Popular Outdoor Locations
first prev next lastWe couldn't find free locations right near you yet, so here are some popular spots from around the world. Know a great place nearby? Add it and help the map grow.
Beaver Dick Park
Rexburg, Idaho
5.7 miles W of Rexburg, IdahoA 9.5-acre Snake River park near Rexburg with fire pits, pavilions, fishing, boating, swimming, and a rich history tied to legendary frontiersman Beaver Dick Leigh.
Camp, Canoe, Disc Golf, Swim
Twin Bridges Park
Rexburg, Idaho
10.5 miles S of Rexburg, IdahoA 27-acre Snake River park between two bridges near Rexburg with shaded campsites, fire pits, pavilions, a playground, and BLM ground for hiking and hunting on three sides.
Camp, Canoe 6.9 mi
Big Elk Creek
Irwin, Idaho
11.0 miles SE of Irwin, IdahoA versatile campground on a small dammed lake with fishing, kayaking, hiking and backpacking into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, and stunning fall Aspen and Douglas-Fir colors on the Big Elk Creek Trail.
Backpack, Camp, Canoe, Hike, Horseback, Kayak
Jefferson County Lake (AKA Rigby Lake)
Rigby, Idaho
2.0 miles N of Rigby, IdahoSandy beaches, two floating docks with a slide, volleyball, playgrounds, and a safe swim zone — Jefferson County Lake is eastern Idaho's go-to summer swimming spot.
Camp, Canoe, Dive, Kayak, Sled, Swim
Horseshoe Lake
Ashton, Idaho
18.3 miles E of Ashton, IdahoA lily-pad-dotted lake hidden in the Targhee National Forest with a gradual beach entry perfect for wading, a floating dock for jumping, and no motorized boats.
Camp, Canoe, Dive, Swim 3.6 mi
String Lake
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
21.2 miles N of Jackson Hole, WyomingA shallow, warm lake connecting Jenny and Leigh Lakes at the base of the Tetons — the clear water lets you see the bottom from a kayak, wade easily with kids, and access wilder open water beyond.
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim 0.6-3.7 mi
Umstead State Park
Raleigh, North Carolina
9.7 miles NW of Raleigh, North CarolinaFive thousand five hundred acres of forested trails — over 20 miles of hiking and 13 miles of multi-use paths — plus three fishing lakes and canoe rentals in the heart of the Triangle.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Horseback, Mountain Bike 1.1 mi
Lewis & Clark Caverns
Whitehall, Montana
10.9 miles E of Whitehall, MontanaLewis & Clark Caverns State Park combines colorful guided cave tours at a constant 48°F with mountain biking, year-round fishing, and camping in 3,015 scenic Montana acres.
Camp, Canoe, Cave, Hike, Mountain Bike
Mccall Area
McCall, Idaho
10.4 miles NE of McCall, IdahoA beautiful Idaho resort town with swimming holes, 7-mile mountain hikes to isolated lakes, Ponderosa State Park trails, mountain biking, Payette Lake boating, skiing, and sledding — all within reach of McCall.
Backpack, Camp, Canoe, Cross-country Ski, Hike, Kayak, Mountain Bike, Sled, Snowshoe, Swim
Zephyr Cove Park
Glenbrook, Nevada
5.5 miles S of Glenbrook, NevadaSix tennis courts, disc golf, a sledding hill, a beach, and a fishing pond all at one free park make Zephyr Cove one of Lake Tahoe's most versatile family hangouts.
Camp, Canoe, Disc Golf, Hike, Horseback, Kayak, Swim 1.4 mi
Queen Anne Creek
Edenton, North Carolina
0.2 miles W of Edenton, North CarolinaA two-hour kayak loop from Edenton Marina up Queen Anne Creek and Little Creek — lily pads in spring, mirrored reflections on calm days, and brilliant fall foliage along the water.
Canoe, Kayak
Pintler Lake Campground and Picnic Area
Wise River, Montana
23.4 miles W of Wise River, MontanaPintler Lake Campground and Picnic Area is a tiny, free, wonderfully remote campground on the edge of a small mountain lake in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest of southwestern Montana, at the...
Camp, Canoe, Kayak, Swim 17.5 mi
Tear Drop Lake
Ashton, Idaho
19.1 miles NE of Ashton, IdahoA small, lively lake in the Targhee forest for kayaking, swimming, and an easy loop trail — family fun with primitive lakeside camping.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Mountain Bike, Swim
Murphy Lakes
Bedford, Wyoming
11.4 miles N of Bedford, WyomingMurphy Lakes are a set of pretty little moraine lakes on the east side of the Salt River Range in western Wyoming's Star Valley country, near Bedford in Lincoln County. Sitting at around 6,760 feet...
Canoe, Hike, Swim
Shoemaker Beach
Bainbridge
5.5 miles W of BainbridgeA 1,000-foot sand beach on Paint Creek Lake, the Army Corps reservoir at the center of Paint Creek State Park near Bainbridge. Swimming is inside the buoys only and there are no lifeguards, and Ohio's BeachGuard system tracks the water quality all season.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Hopatcong State Park
Landing
0.8 miles N of LandingHopatcong State Park holds the largest public beach on Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey's biggest freshwater lake, a long sand crescent and a broad lawn at the outlet the Morris Canal once dammed for its water supply. Lifeguards cover the swim area Wednesday th
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Blue Marsh Lake Swim Beach
Bernville
5.0 miles SE of BernvilleThe Dry Brooks swim beach at Blue Marsh Lake is a free, unguarded Army Corps of Engineers swimming area on a 1,147-acre reservoir northwest of Reading. A mown lawn runs down to sand and rounded pebble, the entry is shallow and gradual, and buoys mark the
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Presque Isle Beach 11
Erie
2.3 miles N of ErieBeach 11 sits on the inside of Presque Isle's eastward bend, which makes it the most sheltered swimming beach on the peninsula. Shallow sand, a beach house, picnic tables and a playground, guarded from noon to 7:30 P.M. in summer, and no fee to get in.
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Poe Springs
High Springs
3.9 miles NW of High SpringsA second-magnitude spring in an Alachua County park three miles west of High Springs, where 72-degree water fills a walled pool over a 25-foot vent and runs a short forest channel to the tannic Santa Fe River. The county closed the designated swimming are
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Parker's Creek Beach
Pittsboro
7.7 miles E of PittsboroParker's Creek Beach is the designated swim area at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area's Parkers Creek Access, a sand beach on the western shore of a 14,000-acre reservoir southwest of Apex, North Carolina. The day-use area runs April into early November,
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Promised Land Main Beach
Greentown
5.1 miles E of GreentownPromised Land Main Beach is the larger of two sand beaches at Promised Land State Park, a pale sand shelf on the 422-acre Promised Land Lake in the park's Day Use Picnic Area. It is open daily from late May to mid-September, 8:00 A.M. to sunset, with no l
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Twin Lakes State Park
Green Bay
3.3 miles NE of Green BayTwin Lakes State Park has a free, unguarded swimming beach on fifteen-acre Goodwin Lake, open year round for the price of seven dollars to park. Swimming is prohibited on the park's other lake. Both were dammed in the 1930s by a Black CCC company, then ru
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Holland State Park
Holland
5.3 miles W of HollandA quarter mile of fine Lake Michigan sand four miles west of Holland, with a second, warmer swim beach on Lake Macatawa just across the road. No lifeguards, a navigation channel pier at the south end, and a live public camera so you can check the water be
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Loon Lake Recreation Site
Reedsport
15.4 miles SE of ReedsportA landslide-dammed lake in the Oregon Coast Range with one of the region's few genuine sand beaches, run by the BLM about 20 miles east of Reedsport. Day use is $5 per vehicle and includes a buoyed swim area, a boat ramp and a quarter-mile trail to a wate
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
