swimming holes

Western North Carolina boasts more waterfalls, swimming holes, lakes and streams than you can shake a stick at. And Asheville is a perfect home base whether you're looking for cold, clear mountain streams, challenging rapids, or just a serene swimming hole to wade into.

Some of the best swimming holes are in Asheville's backyard, barely hidden from view. If you're lucky, you might stumble onto one after a long hike—feeling like you've walked into a dream—but for everyone else there's this concise guide to the best swimming holes in the area. We like juicy secrets like everyone else, but some things are too good to keep to yourself.

Top Swimming Holes

When you want to learn about swimming holes, you go to the experts. The crew at Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine (BRO), who get paid to mountain bike, raft, hike and paddle in places most of us don't even know exist, provide the following adventurer insider list of top swimming holes in Western North Carolina.

Best Swimming Hole for Laps

Hooker Falls

DuPont State Forest, N.C.

Bathing suits required? Yes.

Family friendly? Yes.

Safety considerations: Stay below the falls. It may not seem like much of a drop from the top, but that avalanche of water won't treat you kindly at the bottom.

Though heavily trafficked in the summer months, the pool at the foot of Hooker Falls will never get too crowded for a swimmer who wants to combine a day in the forest with a good workout.

Hooker Falls is the fourth falls on the Little River in DuPont State Forest, one of western North Carolina's new outdoor hot spots. It drops 11 feet into an Olympic-size swimming hole with a rocky, woodsy shoreline on both sides.

A few laps from one side to the other will definitely help you meet your cardio quota for the day.

Directions: From the Hooker Falls parking lot in DuPont State Forest, located in southern Transylvania County, Hooker Falls itself is a five-minute walk down the dirt road past the gate. Stay left and follow the river. You can't miss it.

Best Swimming Hole for Tubing

Davidson River

Pisgah National Forest
Bathing suits required? Yes.

Family friendly? Yes.

Safety considerations: The Davidson can be more powerful than it looks. Parents should keep a close eye on small children, especially in the small sections of rapids. Wear sandals or sneakers to protect your feet from sharp rocks. When close to the banks, watch out for overhanging twigs and branches. They have a thing for eyes.

Directions: The NC 276 entrance to Pisgah lies just east of Brevard. The tube man will give you directions to a number of different places to park along the river depending on how long you want to float for. Remember you'll need two cars: one at the start of your trip and one at the end. Sycamore Flats picnic area in Pisgah is the universal take-out spot for Davidson tubers.

Best Swimming Hole for Sunbathing

South Toe River, N.C.

Bathing suits required? Yes.

Family friendly? Yes.

Safety considerations: Though the river is relatively safe, it does feature some true rapids.

Know your river safety rules before you jump in. Also, don't float past the bridge at the end of the campground.

Directions: From Burnsville, take U.S. 19-E for five miles. Turn right on NC 80 and travel nine miles.

Unlike most mountain swimming holes, the South Toe's proximity to the campground means you'll have a place to change, set up your camp chairs, and spread out your picnic blanket without having to haul everything down a gully through tangled laurel slicks. Just park and play.

Down by the deepest point of the river, true sun worshippers can spread out their towels on a concrete platform, though they might get splashed by jumpers. Or just hop in an inner tube and float down past the giant rocks. The light bouncing off the river will brown you on both sides.

Back to top

For more features like this, visit the BRO Web site at www.blueridgeoutdoors.com