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.
Groveland Wave
Blackfoot, Idaho
5.2 miles N of Blackfoot, IdahoA canal wave near Groveland used by Idaho State University for beginner kayaking training — a compact, practical spot to practice paddling and river safety skills.
Kayak 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
Mesa Falls
Ashton, Idaho
10.0 miles NE of Ashton, IdahoUpper Mesa Falls drops 114 feet and spans 300 feet across the Henrys Fork — just 0.2 miles of paved walkway from the parking lot, with platforms, handrails, and morning rainbow mist.
Cross-country Ski, Hike, Kayak 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
Fall Creek Falls
Swan Valley, Idaho
2.1 miles SW of Swan Valley, IdahoA shaded Snake River campground near Swan Valley with abundant wildlife, great trout fishing, and Fall Creek Falls a quarter-mile away.
Camp, Cave, Hike, Kayak, Swim
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
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
Sugar Pine Point Beach
Tahoma
1.2 miles SE of TahomaA quarter-mile walk from the parking lot puts you on a sand beach at the foot of Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point State Park, where General Creek meets Lake Tahoe and the water runs clear enough to read the bottom. It is also genuinely cold, even in August.
Camp, 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
Tobyhanna State Park Beach
Tobyhanna
2.3 miles NE of TobyhannaA free, unguarded sand beach on 170-acre Tobyhanna Lake, set at 2,000 feet on the Pocono plateau, with a 5.1 mile gravel trail circling the water. Open Memorial Day weekend to mid-September, though a full lake drawdown for dam replacement has been announc
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Swim Beach at Lake Anna State Park
Mineral
8.2 miles NE of MineralA groomed sand beach on the public side of Lake Anna, with a buoyed swimming area, a bathhouse and a seasonal snack bar at the end of the state park road. Swimming is unguarded and free; only parking is charged.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
