16 Free Swimming Holes near Gold Lake
first prev 1 next lastShowing Swimming Holes within 50 miles Distance miles of Gold Lake near Graeagle City, Zip, or Address
Heath Falls Overlook Trail
Truckee, California
28.9 miles SHike and Swim near Truckee, California
Hike, Swim
Palisades Creek Trail
Truckee, California
28.9 miles SA difficult Sierra Nevada trail past Palisade Falls — one of the tallest on the American River — with views of Devils Peak, alpine lakes, and 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
Hike, Swim
North Fork Falls
Colfax, California
29.5 miles SClear water, cliff-jumping pools, and waterfalls at Sierra Nevada's North Fork Falls — a summer hike to two deep pools with 10-to-25-foot cliffs ready for leaping.
Camp, Hike, Swim 0.1 mi
Edwards Crossing
Nevada City, California
30.6 miles SWDeep blue water, rock cliffs, and a sandy beach on the Yuba River — with a half-mile walk from the parking lot and cliff jumping spots up to 20 feet deep.
Hike, Swim
China Cove Beach
Truckee
32.9 miles SEChina Cove Beach is the sandy, shallow corner at the west end of Donner Memorial State Park, on the south shore of Donner Lake outside Truckee. California State Parks runs it, access is open to anyone paying the 10 dollar day use parking fee, and there is
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Boca Reservoir Hidden Beach
Truckee, California
35.0 miles SESandy informal beaches on the northeast shore of Boca Reservoir above Truckee, free to use, windy in the afternoons, and drawn down hard by the end of summer.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak, Kiteboard, Swim
Hoyt's Crossing
Nevada City
35.3 miles SWA deep pool and boulder beach on the South Yuba River in South Yuba River State Park, reached by a 0.75-mile walk on the Hoyt Trail from the Highway 49 bridges north of Nevada City. Free to walk in.
Hike, Swim
Jones Bar
Nevada City
36.7 miles SWA primitive South Yuba River swimming hole at the mouth of Rush Creek in South Yuba River State Park, reached by a steep trail from the Independence Trail lot on Highway 49 or a rough 4WD road. No fee posted at the bar.
Hike, Swim 4.1 mi
Shirley Lake Canyon Trail
Olympic Valley, California
40.1 miles SEA 2.5-mile hike from Squaw Valley Village past streams and waterfalls to a pure Sierra lake — rocky near the top, with a free gondola ride back down from High Camp as a reward.
Hike, Swim
Commons Beach
Tahoe City
44.8 miles SEFree public beach and lakefront park in downtown Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe, run by the Tahoe City PUD, with cold clear water, a sand and cobble shore, kayak rentals and free summer concerts.
Kayak, Swim
Hell Hole Reservoir
Georgetown
45.0 miles SA 4,630 foot Rubicon River reservoir in the Eldorado National Forest, 51 miles and two hours east of Georgetown, where the boat ramp cove is the only drivable shoreline and the lake drops over 100 feet by September.
Camp, Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Lake Forest Beach
Tahoe City
45.1 miles SEA free public beach at the end of Bristlecone Street, owned by Placer County and run by the Tahoe City Public Utility District. Sandy, pine shaded and genuinely quiet, with the one real constraint being how few cars fit at the end of the road.
Camp, Canoe, Kayak, Swim
Kings Beach State Recreation Area
Kings Beach
45.5 miles SEA wide sand beach with a shallow, gently sloping entry on Lake Tahoe's north shore, run by California State Parks in downtown Kings Beach. Parking costs $3 an hour or $10 a day, charged year round.
Kayak, Swim
Reno Area
McGill, Nevada
45.5 miles ESwim near McGill, Nevada
Swim
Wingfield Park
Reno, Nevada
45.6 miles EAn oasis in downtown Reno where manmade dams and natural rock formations turn the Truckee River into a playground for swimming, kayaking, tubing, and rafting.
Kayak, Swim
William Kent Beach
Tahoe City
46.1 miles SEA free Forest Service swim beach on Lake Tahoe's West Shore, two miles south of Tahoe City on Highway 89, with a pebbly shore, cold clear water and picnic tables across from William Kent Campground.
Kayak, Swim
