29 Free Swimming Holes near Mount Mitchell Area
first prev 1 2 next lastShowing Swimming Holes within 50 miles Distance miles of 8516 Sthy 80 S, Burnsville, NC 28714, USA City, Zip, or Address
Linville Gorge Area
Marion, North Carolina
19.5 miles ELinville Gorge's deep swimming holes reward serious adventurers who navigate rough roads and steep trails — but the gorge is easy to get lost in, so go prepared.
Swim
Wilson Creek Area
Collettsville, North Carolina
23.7 miles NENumerous waterfalls and swimming holes tucked throughout the Wilson Creek area — most require short or longer hikes to find, but all are gems worth the effort in the Pisgah National Forest.
Swim
Rock Creek
Unicoi, Tennessee
24.4 miles NA man-made concrete-bottom stream-fed pool with a sandy beach and short waterfall makes Rock Creek a refreshing — if chilly in June — summer splash near Unicoi.
Swim 0.8 mi
Hickory Nut Falls
Chimney Rock, North Carolina
25.3 miles SA waterfall inside Chimney Rock State Park operated as a private concession — admission fee applies; see the park website for current pricing and details.
Hike, Swim
Elk River Falls
Elk Park, North Carolina
30.4 miles NESwim near Elk Park, North Carolina
Swim
Twisted Falls / Compression Falls
Butler, Tennessee
32.1 miles NETwisting Falls (Compression Falls) is a dramatic Elk River gorge waterfall in northeast Tennessee — stunning, but one of the region's deadliest jump spots.
Swim
Big Laurel Creek Area
Marshall, North Carolina
32.4 miles WA family-friendly hike along Big Laurel Creek to multiple swimming holes — and a classic Class III–IV whitewater run for paddlers making the transition to creek boating.
Hike, Kayak, Swim, Whitewater
Laurel Fork
Hampton, Tennessee
32.6 miles NSwim near Hampton, Tennessee
Swim
Horse Creek Campground
Chuckey, Tennessee
32.8 miles NWA Cherokee National Forest campground beside Horse Creek with fifteen sites, picnic tables, fishing for rainbow and brook trout, creek swimming, and 31 day-use picnic tables — $10/night camping fee.
Camp, Swim
Old Forge Campground
Bethany, Tennessee
33.3 miles NWPrimitive walk-in camping on scenic Jennings Creek in the Cherokee National Forest, with small waterfalls, swimming holes, and hiking trails right from camp — bring your own water.
Camp, Hike, Swim
Stone Mountain State Park
Connelly Springs, North Carolina
34.8 miles SESwim near Connelly Springs, North Carolina
Swim
Hot Springs Resort
Hot Springs, North Carolina
35.4 miles WA privately operated outdoor resort with natural hot mineral water in private hot tubs — popular with visitors who split the cost, with mineral-rich water that relaxes and rejuvenates.
Swim
Sapphire Area
Hot Springs, North Carolina
36.0 miles WSeveral waterfalls with swimming within easy walking distance of each other on the Horsepasture River in the Sapphire area of North Carolina.
Swim
Sliding Rock
Hot Springs, North Carolina
36.0 miles WA 60-foot natural rock waterslide into an 8-foot-deep, 50-to-60-degree pool — lifeguard on duty Memorial Day to Labor Day, with a $5 entry fee per person.
Swim
Rocky Bluff
Hot Springs, North Carolina
36.2 miles WRocky Bluff is a tranquil mountain getaway in the Pisgah National Forest near Hot Springs, North Carolina, where a wooded campground sits beside the lovely Spring Creek just a few miles south of...
Camp, Hike, Swim
North Mills River
Mills River, North Carolina
37.1 miles SWA campground in the Cherokee National Forest with creek swimming, fishing for rainbow and brook trout, and kid-favorite tubing — plus 31 picnic tables and educational summer programs nearby.
Swim
Blue Hole Mill Creek
Elizabethton, Tennessee
44.2 miles NSwim near Elizabethton, Tennessee
Swim
Big East Fork
Canton, North Carolina
46.0 miles SWHeavy forest, multiple waterfalls, and a river that shifts from white rapids to calm swimming holes along Big East Fork in Pisgah National Forest — great for kayaking, camping, and swimming year-round.
Backpack, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Davidson River Campground
Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
46.5 miles SWA year-round campground in Pisgah National Forest just four miles from Brevard and less than an hour from Asheville, with shaded loops, hiking trails, waterfalls, and fishing spots nearby.
Camp, Hike, Swim
French Broad
Del Rio, Tennessee
46.5 miles WSwim near Del Rio, Tennessee
Swim
