Swimming

Swimming Holes

Who needs a pool when you have an abundance of natural swimming holes, all within a short driving distance of Boone? Beat the heat and humidity by visiting the High Country’s top destinations for swimming, sunbathing and—if you’re so brave—cliff jumping.

Trash Can Falls

Address: US 321, Boone, NC

A popular swimming hole for college students, Trash Can features cascading falls and a few jumps ranging from 15 to 30 feet high. Diving is not recommended, as the water is only about 10 feet deep at most.

Directions: From Boone, take Highway 421 north towards Tennessee. Turn left on Highway 321 at Skate World Roller Rink and continue for approximately 10 miles. After crossing the Watauga River Bridge, you will see a parking area on the right. Cross the road and walk up a small, narrow trail into the woods for several hundred yards until you reach the falls.

Snake Pit Swimming Hole

Snake Pit provides visitors with a larger area to swim than Trash Can Falls. Multiple flat boulders make it possible to sunbathe, and there are a few tall jumps—but again, diving is not recommended due to the depth of the water. Be careful of the swift currents.

Directions: Snake Pit is in the same vicinity as Trash Can. From Boone, take Highway 421 and turn left on Highway 321 at Skate World Roller Rink. After crossing the Watauga River Bridge, continue to the second pull off. Park here at your own risk, or parking is available at Trash Can, which is about a five-minute walk to the Snake Pit trail. The trail is to the right near the guardrail. Be prepared for a steep climb down to the hole, but a knotted rope is available for those who need help climbing up and down.

Hebron Rock Colony

One of the most well known swimming spots, Hebron Rock Colony is a natural rock formation about 20 minutes away from Boone. Large boulders, small waterfalls and multiple swimming holes can be found here. If you continue to the top, a manmade dam can be found, and just beyond the dam is a larger swimming hole known for its sun.

Directions: Take Highway 105 south from Boone. Turn left on Old Shull’s Mill Road. After passing a church on your left, make a right onto Old Turnpike Road, which is unpaved. Continue about five minutes until you reach a sharp turn to the right. Parking is available here. Hebron is about a 10-minute walk down a steep hill.

Compression Falls (AKA Twisted Falls)

Featuring a waterfall listed at 30 feet high, Compression is in a remote setting perfect on a hot summer day. It is worth it if you can reach it: the hike is less than a mile, but the trail is extremely steep—straight down in some places. The trail will lead you over and around the rocks until you reach the falls.

Directions: From Boone, follow Highway 421 toward Tennessee. Turn onto Highway 321 and continue until you reach Elk Mills Store on your right. Turn right after the store onto Poga Road. After 0.2 miles the road will spit. Keep left and cross Jack Campbell Bridge, and turn right again to continue on Poga Road. Turn right onto Clawson Road and drive about half a mile. Park on the road next to an old barn up the hill to your left. The trail is across the road from the barn and is marked with yellow and red paint on a tree.

Elk River Falls (Big Falls)

Address: Trail, TN

Four miles upstream of Compression Falls is Elk River Falls or Big Falls, as it is known on topographic maps. Located in Elk Park in the Pisgah National Forest, the waterfall is estimated to be anywhere from 40 to 60 feet and features a nice pool for swimming and flat rocks for sunbathing. Here is one description of Elk River Falls: “With a high volume of water, it drops almost vertically into a huge, neat pool surrounded by massive rock bluffs, which [are] quite scenic.”

Directions: Take US 19 East to Elk Park, just over the border from Roan Mountain, Tenn., and turn north onto Old Mill Road. After 1/4 of a mile, turn north again onto Elk River Road. Take this for about 4 miles until the road dead ends at the falls. It's a short 1/4-mile hike to the base of the falls.

Gragg Prong

Address: Pisgah National Forest, NC

Gragg Prong features deep swimming holes carved out by multiple waterfalls. Located in the Wilson’s Creek area, this spot also has an open rock area perfect for sunbathing.

Directions: From Boone, take Highway 105 south toward Linville. Go straight through the intersection for Grandfather Mountain, and at a four-way stop, turn left on Roseboro Road. The road will cross the Blue Ridge Parkway in about a mile and will turn into Forest Service Road 1511, which is unpaved. The road continues for six to eight miles into a valley and the community of Roseboro. Stay straight to find the parking area. Follow Trail 262 downstream and you will find the swimming hole about a mile away.

Huntfish Falls

Address: Caldwell County, NC

Huntfish Falls has plenty of space for swimming and relaxing. The rocks open up into three levels, connected by a waterfall leading into a deep swimming hole.

Directions: Similar to Gragg Prong, from Boone, take Highway 105 south toward Linville. Continue straight through the intersection for Grandfather Mountain, and turn left on Roseboro Road. When the road intersects the Parkway, turn right. Take a left on Old Jonas Road or Forest Service Road 464. Continue down the valley for approximately eight miles until you see a parking lot on the left. The trail continues down for about a mile to the falls.

Watauga Lake

Address: Cherokee National Forest, TN

Watauga Lake is more than a spot to swim. Canoeing, kayaking, parasailing, jet skiing, fishing and wakeboarding are also popular. For families, a public beach is located in one of the recreational areas, and picnicking and swimming is popular. The Appalachian Trail also crosses the lake at the visitor’s center near the dam, making it possible to hear some interesting stories from hikers passing through.

Directions: From Boone, travel on Highway 421 for approximately five miles. Turn left on Highway 321, and continue for approximately 11 miles to the Tennessee border. Continue 12 miles on Highway 321 until you reach State Road 67, and turn right. Follow State Road 67 north about a half a mile to the bridge that crosses Watauga Lake. In total, this is about a 45-minute drive from Boone featuring many scenic views.

Wildcat Lake

Address: Banner Elk, NC

While not a natural swimming hole, Wildcat Lake in Banner Elk has both a shallow swimming area designated for children and a deeper swimming area for adolescents and adults. Lifeguards are on duty during summer hours. Non-motorized boats, canoes and kayaks can also access the lake.

Directions: From Boone, take Highway 105 south approximately 12 miles. Make a right onto Highway 184/Tynecastle Highway to Banner Elk. Stay on the road for approximately four miles until you come to Hickory Nut Gap Road on your left. The lake is located up Hickory Nut Gap Road.