Swimming Holes Near San Bernardino, CA

Looking for a place to swim near San Bernardino, CA? There are 12 natural swimming holes within 60 miles of San Bernardino in our directory — springs, rivers, creeks, waterfalls, and lakes. The closest is Lake Gregory Swim Beach, about 9 miles away. Distances are straight-line from San Bernardino — drive time will be longer.

Swimming holes near San Bernardino, closest first

1. Lake Gregory Swim Beach9 mi from San Bernardino · Lake · Crestline

   Lake Gregory in Crestline runs a staffed summer swim beach with lifeguards, a rare amenity among mountain lakes.

2. Silverwood Lake Swim Beach13 mi from San Bernardino · Lake · Hesperia

   Silverwood Lake's swim beach sits in the San Bernardino National Forest with mountain views in every direction.

3. Bonita Falls15 mi from San Bernardino · Waterfall · Fontana

   Bonita Falls is a 60-foot waterfall tucked into a side canyon off Lytle Creek, reached by scrambling up the creek bed from the road.

4. Lake Perris Swim Beach18 mi from San Bernardino · Lake · Moreno Valley

   Lake Perris State Recreation Area operates a roped swim beach that draws crowds from across the Inland Empire on hot days.

5. Deep Creek Hot Springs18 mi from San Bernardino · Spring · Apple Valley

   Deep Creek Hot Springs is a set of six natural hot pools along Deep Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest, reached by a 1.75-mile hike from Bowen Ranch.

6. Aztec Falls19 mi from San Bernardino · Waterfall · Lake Arrowhead

   Aztec Falls is a small cascade on Deep Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest, about a mile's hike from the Splinter's Cabin trailhead.

7. Boulder Bay (Big Bear Lake)24 mi from San Bernardino · Lake · Big Bear Lake

   Boulder Bay Park gives Big Bear Lake a public swim beach among the granite boulders at the lake's west end.

8. Bridge to Nowhere (East Fork San Gabriel River)29 mi from San Bernardino · River · Azusa

   The Bridge to Nowhere spans the East Fork San Gabriel River at the end of a 10-mile round-trip hike, and the deep pools along the river are the reward.

9. Puddingstone Lake Swim Beach29 mi from San Bernardino · Lake · San Dimas

   Frank G.

10. Holy Jim Falls31 mi from San Bernardino · Waterfall · Trabuco Canyon

    Holy Jim Falls is a seasonal 15-foot cascade in Trabuco Canyon, reached by a bumpy dirt-road drive and a short hike.

11. Ortega Falls34 mi from San Bernardino · Waterfall · Lake Elsinore

    Ortega Falls pours over a rock face in San Juan Canyon off the Ortega Highway, with pools at its base that locals swim and jump in after wet winters.

12. Whitewater Preserve (Whitewater River)38 mi from San Bernardino · Creek · Palm Springs

    Whitewater Preserve guards the Whitewater River canyon where the PCT crosses, with cottonwood-lined pools for wading and swimming.

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