Best Swimming Holes in Smoky Mountains
20 natural swimming holes · 2026 guide
The Smokies' cold, clear streams are the South's classic swimming country. The Little River, the Oconaluftee, and Big Creek tumble out of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a chain of deep green pools — many an easy walk from a roadside pull-off. Summer weekends get busy at the famous spots, but the park is big enough that a quieter pool is rarely far away.
Top swimming holes
- Bald River Falls
A 100-plus-foot roadside waterfall in the Cherokee National Forest that stops drivers in their tracks on the Tellico River road.
- Deep Creek - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains tubing headquarters, where you grab a tube near the park entrance and float Deep Creek's gentle rapids.
- Elkmont Swimming Hole
The Little River runs cold and clear through the historic Elkmont district of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, forming a string of beloved swimming spots.
- Graveyard Fields Lower Falls
High on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Graveyard Fields' Lower Falls drops into a postcard plunge pool at the end of an easy boardwalk stroll.
- Graveyard Fields Upper Falls
Above the popular Lower Falls, the Upper Falls trail leads to a wilder, less-crowded cascade with its own swimming pools.
- Midnight Hole - Big Creek
The Smokies' most famous swimming hole, where Big Creek plunges into Midnight Hole - a deep, dark, impossibly clear pool ringed by boulders.
- Skinny Dip Falls - Pisgah National Forest
A deep pool at the end of a short cascade just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skinny Dip Falls invites dipping and boulder-jumping despite its cheeky name.
- The Sinks - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains' most famous swimming hole, where the Little River pours through a narrow rock chute into a deep, swirling pool.
- Townsend Wye - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Where the Little River meets the Middle Prong, the Wye forms a wide, sunny swimming and tubing confluence beloved by Townsend locals.
- Abrams Falls - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A 20-foot waterfall in Cades Cove with a broad plunge pool that draws swimmers despite the park's warnings about its powerful, deceptive currents.
- Big Creek
Big Creek cuts a rugged gorge on the quieter northeast side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and its boulder-strewn pools are a favorite of backpackers.
- Citico Creek
Citico Creek is one of the wildest swims in the Cherokee National Forest, a tumbling mountain stream lined with deep emerald pools and small cascades.
- Ferebee Memorial - Nantahala River
The put-in for Nantahala rafting trips doubles as a local swim spot - the Ferebee Memorial river access has calm eddies and a grassy bank.
- French Broad River - Stackhouse
The wildest section of the French Broad, the river below Hot Springs carves a gorge with deep pools between Class III-IV rapids.
- Greenbrier (Little Pigeon River)
The Greenbrier section of the park follows the Little Pigeon River through a lush cove, and its wide, rocky pools draw swimmers escaping the Gatlinburg crowds.
- Little Tennessee River - Needmore
A broad, lazy stretch of the Little Tennessee near the Needmore Game Lands, where locals swim, paddle, and fish in warm summer water.
- Metcalf Bottoms (Little River)
Metcalf Bottoms is a popular picnic area along the Little River inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where shallow ledges and deeper pools make it a classic…
- Middle Prong Little River (Tremont)
The Middle Prong of the Little River tumbles past the Tremont area of the Smokies in a series of cascades and calm, deep pools.
- Mingo Falls
A 120-foot waterfall on Mingo Creek just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, reached by climbing 161 steps to a viewing bridge.
- North River
The North River is a clear tributary of the Tellico River, known for its trout water and a string of quiet swimming holes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to swim in the Smoky Mountains?
June through September. Mountain water stays cold well into summer — late July and August offer the warmest water. Avoid swimming during or right after heavy rain, when streams rise fast.
Do Smoky Mountain swimming holes require reservations or permits?
No reservations are needed for the swimming spots themselves. A Great Smoky Mountains National Park parking tag is required to park anywhere in the park since 2023.
Are Smoky Mountain swimming holes safe?
They're beautiful but demand respect: cold water, slippery rocks, and flash flooding after storms. Never swim alone, check depth before jumping, and keep kids within arm's reach.
⚠️ Verify before you go. Conditions, fees, reservations, and access can change — confirm details with the official link before visiting. Last verified: September 2026