Best Swimming Holes in the Adirondacks
20 natural swimming holes · 2026 guide
The Adirondacks hold thousands of lakes, ponds, and rivers across six million acres of New York's North Country. Swimming here means rocky lake beaches, river swimming holes off old logging roads, and mountain water that stays bracing well into August. Black flies own June — late July through early September is prime.
Top swimming holes
- Chapel Pond
Chapel Pond is a clear 20-acre pond beneath the Chapel Pond Slab climbing cliffs on Route 73 in Keene Valley.
- Long Lake Town Beach
Long Lake Town Beach is the Town of Long Lake’s free public beach at 1258 Main Street, staffed by Red Cross certified lifeguards in summer.
- Million Dollar Beach
DEC’s Lake George Beach Day Use Area, known as Million Dollar Beach, is a popular guarded swimming beach on the southern shore of Lake George.
- Mirror Lake Beach
The Mirror Lake Beach at 31 Parkside Drive is the only public swimming beach on Mirror Lake, operated by the Town of North Elba for the Village of Lake Placid.
- Plattsburgh City Beach
Plattsburgh’s municipal beach on Lake Champlain is a city-run guarded swimming beach with a boardwalk and wide sandy shore.
- Robert Moses State Park (Massena)
Robert Moses State Park in Massena has an official state-parks-listed swimming beach on the St.
- Schroon Lake Town Beach
Schroon Lake’s town beach is a sandy, roped-in swim area with trained lifeguards in season, set below rolling green hills in the east-central Adirondacks.
- Split Rock Falls
Split Rock Falls is a two-tier waterfall on the Bouquet River just off Route 9 in New Russia, with a lower pool where people have swum for decades.
- Wilmington Flume
The Wilmington Flume is a stretch of the West Branch Ausable River near Wilmington where the river squeezes through a rock flume below a small falls.
- Ausable Point Campground
DEC’s Ausable Point Campground on Lake Champlain has a swimming beach open to swimming when lifeguards are on duty.
- Fish Creek Pond Campground
DEC’s Fish Creek Pond Campground has a swimming beach open to swimming when lifeguards are on duty.
- Hinckley Reservoir
DEC’s Hinckley Reservoir Day Use Area has a swimming beach where lifeguards are on duty in season, per a 2023 DEC announcement naming Hinckley among day-use areas…
- Kring Point State Park
Kring Point State Park on the St.
- Lake Luzerne Town Beach
Luzerne Beach is the Town of Lake Luzerne’s public beach at the end of Pierpont Road, with a medium-sized roped swimming area and sand beach.
- Lincoln Pond
DEC’s Lincoln Pond Campground and Day Use Area has a swimming beach that swims when lifeguards are on duty.
- Little Wolf Beach (Tupper Lake)
Little Wolf Beach is the Town of Tupper Lake’s public beach and campground on Little Wolf Pond, open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
- Meacham Lake Campground
DEC’s Meacham Lake Campground has a swimming beach open to swimming when lifeguards are on duty.
- Moffitt Beach Campground
DEC’s Moffitt Beach Campground has a swimming beach that is open to swimming when lifeguards are on duty.
- Moreau Lake State Park
Moreau Lake State Park in Saratoga County has a guarded swimming beach on the governor’s official state beach list.
- Nicks Lake Campground
DEC’s Nicks Lake Campground near Old Forge has a swimming beach open to swimming when lifeguards are on duty.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to swim in the Adirondacks?
Late July through early September. Adirondack water is cold; even in August many lakes are refreshing rather than warm. June brings black flies, so most swimmers wait until July.
Do Adirondack swimming holes require reservations or permits?
Most are free and first-come. A few ultra-popular spots (like the Peekamoose Blue Hole in the Catskills, not the Adirondacks) use permit systems — check individual listings.
Are Adirondack swimming holes safe?
Lake and river swimming here is generally calm, but water is cold enough to cause cold-water shock early in the season. Ease in, never dive into unknown water, and watch for boat traffic on larger lakes.
⚠️ Verify before you go. Conditions, fees, reservations, and access can change — confirm details with the official link before visiting. Last verified: September 2026