Nothing beats the heat of summer like a dip in a good old-fashioned swimming hole. As we celebrate this month’s 100th anniversary of the National Park Service as part of our yearlong ‘Find Your Adventure’ series, we thought we’d combine these two great ideas in a rundown of four of the best natural swimming holes our national parks have to offer:
Yellowstone National Park: Boiling River
Combine a large hot spring and the cool waters of the Gardner River and you have an ideal place to splash the day away.
Shenandoah National Park: Whiteoak Canyon
If you like waterfalls, this is the place for you with six cascades located here, each with a neat swimming hole at its base.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: Muir Rock
This large boulder where John Muir used to speak to early Sierra Club members now makes a great jumping-off point – literally – into the deep blue pool below.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve: Medano Creek
Located at the base of some of America’s tallest dunes, Medano Creek’s broad, shallow flow includes occasional gentle waves that make it perfect for families.
