Summer may only last three months, but there’s still time to enjoy some of Washington’s finest swimming holes. These seven spots are known for their clean, beautiful, refreshing water – so if you only have time for one more summer swim, head to one of these places. And put the rest of these best swimming spots in Washington on your bucket list for next year.
- Devil’s Punch Bowl, Port Angeles
Stephanie Keys
Stephanie Keys You’ll find the Devil’s Punch Bowl at Lake Crescent inside Olympic National Park in Port Angeles. It’s certainly one of the best swimming spots in Washington. It’s reportedly about 1,000 feet deep, and thrill-seekers jump from heights of 15 to 50 feet.
- Enchantment Lakes, Leavenworth
Anton Teplouhov/AllTrails
Chris Childs/AllTrails The Enchantments are located on a high mountain lake basin with about a dozen named lakes that have some of the cleanest and clearest water in Washington. They can be accessed by a popular backcountry trail. The Enchantments Trail hike is rated hard, so it’s certainly not for beginners. This hike will make you feel like you’re in another world. Day and overnight use permits are required, which you can learn more about on the webpage.
- Dougan Creek Falls, Skamania County
Sean T. / Yelp Dougan Creek Falls is located near Stevenson along the Washougal River and has one of the best swimming holes in Washington. The little pool at the base of the waterfall is a serene spot to swim. To learn about the location of Dougan Creek Falls, visit this webpage.
- Cranberry Lake, Anacortes
Jasperdo/Flickr Located at Deception Pass State Park, Cranberry Lake is a peaceful place with a designated swimming area and slightly warmer water than the nearby Pacific Ocean. Learn more by visiting the Deception Pass webpage.
- Lake Chelan, Chelan
Marysabel V. / TripAdvisor The state’s most popular “summer lake” is a surprisingly clean place to swim with some of the clearest water in Washington. Every year on the first Saturday after Labor Day, the Chelan Swim event raises money and awareness for local swimming lessons. Read our previous coverage to learn more about the beautiful Lake Chelan.
- Bradbury Beach, Kettle Falls
Bradbury Beach Facebook The clean, clear water at Bradbury Beach has a central floating dock that has been buoyed off for swimming. The water here tends to be slightly warmer than other parts of the lake, making for a more pleasant swim. Bradbury Beach is located at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.
- Steamboat Rock State Park, Electric City
Jake Khuon / Flickr With 50,000 feet of freshwater shoreline at the north end of Banks Lake, Steamboat Rock State Park offers plenty of swimming spots in its pristine waters. Learn more about this state park by reading our previous coverage.
Each of these places has beautiful, clean water for swimming. Have you been to some of the best swimming spots in Washington? Is your favorite swimming spot on this list? If not, add it in the comment section!
Stephanie Keys
You’ll find the Devil’s Punch Bowl at Lake Crescent inside Olympic National Park in Port Angeles. It’s certainly one of the best swimming spots in Washington. It’s reportedly about 1,000 feet deep, and thrill-seekers jump from heights of 15 to 50 feet.
Anton Teplouhov/AllTrails
Chris Childs/AllTrails
The Enchantments are located on a high mountain lake basin with about a dozen named lakes that have some of the cleanest and clearest water in Washington. They can be accessed by a popular backcountry trail. The Enchantments Trail hike is rated hard, so it’s certainly not for beginners. This hike will make you feel like you’re in another world. Day and overnight use permits are required, which you can learn more about on the webpage.
Sean T. / Yelp
Dougan Creek Falls is located near Stevenson along the Washougal River and has one of the best swimming holes in Washington. The little pool at the base of the waterfall is a serene spot to swim. To learn about the location of Dougan Creek Falls, visit this webpage.
Jasperdo/Flickr
Located at Deception Pass State Park, Cranberry Lake is a peaceful place with a designated swimming area and slightly warmer water than the nearby Pacific Ocean. Learn more by visiting the Deception Pass webpage.
Marysabel V. / TripAdvisor
The state’s most popular “summer lake” is a surprisingly clean place to swim with some of the clearest water in Washington. Every year on the first Saturday after Labor Day, the Chelan Swim event raises money and awareness for local swimming lessons. Read our previous coverage to learn more about the beautiful Lake Chelan.
Bradbury Beach Facebook
The clean, clear water at Bradbury Beach has a central floating dock that has been buoyed off for swimming. The water here tends to be slightly warmer than other parts of the lake, making for a more pleasant swim. Bradbury Beach is located at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.
Jake Khuon / Flickr
With 50,000 feet of freshwater shoreline at the north end of Banks Lake, Steamboat Rock State Park offers plenty of swimming spots in its pristine waters. Learn more about this state park by reading our previous coverage.
For an even more magical experience, try a waterfall swimming hole.
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Address: Olympic National Park, 3002 Mt Angeles Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98362, USAAddress: Leavenworth, WA 98826, USAAddress: 45.67263, -122.15262Address: Cranberry Lake, Anacortes, WA 98221, USAAddress: 7544 S Lakeshore Rd, Chelan, WA 98816, USAAddress: Bradbury Day Use Area and Boat Launch, Kettle Falls, WA 99141, USAAddress: 51052 WA-155, Electric City, WA 99123, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Best Swimming Spots In Washington June 28, 2021 Melissa M. Where can I find the bluest water in Washington? Located between glaciers in the North Cascade Mountains, you can find some of the bluest water in the state. Diablo Lake is a reservoir with an elevation of 1201 feet above sea level and water with such a vibrant turquoise color you won’t think it’s real. But it is real and you have to see it in person to believe it! What are some of the best beaches in Washington? With 157 miles of coastline along with shorelines of numerous lakes and rivers, Washington has some incredible beaches you will want to visit. You can take our Hidden Beaches Road Trip to find some of the best and more secluded beaches in the state. Starting at Meadowdale Beach Park in the small city of Edmonds, you’ll have to hike to get to the beach and since not too many park visitors do that, you may have the beach all to yourself! The road trip ends at Port Williams in Sequim, a serene beach that’s perfect for a stroll. Does Washington have any natural wonders? Washington has so much wild beauty that it’s unsurprising there are plenty of natural wonders found throughout the state. From Dry Falls near Coulee City to Mount Rainier and Columbia River Gorge, you can even witness some of these miraculous natural attractions for free! You can find out more in this article.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Best Swimming Spots In Washington
June 28, 2021
Melissa M.
Where can I find the bluest water in Washington? Located between glaciers in the North Cascade Mountains, you can find some of the bluest water in the state. Diablo Lake is a reservoir with an elevation of 1201 feet above sea level and water with such a vibrant turquoise color you won’t think it’s real. But it is real and you have to see it in person to believe it! What are some of the best beaches in Washington? With 157 miles of coastline along with shorelines of numerous lakes and rivers, Washington has some incredible beaches you will want to visit. You can take our Hidden Beaches Road Trip to find some of the best and more secluded beaches in the state. Starting at Meadowdale Beach Park in the small city of Edmonds, you’ll have to hike to get to the beach and since not too many park visitors do that, you may have the beach all to yourself! The road trip ends at Port Williams in Sequim, a serene beach that’s perfect for a stroll. Does Washington have any natural wonders? Washington has so much wild beauty that it’s unsurprising there are plenty of natural wonders found throughout the state. From Dry Falls near Coulee City to Mount Rainier and Columbia River Gorge, you can even witness some of these miraculous natural attractions for free! You can find out more in this article.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Located between glaciers in the North Cascade Mountains, you can find some of the bluest water in the state. Diablo Lake is a reservoir with an elevation of 1201 feet above sea level and water with such a vibrant turquoise color you won’t think it’s real. But it is real and you have to see it in person to believe it!
What are some of the best beaches in Washington?
With 157 miles of coastline along with shorelines of numerous lakes and rivers, Washington has some incredible beaches you will want to visit. You can take our Hidden Beaches Road Trip to find some of the best and more secluded beaches in the state. Starting at Meadowdale Beach Park in the small city of Edmonds, you’ll have to hike to get to the beach and since not too many park visitors do that, you may have the beach all to yourself! The road trip ends at Port Williams in Sequim, a serene beach that’s perfect for a stroll.
Does Washington have any natural wonders?
Washington has so much wild beauty that it’s unsurprising there are plenty of natural wonders found throughout the state. From Dry Falls near Coulee City to Mount Rainier and Columbia River Gorge, you can even witness some of these miraculous natural attractions for free! You can find out more in this article.
