There has been limited development around Suttle Lake. Best Secret Oregon Swimming Hole #7: SUTTLE LAKE Campsites surround the small lake, so pack in campingВ gear if you want to make a night of it. The opal water is a comfortable 70 degreesВ in August, so itвЂ™s perfect for spending all day in the water.В There arenвЂ™t any beaches, so bring a floatie or find a big rock toВ lounge on. The only thing that stands between youВ and this stunning alpine lake are some gravel roads and a somewhatВ steep mile-long trail. ItвЂ™s moreВ off the beaten path than nearby Timothy or Trillium lakes, but itвЂ™sВ well worth the excursion. Hood, Buck Lake is perfect for anyone with a bathingВ suit who is looking for a day away from the Portland area. Best Secret Oregon Swimming Hole #6: BUCK LAKE Check at Service Creek forВ water levels. DuringВ the late summer this desert region can be one of the hottestВ places in the state, so a river swim is a given when the river isВ lower and slower. WithВ miles of trails and campsites for hikers and bicyclists, the JohnВ Day is one of many recreational opportunities in the area. TheВ vast, rugged terrain is teeming with steep canyon walls carved byВ the river, arid grasslands, big horn sheep and rolling hills. OregonвЂ™s newest state park, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, isВ located on the John Day River between Wasco and Condon. Best Secret Oregon Swimming Hole #5: JOHN DAY RIVER There are picnic tablesВ shaded by big leaf maples and eddies perfect for leisurely swimming-В just stay upstream, as there are rapids downriver. For a more relaxed atmosphere,В try the Big Eddy day-use area near Estacada. On a sunny day, rambunctious floatersВ swarm the stretch between Barton and Carver parks, and thrill-seekingВ teenagers head to High Rocks. It alsoВ cuts through Oregon City and Gladstone on its way to the WillametteВ River, making it very accessible from the Portland metro area. Most of the Clackamas River is serene and beautiful with its longВ stretches of calm, clear water and luscious shoreline greenery. Best Secret Oregon Swimming Hole #4: CLACKAMAS RIVER The entire river valley is worth exploration,В but two idyllic swimming holes can be found near Cave Junction:В Illinois River Forks State Park (where the riverвЂ™s east and west forksВ converge) and Store Gulch Campground. Surrounded by theВ Kalmiopsis Wilderness and the Siskiyou National Forest, the riverВ flows through the Oregon Coast Range and down steep canyonsВ toward the Rogue River. With sandy beaches, deep blue-green pools and cliffs for jumping,В the Illinois River is as fun as it is beautiful. Best Secret Oregon Swimming Hole #3:ILLINOIS RIVER The luscious greenery andВ cascading pools seem like something you would find in Rivendell-В save for the college kids. Bring a floatie, inner tube or even a yoga mat to slide down theВ rock slide, unless youвЂ™ve got tough skin. Best Secret Oregon Swimming Hole #2: LAKE CREEK FALLSДЄ popular getaway for local families and college kids from EugeneВ and Corvallis, Lake Creek Falls (also known as Triangle Lake SlideВ Rock, Triangle Falls or simply Rock Slide) is a charming oasis nearВ Triangle Lake with waterfalls, swimming holes and a natural waterВ slide. Because of the craterвЂ™sВ depth, the surface temperature rarely gets above 60 degrees, but theВ refreshing plunge will be all the more rewarding when you surfaceВ and remember where you are. The only legal swimming area is at Cleetwood Cove whereВ you can dive into the sapphire waters from cliffs or take the saferВ approach and wade in from the rocky shore.

If youвЂ™ve never admired the strikingly blue waters of Crater LakeВ and thought, вЂњIвЂ™d really like to swim in that,вЂќ then this article isnвЂ™tВ for you. Best Secret Oregon Swimming Hole #1: CRATER LAKE Follow the вЂLeave no traceвЂ™ principle, be respectful,В and you may even make friends with the locals who claim theseВ swimming holes as their own. Whatever your tolerance forВ crowds may be, the plunge into OregonвЂ™s beautiful, fresh waters willВ not disappoint. A refreshing plunge into clear, crispВ water is requisite for happiness in the summer months, but rowdyВ crowds can spoil the pristine beauty. OregoniansВ have aВ pretty friendly reputation, butВ when it comes to their swimming spots, they can get protective ofВ hidden oases, and rightfully so. Written by Anna Bird | photos by Christie MacLean The best Oregon swimming holes that only the locals know about

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