Waterfalls you can swim in

How we chose these falls

Our test was simple: what does the official source quoted on each falls guide say about getting in the water? A yes, a named swimming hole or a popular swimming area earned a place. A no, a not recommended or silence kept a falls off, even where photos show people in the pool.

The swim rule on every card is quoted from that falls guide, credited to the same agency. If swimming happens in one spot only, such as a creek or a designated area, the card tells you where. We leave out any falls that is closed right now, and we flag partial or seasonal access on the card.

Rules shift with the season and the water. Buttermilk Falls and Sliding Rock have both ended their 2026 lifeguard seasons. Open the falls guide and its official link before you pack a towel.

How the swim rules differ

Read the rule before you look at the photos. Here is how permission works at the falls on this list.

• Lifeguard only. Buttermilk Falls allows swimming only in the designated pool at the base while lifeguards are on duty. At Sliding Rock, the rule is yes if you can swim, and lifeguards work only from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
• Permit. Cummins Falls requires a Gorge Access Permit to enter the gorge or reach the base. Swimming in the base pool also depends on the gorge being open and on conditions.
• Designated area. At South Falls in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon State Parks allows swimming only in the designated area of the South Falls day-use area. The water at the falls is off limits.
• Creek or park rule. TPWD allows swimming in Onion Creek at McKinney Falls. NPS allows it in all park streams in Shenandoah, home of Dark Hollow Falls, but says most are shallow, rocky and very cold.
• At your own risk. Moulton Falls, Fossil Creek Waterfall and Little Niagara Falls have no lifeguards. At Little Niagara, NPS allows swimming only from the falls downstream and asks you to enter feet first. Maryland DNR permits wading and swimming at Kilgore Falls at your own risk, and it discourages leaping from the falls.
• Summer only. At Turner Falls, swimming in the natural pool is a summer activity, and it is closed for the winter season. Children 12 and under must wear a Coast Guard-certified flotation device.
• Not guaranteed. Travis County allows swimming at Hamilton Pool Preserve when bacteria levels and rainfall are acceptable. Reservations are required every day of the week.

Spots described as swimming holes

A few falls are on the list because an official source describes the pool as a place people swim. Recreation.gov calls the area below Raven Cliff Falls a popular swimming area. It also notes that climbing the rocks is not allowed. The falls sits 2.6 miles each way up Dodd Creek.

Recreation.gov also calls the pool at the base of Panther Creek Falls a popular swimming spot. Access is limited right now. The Forest Service says the trail is open to intermediate and advanced hikers only, and the parking area is closed for Hurricane Helene repairs.

In North Carolina, the Forest Service says the third falls at Glen Falls has a family-friendly swimming hole. At Havasu Falls, you can swim in the pools below the falls, where the water stays about 70°F year-round. Every visitor needs a 3-night reservation, priced at $455 per person in 2026.

In Idaho, BLM lists a swimming site at Jump Creek Falls and says swimmers can take a dip at the base. Its status is unconfirmed, because no dated BLM notice confirms the site is open.

In California, USFS calls swimming a popular activity near Fowlers at McCloud Falls, but it posts no swim rule. The Mount Shasta Trail Association warns that submerged boulders make the Lower Falls jumping spots dangerous, so do not jump or dive.

Swimming at Hawaii waterfalls

Waimea Falls, on Oahu's North Shore, is the one Hawaii falls on this list. Waimea Valley runs it as a ticketed attraction, and adult admission is $26 in 2026. Lifeguards decide at 9am each day whether the pool is open. Everyone in the water must wear a life jacket, which the valley provides free.

Even there, the pool is fresh water. The Hawaii Department of Health advises against swimming or wading in freshwater streams and ponds, especially with cuts or open sores, because of leptospirosis.

That advice is part of why other Hawaii falls we cover stay off this list. Swimming is not advised at Manoa Falls on Oahu. NPS does not recommend entering the streams at Waimoku Falls on Maui. Akaka Falls on Hawaii Island has no access to the pool at all. Our Hawaii waterfalls guide covers the rest.

Swimming falls by state

The list spans Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Tennessee shows how rare a yes can be. Cummins Falls is the one Tennessee entry. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Park Service does not recommend water recreation anywhere, as our Grotto Falls guide notes.

Texas has two entries with very different setups. At McKinney Falls, inside Austin's city limits, TPWD says day passes sell out every weekend and holiday. Hamilton Pool needs a reservation for every visit, and on November 3, 2026, only a very limited part of the pool was open for water access.

Before you get in

Most agencies on this list pair their swim rule with a warning. Tennessee State Parks requires children 12 and under to wear a life jacket at Cummins Falls. TPWD says Onion Creek can flood after rain and asks you to check creek conditions with the park. At Havasu Falls, stay out of narrow canyon sections in rain or floods. NPS tells Shenandoah visitors never to climb on or around waterfalls.

The Forest Service warns that the areas around Glen Falls are very slippery. Clark County bans diving and jumping from the arch bridge at Moulton Falls. At Waimea Falls, diving and climbing on the waterfall rocks are not allowed.

Treat a lifeguard schedule as part of the rule. If no guard is on duty where one is required, or a ranger closes the water, stay out. Cold water, currents and slick rock get a full rundown in our waterfall safety guide.

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