
FEATHER RIVER
Easy Access CHICO Area
39.8576°N, 121.3904°W
FISH HATCHERY
Moderate Hike WILLOW CREEK Area
40.8459°N, 123.9847°W
FIVE LAKES
Moderate Hike TAHOE Area
39.1793°N, 120.2297°W
FOREST GLEN
Easy Access
40.3770°N, 123.3269°W
GARDEN CLUB GROVE
Easy Access HUMBOLDT REDWOOD Area
40.2922°N, 123.9021°W
GODS BATH
Moderate Hike
37.9858°N, 120.0530°W
GODS BATH
Moderate Hike
37.9858°N, 120.0530°W
GORGE
Moderate Hike BIG SUR Area
36.2482°N, 121.7699°W
GREAT FALLS
Moderate Hike DEATH VALLEY Area
35.8561°N, 117.3809°W
GRIZZLY CREEK
Moderate Hike CHICO Area
39.8611°N, 121.3628°W
GRIZZLY REDWOODS S. P.
Easy Access VAN DUZEN RIVER Area
40.4868°N, 123.9051°W
GROVER HOT SPRINGS S. P.
Easy Access TAHOE Area
38.7008°N, 119.8392°W
HAPPY VALLEY
Easy Access COSUMNES RIVER Area
38.6551°N, 120.6659°W
HARBIN HOT SPRINGS
Easy Access
38.7877°N, 122.6556°W
HATCHET CREEK
Easy Access
40.8723°N, 121.8955°W
HENRY COWELL REDWOODS S. P.
Moderate Hike SANTA CRUZ Area
37.0234°N, 122.0583°W
HIDDEN FALLS
Easy Access TULE RIVER Area
36.2569°N, 118.6625°W
HITES COVE
Moderate Hike
37.6497°N, 119.8850°W
HOT CREEK
Easy Access
37.6903°N, 118.8403°W
INDIAN CREEK - SOUTH FORK
Easy Access Happroximate locationPY CAMP Area
41.8789°N, 123.4327°W
INDIAN CREEK C. P.
Easy Access NAVARRO Area
39.0612°N, 123.4366°W
INDIAN SPRINGS
Easy Access YUBA RIVER Area
39.3342°N, 120.5850°W
JOHNSVILLE
Easy Access YUBA RIVER Area
39.7607°N, 120.6955°W
JUNCTION PARK
Easy Access SANTA CRUZ Area
37.1261°N, 122.1213°W
LAKES BASIN CAMPGROUND
Easy Access YUBA RIVER Area
39.7006°N, 120.6591°W
LEATHERWOOD BAR
Easy Access HUMBOLDT REDWOOD Area
40.3539°N, 123.9278°W
LIMESTONE CAMPGROUND
Easy Access KERN RIVER Area
35.9660°N, 118.4800°W
LOWER COFFEE CAMP
Easy Access TULE RIVER Area
36.1490°N, 118.7525°W
MARBLE FORK
Moderate Hike
36.5196°N, 118.8013°W
MCCLOUD FALLS
Moderate Hike MCCLOUD Area
41.2422°N, 122.0262°W
MCCLOUD RIVER PRESERVE
Moderate Hike MCCLOUD Area
41.1131°N, 122.1183°W
MEMORIAL PARK
Easy Access
37.2735°N, 122.2898°W
MERCED RIVER
Easy Access
37.7418°N, 119.5833°W
MIDDLE FORK SMITH RIVER
Easy Access SMITH RIVER Area
41.8182°N, 124.0383°W
MIDDLE YUBA BRIDGE
Easy Access YUBA RIVER Area
39.3941°N, 121.0845°W
MONO HOT SPRINGS
Easy Access
37.3260°N, 119.0180°W
MOORE CREEK
Easy Access TAHOE Area
38.4788°N, 120.2686°W
MOUNTAIN DOG
Moderate Hike YUBA RIVER Area
39.3322°N, 120.9894°W
MUSHROOM HOLE
Moderate Hike YUBA RIVER Area
39.3835°N, 121.1001°W
NAVARRO RIVER REDWOODS S. P.
Easy Access NAVARRO Area
39.1733°N, 123.6716°W
NORTH CANYON
Moderate Hike YUBA RIVER Area
39.3403°N, 120.9489°W
OREGON CREEK
Easy Access YUBA RIVER Area
39.4050°N, 121.0754°W
PAMPLIN GROVE
Easy Access VAN DUZEN RIVER Area
40.4995°N, 123.9824°W
PARADISE CREEK
Moderate Hike
36.5183°N, 118.7606°W
PARADISE POOLS
Easy Access WILLOW CREEK Area
40.7872°N, 123.1350°W
PHILO
Easy Access NAVARRO Area
39.0855°N, 123.4851°W
POHONO BRIDGE
Easy Access
37.7166°N, 119.6660°W
PUNCHBOWLS
Moderate Hike SANTA BARBARA Area
34.4276°N, 119.0897°W
RAINBOW POOLS
Easy Access
37.8216°N, 120.0124°W
RED ROCKS
Moderate Hike SANTA BARBARA Area
34.5393°N, 119.7062°W
ROADSIDE 128
Easy Access NAVARRO Area
39.1788°N, 123.7018°W
ROCK CREEK
Moderate Hike CHICO Area
39.9078°N, 121.3636°W
ROCK POOL
Moderate Hike
34.0968°N, 118.7168°W
SALMON CREEK FALLS
Moderate Hike BIG SUR Area
35.8160°N, 121.3567°W
SCOTIA FIREMENS PARK
Easy Access HUMBOLDT REDWOOD Area
40.4757°N, 124.1076°W
SESPE GORGE
Easy Access SANTA BARBARA Area
34.5803°N, 119.2608°W
SEVEN FALLS
Moderate Hike SANTA BARBARA Area
34.4732°N, 119.7080°W
SHANGRI-LA
Easy Access YUBA RIVER Area
39.2980°N, 121.0892°W
SHIRLEY CANYON
Moderate Hike TAHOE Area
39.2039°N, 120.2512°W
SHIRLEY LAKE
Moderate Hike TAHOE Area
39.2022°N, 120.2705°W
SKINNY DIP
Moderate Hike
37.4669°N, 119.6042°W
SKUNK POINT
Easy Access WILLOW CREEK Area
40.7366°N, 123.2344°W
SLICKY
Easy Access
36.4441°N, 118.9038°W
SMITHE REDWOODS STATE RESERVE
Easy Access STANDISwimming Hole HICKEY Area
39.8986°N, 123.7511°W
SOUTH FORK SMITH RIVER
Moderate Hike SMITH RIVER Area
41.6535°N, 123.8648°W
SOUTH YUBA RIVER S. P.
Moderate Hike YUBA RIVER Area
39.2922°N, 121.1938°W
STANDISH HICKEY S.P.
Moderate Hike STANDISwimming Hole HICKEY Area
39.8793°N, 123.7381°W
STONY CREEK
Moderate Hike
36.6657°N, 118.8345°W
SULPHUR SPRINGS
Easy Access Happroximate locationPY CAMP Area
41.6606°N, 123.3194°W
SUNSET
Easy Access RUSSIAN RIVER Area
38.5041°N, 122.9308°W
SWITZER FALLS
Moderate Hike
34.2664°N, 118.1448°W
THE EDDY
Easy Access Happroximate locationPY CAMP Area
41.8327°N, 123.3828°W
THE POTHOLES ON SILVER FORK
Moderate Hike TAHOE Area
38.6791°N, 120.1313°W
TISH TANG
Easy Access WILLOW CREEK Area
41.0230°N, 123.6380°W
TOKOPAH FALLS
Moderate Hike
36.6085°N, 118.6909°W
TRAVERTINE
Easy Access
38.2457°N, 119.2049°W
TRUCKEE RIVER
Easy Access TAHOE Area
39.1650°N, 120.1741°W
TUOLUMNE/WATERWHEEL
Moderate Hike
37.9317°N, 119.4657°W
TWIN BRIDGES
Easy Access COSUMNES RIVER Area
38.6256°N, 120.7009°W
UNIVERSITY FALLS
Moderate Hike AUBURN Area
38.9293°N, 121.0385°W
VAN DUZEN COUNTY PARK
Easy Access VAN DUZEN RIVER Area
40.4875°N, 123.9718°W
WAWONA
Easy Access
37.5387°N, 119.6558°W
WHITE ROCK
Easy Access SANTA BARBARA Area
34.5439°N, 119.8047°W
WILLOW CREEK BEACH
Easy Access RUSSIAN RIVER Area
38.4311°N, 123.0698°W
WOMENS FEDERATION GROVE
Easy Access
40.3427°N, 123.9388°W