The local pool is a bit overcrowded and you need a new place to swim. We’ve rounded up the best swimming holes in Ohio, some right here in Southwest Ohio, others a great day trip.
Mineral Springs
160 Blue Gill Road, Peebles, Ohio 45660
With over 250 acres to explore, Mineral Springs has some of the clearest water in Ohio. The property includes camping, disc golf, riding trails, kayak, canoe and golf cart rentals, a water slide, a floating obstacle course and daily swim passes.
Long’s Retreat
50 Bell Hollow Rd, Latham, OH 45646
You don’t need to stay overnight to spend the afternoon at Long’s Retreat. Attractions are open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day and include go-karts, bounce houses, a swimming beach, waterslides, a carousel, miniature golf, a kiddie train and canoe rental. Beach admission is $7 a day. Overnight stays are available by cabin rental or permanent camping only. Most attractions, including the beach, are cash only.
White Star Quarry
925 South Main Street, Gibsonburg, OH 43431
White Star Quarry is a 15-acre man-made lake with an average depth of 40 feet, approaching 50 feet at the center. The beach opens daily from June 6 through August 23, then weekends only through the following weekend, from noon to 8 p.m., weather permitting. Admission is $10 for adults Monday through Thursday and $12 Friday through Sunday. Ages three to 12 are $5, and children two and under get in free. Cash and card are both accepted.
Dundee Falls
Dundee Wilmot Road NW, Beach City Wildlife Area, Dundee, Ohio 44624
Park in the gravel lot off Dundee Wilmot Road, then follow the short trail north out of the parking lot. It leads down to the base of a 15-foot waterfall surrounded by a rocky gorge and sandstone bluffs. Admission is free; the area is managed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and closes to visitors overnight. If it hasn’t rained in several days, the pool below the falls might not be very deep.
Photo courtesy of Meg S.
Baylor Beach Park
8777 Manchester Ave SW, Navarre, OH 44662
Baylor Beach’s two-acre swimming lake has a gradually sloping sand bottom, diving boards, log rolls and a 90-foot tube slide, plus kiddie slides, fountains and water buckets. A separate lake next door is set aside for paddleboats and other water-sport rentals. The park is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in June, July and August. Regular admission is $19 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and $17 Monday through Thursday; seniors 60 and up pay $12 and $10. Children two and under get in free.
Pleasant Hill Lake Park
3431 Ohio 95, Perrysville, OH 44864
Pleasant Hill Lake Park has a designated swimming beach on its 850-acre lake in the heart of Mohican Country, along with fishing piers, kayak launches and a marina. Park admission from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day is $5 for single-occupant vehicles and $10 for vehicles with two or more passengers, which covers the beach, trails, playgrounds and picnic areas.
Buck Creek
1976 Buck Creek Lane, Springfield, OH 45502
Buck Creek State Park has a 2,400-foot sand beach, with swimming permitted in designated areas. Ohio state parks don’t charge entrance fees. The park sits on a large reservoir open to unlimited horsepower boating, with an accessible fishing pier and miles of multi-use trails through meadows and wetlands. Overnight accommodations include family cabins; the campground is closed for renovations until early summer 2026.
Cowan Lake
1750 Osborn Road, Wilmington, OH 45177
A 1,000-foot public beach sits on the south shore of Cowan Lake, with a changing house and restrooms available. Swimming is permitted during daylight hours in designated areas only, and there’s no entrance fee. The beach is a carry-in, carry-out area with no trash cans, so bring your own bags.
Centennial Quarry
5773 Centennial Rd, Sylvania, OH 43560
Centennial Quarry is a deep-water, spring-fed swimming spot with an average depth of about 22 feet, diving platforms, swim rafts, a sand volleyball court and a basketball court. There’s no shallow end. It’s open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, noon to 7 p.m., though hours shift to weekends-only while Sylvania schools are in session. Daily admission is $7, and swimmers 13 and under must pass a swim test and stay with a guardian. Seasonal memberships and a 10-day punch pass are available.
For more beaches to swim and explore, visit our round-up here.
