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The 4 Best Swimming Holes in South Carolina

Every verified swimming hole in South Carolina, ranked from most to least visited by real review counts: 4 lakes, including 2 top-verified destinations. Each entry covers the swim itself, the hike, parking, restrooms, and what you can bring on the water, and links to a full guide with photos, directions, fees, and safety notes.

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Every verified place to swim in South Carolina. Tap a marker to open its guide.

Table of contentsall 4 spots▾

1. Poinsett State Park

Wedgefield, South Carolinalake★ Top verified

Poinsett State Park sits in the High Hills of Santee, the odd transition zone locals call the mountains of the midlands, where sandhills meet coastal-plain swamp. The swimming happens in Levi Mill Lake, a small, calm 10-acre mill pond built by the CCC in the 1930s, and one visitor sums it up as picturesque and good for swimming.

As swimming holes go this one is quiet and low-key, a designated swim area open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. There is no lifeguard, so it is swim at your own risk, which mostly just means keeping an eye on the kids while you enjoy a calm lake to swim in.

  • The water: Levi Mill Lake, a small, calm 10-acre CCC-era impoundment with a designated seasonal swim area.
  • Getting in: No hike. The swim area sits in the developed day-use area at the lake.
  • Facilities: A 1930s CCC-built coquina bathhouse serves the swim area; restrooms with hot showers sit near the campground.
  • On the water: Kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, jon boats, and pedal boats; rentals through the park's on-site concession.
  • Fees: Day-use admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for SC seniors, $1 for kids 6 to 15, free under 6.
  • Good to know: No lifeguard on duty, and depth at the swim beach is not published, so supervise kids. Park is open 9 a.m. to dark year-round.

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2. Singing Pines Recreation Area

Starr, South Carolinalake

Singing Pines Recreation Area gives you two designated swim areas with sand beaches on Hartwell Lake, spread across a 42 acre Corps of Engineers day-use site near Starr. The water is calm, reservoir-style swimming, and with two playgrounds and picnic facilities it's clearly built for family days.

For $7 a vehicle you get the whole facility, and paved parking runs throughout, so this is about as easy as finding a lake to swim in gets. The day-use area operates April 1 through September 30, and the boat ramp stays open most of the year.

  • The water: Two designated sand-beach swim areas on calm Hartwell Lake reservoir water.
  • Getting in: No hike; paved parking runs throughout the 42 acre site, close to both beaches.
  • Parking: $7 per vehicle covers the whole facility for the day.
  • Facilities: Two comfort station restroom buildings on site.
  • On the water: Kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, motorboats, and sailboats; rentals from Big Water Marina.
  • Good to know: No lifeguards or roped shallow zones, and a boat ramp with motorboat traffic shares the site, so keep young swimmers close.

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3. Indian Bluff Recreation Park

Eutawville, South Carolinalake

Indian Bluff is one of the free places to swim on Lake Marion, a 32-acre county park with roughly 1,500 feet of white-sand shoreline on the big Santee Cooper reservoir, reached past a boardwalk through cypress woods. Admission and parking cost nothing, and the park pairs its beach with a boat ramp, fishing pier, playground, and picnic tables.

As a swimming hole it is casual and unsupervised. There is no lifeguard, one beach guide flags it as not a strong swimming beach and advises care entering the water, and the boat ramp shares the same stretch of sand, so keep kids to supervised wading near shore and stay aware of trailer and motorboat traffic.

  • The water: An open, sandy 1,500-foot stretch of Lake Marion shoreline; unsupervised, and one guide advises care rather than treating it as a strong swimming beach.
  • Getting in: No hike. The beach sits in the park off Red Bank Road, with a boardwalk through cypress woods to the water's edge.
  • Parking: Free on-site lot at the park entrance, described as spacious.
  • Facilities: Public restrooms in the main park facility area near the picnic and parking zone.
  • On the water: Motorboats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards; rentals from Bells Marina & Resort, with a boat ramp at the beach.
  • Fees: Free admission and free parking.

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4. Broyles Recreation Area

Townville, South Carolinalake★ Top verified

Broyles Recreation Area is a 24 acre Corps of Engineers day-use site on Hartwell Lake with an official designated swim beach. This is a drive-up lake swimming spot with restrooms, a playground, and parking steps from the water, not a backcountry swimming hole, and that's exactly the appeal for families.

Hartwell's water gets good marks for clarity in lake-wide rankings, though conditions vary by cove and season. The beach shares its footprint with a three-lane boat ramp, so expect boat traffic nearby, especially in spring and summer when fishing tournaments roll through.

  • The water: A designated swim beach on Hartwell Lake; lake-wide sources rate the water mostly clear, with a reported Secchi depth around 13.5 feet.
  • Getting in: No hike; the paved lot sits within the compact day-use area.
  • Parking: $7 per vehicle; a 2018 expansion added about 30 boat-trailer spaces plus 8 car spaces.
  • Facilities: One comfort station on site.
  • On the water: Kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and motorboats; rentals via Lake Hartwell Kayak Rental and Delivery or Big Water Marina & Campground.
  • Good to know: A playground and reported free loaner life jackets make it kid-welcoming, but there's no lifeguard and the boat ramp is close, so supervise.

See the full guide →

Planning a swimming hole trip in South Carolina

South Carolina has 4 verified natural places to swim in this guide: 4 lakes. The most visited is Poinsett State Park near Wedgefield, with 1,504 reviews. 1 of these swimming holes are free to visit; the rest are mostly state park or recreation area day-use fees.

For a longer trip, 3 spots have camping on site or nearby with links to the official campground pages, and 4 are open to kayaks, paddleboards, or tubes, with local rental outfitters listed where we found them. Filters above narrow the grid to exactly these.

South Carolina swimming holes: FAQ

How many swimming holes are there in South Carolina?

We've verified 4 natural swimming spots in South Carolina, including 4 lakes. Every listing was checked against USGS water data, public-land records, and first-hand accounts before being published.

Are these South Carolina swimming holes free?

Many are free, while some state parks and recreation areas charge a day-use fee. Each listing shows the fee we found in official sources, and where no fee was documented, we say so rather than guess.

When is the best time to swim in South Carolina?

Most spots are at their best from late spring through early fall, but conditions vary by site. Each listing includes the best-season note from our research plus a live weather link for planning your visit.

Can you camp near swimming holes in South Carolina?

Yes. 3 of the South Carolina spots in this guide have campgrounds on site or nearby, and their listings link straight to the official campground pages so you can check availability and book.

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