The Best Swimming Holes Near Washington

Within an hour or two of Washington, DC, there are numerous picturesque lakes and watering holes that are ideal for a summer day trip. These swimming holes are your greatest option for summertime entertainment in socially isolating times. Even if you want to swing on a rope like Tarzan in Maryland, swim around in a freshwater lake, or get wet beneath a hidden waterfall in Virginia.

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Overall Run

In the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Overall Run is well renowned for possessing the park’s biggest waterfall, which is 93 feet high. They are magnificent and lovely when the creek is flowing strongly in the spring. The falls are only a murmur of water in the summer. 

Even yet, the flow is sufficient to fill a network of three interconnected swimming holes that are two miles downstream; one of the pools can reach a depth of more than seven feet. A flat, steep rock wall that the creek crosses serves as a magnificent water slide. 

Popular with local youngsters seeking to combat the heat is the sun-drenched areas. The water can be a pleasant surprise and quite crisp even in August. The swimming holes are accessible by an 8.5-mile, fairly challenging loop trip through the area on the Overall Run/Beecher Ridge path or via a one-mile, fairly challenging hike from a parking lot on Thompson Hollow Road.

Cunningham Falls State Park

The largest waterfall in Maryland, at 78 feet tall, is more complex than just a wall of water tumbling from a cliff. Instead, you can plunge into the cool mountain water as it magnificently falls down through a sequence of ledges and into a catch pool at the bottom. 

Many climb the waterfall despite the park’s warnings against it, resting underneath the cascades of water to receive a massage on their necks and backs. The park has a 44-acre lake with two swimming beaches and an easy half-mile hiking track that leads to the falls. The least populated beach is typically the one in the north.

Beaver Dam

Do you want a swimming hole where you can dive in deep? You should visit the Beaver Dam Swimming Club. There are various floating platforms, a rolling log that will test your stability, a diving board, and an exhilarating rope swing on top of a high platform at this freshwater quarry that is 40 feet deep and is located just north of Baltimore. Even though the swing line might get long on the weekends, it’s definitely worth it. 

Along with a swimming pool and a kiddie pool, the club has a stretch of beach, beach volleyball, picnic tables, a snack bar, changing rooms, and bathrooms. Ages 11 and under are $11 or $12; adults are $15 to $17, depending on the day. Beaver Dam is a cash-only establishment.

Poolesville

There must be a swimming hole in a place called Poolesville, right? It exists! Seneca Creek crosses beneath a bridge on River Road in Maryland, 100 feet west of its junction with Seneca Road, where a native, wooded hollow offers a wonderful and peaceful area to take a swim. 

The creek is shallow, but it has big, flat rocks where you can rest or recline in the calm, clear flowing water. Take some cord and tie your water float to a tree if you wish to float in the creek to prevent drifting away.

Patapsco Valley State Park

This Maryland park dominates the competition in terms of available ways to cool off. Most of the 32 miles of the Patapsco River that flow through the park are swimmable. Eight sections make up the 16,043-acre park, and each has a number of riverside trails that include multipurpose walkways, mountain bike routes, and paved pathways. 

Feel free to wade into the water anywhere there aren’t a dam or whitewater rapids – where swimming isn’t allowed. West of Baltimore, around Route 32, is where you’ll find the deepest swimming holes.

To get to River Road from Route 32, use the exit for the park (Route 851). Park at any of the many lots along the way by following River Road to the south. The road and river run parallel, making it simple to reach the stream with a sand bottom.

Blue Hole/Buzzard Rock

Passage Creek in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest has various areas for those who enjoy playing in the water. The most well-known swimming spot is right close to the Elizabeth Furnace campground, however, weekends can be very crowded there. The Blue Hole is much less congested. 

From Front Royal, travel five miles west on Route 55 before turning south onto Fort Valley Road. Park at the little lot close to the creek after traveling a few miles. Because the riverbed and bottom are rugged, ensure that you are wearing water shoes or old boots.

The best swimming hole in the park is Buzzard Rock Hole. It is located just beneath the cliffs of Buzzard Rock, a well-liked destination for rock climbing and trekking. A short distance from a paved lot is only one more quarter mile south of Fort Valley Road. 

A sun-drenched, rising granite face surrounds this deep depression on one side. You can lay out on the boulder to sunbathe and catch some sun after taking a plunge.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © JessK89/Shutterstock.com