Find Swimming Holes

The 2 Best Swimming Holes in Wyoming

Every verified swimming hole in Wyoming, ranked from most to least visited by real review counts: 1 reservoir, 1 lake, including 1 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.

Loading map…

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

Table of contentsall 2 spots▾

1. Firehole Canyon Campground

McKinnon, Wyomingreservoir

Firehole Canyon pairs a developed campground with a Forest Service-designated swim beach on Flaming Gorge Reservoir, where sandstone canyon walls meet open water in Wyoming's high desert. The swimming hole is steps from camp, on still reservoir water shared with boats, anglers, and water skiers, and the reservoir swims warmest in mid to late summer.

Fair warning from the people who camp here: reviews on the beach itself are mixed. One visitor said they never found a spot they would call a proper swim beach despite the designation, and others mention water snakes near the swim area. At 6,100 to 6,300 feet with sagebrush and minimal shade, bring your own sun cover.

  • The water: Still reservoir water off a designated day-use beach, shared with boat and water-ski traffic; camper opinions on the beach itself are mixed.
  • Getting in: No hike, the swim beach sits adjacent to the campground and boat ramp.
  • Parking: Paid: $5 per vehicle per day, $15 per week, or $35 per year; the day-use lot at the beach is limited.
  • Facilities: Vault toilet at the swim beach; flush restrooms with showers a short drive away at the campground.
  • On the water: Canoes and motorboats; rentals from Cedar Springs Marina.
  • Good to know: Open roughly mid-May through mid-September, no lifeguards, and campers report water snakes near the swim area, so keep an eye out.

See the full guide →

2. String Lake

Moran, Wyominglake★ Top verified

The Park Service calls String Lake the warmest lake to swim in inside Grand Teton National Park, and that alone makes it one of the park's most popular swimming and picnicking spots. It is shallow, clear, and sandy-bottomed, with the Teton Range rising straight up behind the water. The north end is the shallowest and calmest stretch, which is exactly where families and less-confident swimmers tend to settle in.

Warmest in the park still means cold, this is an alpine lake at about 6,870 feet, so expect a bracing swim rather than bathwater. It gets busy in peak summer; the practical advice from travel reporting is to arrive before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m., and early morning also means calmer water if you are paddling. This natural swimming hole is barely a walk from the car, which is part of why everyone loves it.

  • The water: Clear, shallow alpine lake with a sandy bottom; the warmest lake in Grand Teton, though still cold, calmest at the north end.
  • Getting in: No real hike, a flat walk of under 0.1 mile, less than 5 minutes from the parking lot to the shoreline.
  • Parking: Dedicated lot at the lake, one of the park's largest, but it fills during peak summer hours; no fee beyond park entrance.
  • Facilities: Restrooms at the picnic area parking lot, plus picnic tables and animal-proof food storage.
  • On the water: Kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards; rentals from Colter Bay Marina, with the launch open May 1 through October 31.
  • Fees: Covered by the Grand Teton entrance fee, $35 per private vehicle for 7 days; the park does not accept cash.

See the full guide →

Planning a swimming hole trip in Wyoming

Wyoming has 2 verified natural places to swim in this guide: 1 reservoir, 1 lake. The most visited is Firehole Canyon Campground near McKinnon, with 116 reviews.

Wyoming swimming holes: FAQ

How many swimming holes are there in Wyoming?

We've verified 2 natural swimming spots in Wyoming, including 1 reservoir, 1 lake. Every listing was checked against USGS water data, public-land records, and first-hand accounts before being published.

Are these Wyoming 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 Wyoming?

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.

Swimming holes in other states