23 Free Swimming Holes near Yosemite Valley, California
first prev 1 2 next lastShowing Swimming Holes within 50 miles Distance miles of Yosemite Valley, California, USA City, Zip, or Address
Merced River
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
1.7 miles NEThe Merced River circles Yosemite Valley with whitewater, swimming holes, gold-panning spots, and unbeatable views of Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point at every bend.
Camp, Swim, Whitewater
Devil's Bathtub
Yosemite Valley, California
2.4 miles NEA warm, off-the-beaten-path pool fed by the Royal Arches Cascade just above Yosemite's Ahwanhee Hotel — great for families or a picnic near world-class climbing walls.
Swim
Mirror Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
3.5 miles EA paved, car-free trail winds to this seasonal lake at the base of Half Dome, offering a still mirror reflection and a popular summer swimming hole.
Backpack, Hike, Swim 5.5 mi
Ostrander Lake
Wawona, California
7.9 miles SEAn 11.4-mile Yosemite hike to a semi-secluded swim lake surrounded by granite mountains — wildflowers, streams, and meadows in summer; open for cross-country skiing in winter via Ostrander Lodge.
Hike, Swim 0.7 mi
Lukens Lake
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
8.4 miles NA short 1.6-mile forest walk to a secluded lake famous for the luminescent shooting stars visible while you swim, plus a wildflower meadow that peaks in July.
Hike, Swim 1.3-1.6 mi
May Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
10.4 miles NEA 2.5-mile roundtrip hike to a scenic 9,270-foot lake at the base of Mt. Hoffmann — with views of Clouds Rest, Half Dome, and Teyana Lake, plus the option to summit the peak for even grander panoramas.
Hike, Swim
Tenaya Lake
Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
10.7 miles NETenaya Lake's glacier-carved granite shoreline offers a spacious east-beach for swimming, canoeing, and kayaking with stunning Yosemite dome views all around.
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, Swim 0.9-3.2 mi
Cathedral Lakes
Wawona, California
12.9 miles NEA gorgeous 7-mile High Sierra hike along the John Muir Trail to twin lakes at 10,000 feet, framed by Cathedral, Echo, and Tressider Peaks with sweeping views of Tenaya Lake from a rock shelf.
Hike, Swim
Elizabeth Lake
Wawona, California
15.3 miles NEA 4.8-mile hike with a 1,000-foot gain to a quiet alpine lake tucked between Cockscomb, Unicorn Peak, and Johnson's Peak in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows backcountry.
Hike, Swim
Hite Cove Trail
El Portal, California
16.0 miles WOne of Yosemite's earliest wildflower blooms lights up the Hite Cove Trail in spring, with the added bonus of watching the South and Central Fork Merced rivers merge.
Hike, Swim
Glen Aulin
Glen Aulin, California
16.2 miles NEA popular introductory Yosemite High Country backcountry hike following the Tuolumne River to a High Sierra Camp beside the White Cascade waterfall, with further options to Waterwheel Falls.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Swim 0.8-4.1 mi
Dog Lake and Lembert Dome
Yosemite Valley, CA
18.5 miles NEA 4-mile round-trip hike through Tuolumne Meadows wildflowers to a serene evergreen lake and a granite dome with sweeping views — doable in 1.5 to 3 hours.
Hike, Swim 4.0 mi
Mono Pass
Yosemite Valley, CA
22.0 miles NEAn 8-mile high-Sierra hike at 10,600 feet crossing meadows and several lakes, climbing through Bloody Canyon to sweeping views of Mono Valley and Mono Lake.
Hike, Swim
Briceburg Recreation Area
Midpines, California
22.4 miles SWBriceburg is where State Route 140 drops out of the Sierra foothills and meets the Wild and Scenic Merced River, twelve miles east of Mariposa on the road to Yosemite, and it's one of the best public...
Camp, Kayak, Swim 1.8 mi
Gaylor Lakes
Yosemite Valley, CA
22.5 miles NEA 2-mile Yosemite hike with views the entire way — Dana Meadows, mountain peaks, and a high valley holding five separate lakes, with a mostly flat valley to wander once you top the pass.
Hike, Swim
Gods Bath
Phoenix Lake-Cedar Ridge, CA, California
30.0 miles NWCrystal-clear but cold water at the bottom of a boulder-hop, rope-assisted descent into Clavey River canyon — cliff jumping, smaller pools on the way, about a mile one way.
Hike, Swim
Hot Creek
Mammoth Lakes, California
42.1 miles ECLOSED. Entering the water is now prohibited at this location. A striking hot-spring creek where cold water meets hydrothermal vents — a geological spectacle worth photographing from shore, but fenced off for swimming due to dangerous temperature swings and past fatalities.
Swim
Standish Hickey Area
Lakeshore, California
42.8 miles SEA two-mile stretch of the south fork of the Eel River inside a redwood canyon 180 miles from San Francisco — swim, kayak, fish, or hike, then camp near the 1,200-year-old Captain Miles Standish Tree.
Backpack, Camp, Hike, Kayak, Swim
Smith River Area
Lakeshore, California
42.8 miles SESwim near Lakeshore, California
Swim
Salinas Area
Lakeshore, California
42.8 miles SESwim near Lakeshore, California
Swim
