Raise your hand if this sounds familiar: you find out about a spectacular drive-up swimming spot near you, only to show up and find that everyone else and their cousin had the same idea. If a swimming hole has a parking lot, chances are it’s not going to be easy to find somewhere to park your beach chair. But there is a great Massachusetts hike to a swimming hole in Brewster you can try and it won’t be overrun with people.
This gorgeous little pond in Nickerson State Park is the perfect solution. You reach it via a beautiful three-mile hike through preserved woodland, which is just enough effort to deter most casual day-trippers and tourists. What you’ll find instead is a stunning natural gem that’s perfect for a summer day.
Cliff Pond is a gorgeous spot for swimming, sailing, and just generally enjoying blue skies and sunshine.
Google/Paul Ryan It’s a 204-acre kettle pond surrounded by shady woodlands and sandy shores. Cliff Pond is the largest pond in Nickerson State Park, so there’s plenty of room to spread out. It’s one of the best swimming holes in Massachusetts.
The hike to the pond is easy and great for kids and pets. It’s about a 2.8-mile loop trail that gains relatively little elevation and will take you past meadows, wildflowers, and sandy shores.
Google/Matt Mahoney This is certainly one of the most scenic hikes in Massachusetts as well as one of the easiest to navigate. The path is well-marked and shouldn’t give you more trouble than negotiating a few tight spots between bushes and trekking across a bit of sand.
One unique draw of Cliff Pond is its pristine sandy beach. Rather than pebbly, stick-strewn pond shores that are more like mudbanks than beaches, the edge of Cliff Pond is padded with powdery white sand that is perfect for sandcastle-building, strolling, or spreading out on a blanket and watching the clouds roll by.
Google/Corinne W.
The waters here have an almost tropical feel to them. On a clear and sunny day, the waves take on a greenish blue cast that looks practically Caribbean.
Google/Estrella Piantini Definitely bring your bathing suits, as you’ll want to dive in as soon as you see the water.
What are you waiting for? Take one of the most scenic hikes in Massachusetts to reach this dreamy destination that deserves a spot on your summer bucket list!
Google/Minko Minkov
Take a Massachusetts hike to a swimming hole, Cliff Pond, at Nickerson State Park. You can find Nickerson State Park at:
Google/Paul Ryan
It’s a 204-acre kettle pond surrounded by shady woodlands and sandy shores. Cliff Pond is the largest pond in Nickerson State Park, so there’s plenty of room to spread out. It’s one of the best swimming holes in Massachusetts.
Google/Matt Mahoney
This is certainly one of the most scenic hikes in Massachusetts as well as one of the easiest to navigate. The path is well-marked and shouldn’t give you more trouble than negotiating a few tight spots between bushes and trekking across a bit of sand.
Google/Corinne W.
Google/Estrella Piantini
Definitely bring your bathing suits, as you’ll want to dive in as soon as you see the water.
Google/Minko Minkov
Address: 3488 Main St, Brewster, MA 02631
Click here to see it on a map and get directions. For more information on Nickerson State Park and all you can see and do at this 1,900-acre park including Cliff Pond, visit the webpage.
For more of the best swimming holes in the state, check out this list of our 13 favorites.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: 3488 Main St, Brewster, MA 02631, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Masschusetts Hike To A Swimming Hole July 02, 2021 Melissa M. What are some of the best hikes in Massachusetts? If you love gorgeous views and scenery, you may want to read about 13 hiking spots in Massachusetts that are out of this world. Head out to the Mohawk Trail Region in western Massachusetts for some breathtaking scenery in the wilderness. The Mohawk Trail itself was the very first scenic road in the state and officially opened in 1914. If you have children, you may want to consider Pine Hills in Plymouth where you’ll find an easy trail system but gorgeous scenery nonetheless. If you like dramatic vistas from high atop a mountain, climb to the top of Monument Mountain in Great Barrington where you’ll be treated to panoramic views from the summit. Are there any waterfall hikes in Massachusetts? If you like hiking to waterfalls, you may want to embark on our Massachusetts Waterfalls Road Trip. Along the way, you’ll visit Doane Falls in Royalston, Wahconah Falls in Dalton, and Bish Bash Falls in the Berkshires among others. Some require just a short hike and others don’t require much of a hike at all. If you prefer a longer hike, you can take a 1.8-mile trail at Buffam Falls Conservation Area that will lead you past a waterfall as well as a river. What are some of the best pond and lake beaches in Massachusetts? Although Massachusetts has plenty of ocean and bay beaches, there are also numerous beautiful beaches at the lakes and ponds across the state. The pristine Hathaway’s Pond in Barnstable boasts a gorgeous sandy beach that’s perfect for families to spend the day. Kids can build sandcastles and splash safely in the water while a lifeguard stands watch during the summer months. In Great Barrington, Lake Mansfield is another incredible spot with a large sandy beach and lifeguards on duty in the summer. Read about additional ponds and lakes in the Bay State in this post.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Masschusetts Hike To A Swimming Hole
July 02, 2021
Melissa M.
What are some of the best hikes in Massachusetts? If you love gorgeous views and scenery, you may want to read about 13 hiking spots in Massachusetts that are out of this world. Head out to the Mohawk Trail Region in western Massachusetts for some breathtaking scenery in the wilderness. The Mohawk Trail itself was the very first scenic road in the state and officially opened in 1914. If you have children, you may want to consider Pine Hills in Plymouth where you’ll find an easy trail system but gorgeous scenery nonetheless. If you like dramatic vistas from high atop a mountain, climb to the top of Monument Mountain in Great Barrington where you’ll be treated to panoramic views from the summit. Are there any waterfall hikes in Massachusetts? If you like hiking to waterfalls, you may want to embark on our Massachusetts Waterfalls Road Trip. Along the way, you’ll visit Doane Falls in Royalston, Wahconah Falls in Dalton, and Bish Bash Falls in the Berkshires among others. Some require just a short hike and others don’t require much of a hike at all. If you prefer a longer hike, you can take a 1.8-mile trail at Buffam Falls Conservation Area that will lead you past a waterfall as well as a river. What are some of the best pond and lake beaches in Massachusetts? Although Massachusetts has plenty of ocean and bay beaches, there are also numerous beautiful beaches at the lakes and ponds across the state. The pristine Hathaway’s Pond in Barnstable boasts a gorgeous sandy beach that’s perfect for families to spend the day. Kids can build sandcastles and splash safely in the water while a lifeguard stands watch during the summer months. In Great Barrington, Lake Mansfield is another incredible spot with a large sandy beach and lifeguards on duty in the summer. Read about additional ponds and lakes in the Bay State in this post.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
If you love gorgeous views and scenery, you may want to read about 13 hiking spots in Massachusetts that are out of this world. Head out to the Mohawk Trail Region in western Massachusetts for some breathtaking scenery in the wilderness. The Mohawk Trail itself was the very first scenic road in the state and officially opened in 1914. If you have children, you may want to consider Pine Hills in Plymouth where you’ll find an easy trail system but gorgeous scenery nonetheless. If you like dramatic vistas from high atop a mountain, climb to the top of Monument Mountain in Great Barrington where you’ll be treated to panoramic views from the summit.
Are there any waterfall hikes in Massachusetts?
If you like hiking to waterfalls, you may want to embark on our Massachusetts Waterfalls Road Trip. Along the way, you’ll visit Doane Falls in Royalston, Wahconah Falls in Dalton, and Bish Bash Falls in the Berkshires among others. Some require just a short hike and others don’t require much of a hike at all. If you prefer a longer hike, you can take a 1.8-mile trail at Buffam Falls Conservation Area that will lead you past a waterfall as well as a river.
What are some of the best pond and lake beaches in Massachusetts?
Although Massachusetts has plenty of ocean and bay beaches, there are also numerous beautiful beaches at the lakes and ponds across the state. The pristine Hathaway’s Pond in Barnstable boasts a gorgeous sandy beach that’s perfect for families to spend the day. Kids can build sandcastles and splash safely in the water while a lifeguard stands watch during the summer months. In Great Barrington, Lake Mansfield is another incredible spot with a large sandy beach and lifeguards on duty in the summer. Read about additional ponds and lakes in the Bay State in this post.
