Colorado is home to some of the most exquisite swimming holes. From turquoise lakeside pools, hidden in majestic forests, to serene rivers tucked away between mountain peaks – opt for one of these top 10 swimming spots and take a dip into nature’s backyard!
Best Swimming Holes in Colorado
Cherry Creek State Park
- Address: 4201 S Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80014, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (7824)
- Phone: +1 303-690-1166
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
5 Replies to 12 Colorado Swimming Holes You HAVE To Check Out This Summer!
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Top 12 Most Popular Swimming Holes in Colorado
Glenwood Hot Springs Pool
- Address: 401 N River St, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (6594)
- Phone: +1 970-947-2955
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PMTuesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PMThursday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PMFriday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PMSaturday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PMSunday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Reviews:
Great place to visit! Pool was awesome! Felt like a nice vacation being in the 104° waters! Pool was clean, staff was friendly, other visitors were friendly as well just enjoying the natural hot springs. Felt rejuvenating!! We want to go back when the therapy pool is finished! Plenty of seating for everyone and showers were clean and bathrooms were well kept. Kids enjoyed the lazy river and tubing. Overall a great time!
The food wasn’t that bad. A little pricey but the double cheeseburger was made fresh and was juicy. The ice cream was huge!
By Marlon Licup (3 months ago)I come here a few times a year, and I absolutely love it. But be aware that the therapy pool, which is the one that is 105° that I come here to partake in each time, it’s currently being remodeled and won’t reopen until the end of May.The staff told me that the newer pool on the far side with the waterfalls was 105°, but this was untrue. It was the same temperature as the main pool, which is in the upper 90s.
I did not see any information that there was a remodel going on, so I’m putting it here in this review hoping that others will see this, and be informed.
I went over into the Athletic Club for the first time which is adjacent to the pool, and they have an indoor mineral hot tub and a eucalyptus steam shower, as well as a wooden sauna. They let me upgrade from the pool by charging me only $18 rather than having me pay the full price after I explained that the staff gave me false info about the temperature of the new pool.
This place has a really nice workout gym and 2 racquetball courts as well. Their locker rooms are a lot nicer as well. Granted, the newly renovated locker rooms in the main pool are still nice too.
This is a great place to come to by yourself or to bring friends and family for a great time of relaxing and fun. Will be back to check out the newly renovated therapy pool soon!
By Chris Meier (8 months ago)Higher-priced activity, but well worth it. I think the $40/day for adult is more financially worth it if you spend longer there; ie, go in the morning for a bit, leave, come back, etc.As it was we arrived around 4-4:30 prior to sunset to get some gorgeous pictures with the mountains in the background. We ended up staying until nearly 7, which allowed us to capture the beauty at night as well. The facilities were clean and well maintained. The larger pool was plenty spacious, although not quite warm enough to want to stay in too long during the colder winter days. The smaller, hotter pool was exactly as expected and extremely relaxing after a long day.
We included this in our day trip from Denver as part of a longer trip, and we were glad we did. Kids got a kick out of swimming in hot springs. Memorable and worth it for sure.
By Kristyn Pascal (a week ago)What a great place to spend a day!!! The large pool was just the right temperature to swim in. The hot pool was great for relaxing. My kids loved the diving board and we all had fun on the Shoshone Chutes tube ride. We splurged and got a cabana for part of the day and it was totally worth it:)By Michelle Rodriguez (3 months ago)Pool like always, is fun. However, the prices for the pool are ridiculous!! For the past 10 years I have been visiting every summer, but I don’t think that I will go again.
The grill is the same every year. They have not changed the menu at all. I wandered if those people will now how to cook anything else other than cheeseburger, wraps, grilled chicken. Hot dog is 9 dollars a combo, but with chips. If you want fries, you must pay 2 dollars more. The double cheeseburger is over 15 Dollars. Not even at Texas Roadhouse a cheeseburger is over 15 bucks. They’re taking advantage of people. Wasn’t busy like a year ago. There is no music/radio playing on the background. It will be nice to hear music while staying in the pool. There rooms are exaggerated expensive. 500 bucks a night. WOW! I thought that is the Versace’s house in Miami. Nothing changed there, except the prices.
Hotel Colorado is amazing! Yes, that’s a good place to stay. Hotel Denver is good too. Those two hotels are historical. It is worth it. I stayed in those before. I will rate them with 10 stars if I could.
I’m addition, I didn’t like the way they’re treating people when they are buying tickets or rechecking in. Treating people like cattle’s.
Take towels from home, otherwise they are asking for 4 dollars for a towel. Small, thin, flimsy towels.By Felicia Decarolis (6 months ago)
Chatfield State Park
- Address: 11500 N Roxborough Park Rd, Littleton, CO 80125, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (5592)
- Phone: +1 303-791-7275
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 5:00 AM – 11:00 PMSaturday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
My family and I had a great time at the park. The staff was very nice and helpful. We got a snack from the snack bar and the kids had a great time.
There are a few suggestions and a couple things to note. The bathrooms aren’t always open. When we got there we noticed the men and women’s bathroom were locked. This caused a line to form and a few small delays.
The view is beautiful (especially the mountains!) However, other than that it is a very simple park. There is limited shade and the trails were either overgrown or too short.
I think this is a nice stop to bring your kids and your family for a nice quick dip in the water. There are plenty of activities for the lakes for sure. This is a great place to cool off!
By Stephen Lawrence (6 months ago)This park has a lot to offer!! Open spaces, swim beach, picnic areas, fishing and other water sports just to name a few. Also has paved walking paths that pretty much circle the whole reservoir. It’s approximately 13 miles around. Also has access to other trails not associated with the park.By John Bundy (7 months ago)I camped here for the 1st time with my son’s 6th grade class. Wow was I impressed! It was definitely “city camping” but the trails were great, paddle boarding was a blast and a must do! The park ranger was super friendly and very knowledgeable.By Monica Anthony (3 months ago)Very beautiful state park. You are able to stay 2 weeks in a 28 day period. We stayed twice for two weeks each. Both sites were very nice. We enjoyed the nice bike trails around the entire reservoir. There are plenty of places around the park to picnic. There are several beaches. We saw deer regularly. We did hear howling at night. One night we suspect a mountain lion got on top of the camper, we heard it jump up there and walk around, and the next morning we found a bloody mess on the roof. We did not see any during the day and there were no actual problems with wildlife during our stays. I would just recommend being safe by keeping clean and food contained. All and all we had beautiful experiences here. The view of mountains in the background is amazing. There are plenty of places to shop and eat fairly close to the park.By Dolce Vita! (a year ago)Its a great place to be especially you own boats,jet boats.
State park which is almost in the city and everything near by….
Its a good place for picnics as they have both small and group shelters….which you can reserve.
Small beach area for kids to play in the water n sand….n separate area for paddling….and best thing is they have Camping n RV sites which you can book 6 months in advance….n good for beginners….
Love this place and going all the time during summerBy A. G. (5 months ago)
Rifle Falls State Park
- Address: 5775 Highway 325, 10379 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (1757)
- Phone: +1 970-625-1607
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
This place is awesome, the views from below, behind and above the waterfalls are breathtaking. There are caves throughout the park some are easily accessible others are a bit challenging but doable. There’s several trails and some have handrails when needed. On the top their is a gorgeous pond and other scenic adventures. Entry fee is $9 for day pass or they offer state park yearly fees. Would highly recommend this place.By Lorenzo R. C (3 months ago)We have been taking the kids here for well over a decade and always have a wonderful!!! They have multiple trails and all are fairly easy to trek with the chillins throughout the whole park. We have definitely had the opportunity to camp in a trailer as well as a tent. This place accommodates both very well. Very gorgeous views the whole hike through. Also we like to hit the fish hatchery and the ice caves when we do come out this wayBy Ty Humphreys (7 months ago)This was a beautiful little gem we found in this quaint town of Rifle. We paid the 9-dollar day use fee and took the small hike to the 3 beautiful waterfalls. These waterfalls flow into a cute little fairy tale type brook. The 3 waterfalls, by themselves, make you feel as if you’ve been transported to Hawaii for a minute. You can easily climb/hike up behind the waterfalls to explore some small limestone caves that look pretty cool. If you continue on the coyote trail, which is up and behind the falls, you will see a little fishing pond. You can also get a fantastic aerial shot at the top of the falls. There are picnic tables around so you can bring a lunch and enjoy a nice picnic.By Brenda (4 months ago)The falls are amazing and easily accessible at the bottom, a short distance from the parking lot (if not full). There are amazing views from the top, hiking up a marked path, with little to no rails to hold on to. There’s a short hike to the cave area next to and under the falls!By Dani Ford (4 months ago)Beautiful Park and Campground. Both the RV section and the tent section are small and more intimate and they are separated. I stayed in the RV section and one side is along the creek. This is lovely because you can hear it at night. Also, it’s a short walk to the falls and the hiking trail that goes around and above it. The limestone caves were a surprise, they are magnificent and you can go in them. I highly recommend this park for a peaceful stay.By Susan Cooperman (3 months ago)
Barr Lake State Park
- Address: 13401 Picadilly Rd, Brighton, CO 80603, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (1746)
- Phone: +1 303-659-6005
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
Gorgeous lake by the airport! Went by here to kill some time before our flight! Colorado’s sunlit blue sky is reflected in the lake, which is partially frozen. There were many geese and they were loud! There are some trails around the lake. Nice place to take kids and/or dogs for a walk.
They allow boating, but it is now suspended due to the season. As this is a state park, they do charge ~$10 for a day pass. However, you can use the pass across state parks nearby!
By Swap (12 months ago)Our family enjoyed our visit to the Barr Lake state park. It is open from 5 am – 10 pm. We went around 12 pm and there was a considerable rush given the great weather that day in the month of February! Kids enjoyed the nature centre & activities there!
There’s an archery range as well. Visitors may boat, fish, hike, bicycle, horseback ride,natural study, bird watch etc! There are picnic areas with tables and grills too. The full trail of the perimeter of the lake is 8.8 miles but there are shorter walks as well as easy trails.
Overall, with 3 kids, aged 10, 7, 5, we enjoyed our day at the Barr Lake state park! Be sure to visit the nature center!By Mehnaz Kapadia (10 months ago)We went this weekend in time to see the change of colors in the leaves. Due to the time of year, much of the lake was dried out but there were plenty of areas to walk or even run around. It was very peaceful and the area was very well kept with just a few people there in the late afternoon. We will definitely be back to walk the entire area and enjoy the beautiful scenery.By LP Johnson (2 months ago)Haven’t been here in Years so I went for an afternoon stroll. Great place for a walk in the fall. The water lever is quite low but there is still a lot of natural beauty.
It was pretty quiet for Sunday afternoon. Keep in mind there is a $9 state park entrance fee that is good for 24 hours.By Chris Pence (3 months ago)This state park is beautiful. There’s a section that doggos can be in, near the boat ramp. There’s a playground for kiddos and a picnic area. Good place for fishing, walking around and just some good ol outdoor fun! Bring some bug spray though because the mosquitos are mad hungry here! 😅By Stevie A. (6 months ago)
Eben G. Fine Park
- Address: 101 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (1513)
Jackson Lake
- Address: 26363 County Road 3, Orchard, CO 80649, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.2 (1401)
Boulder Falls
- Address: Boulder Canyon Dr, Nederland, CO 80466, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (1282)
Rainbow Falls
- Address: US-24, Cascade, CO 80809, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.3 (806)
Steamboat Lake State Park
- Address: 61105 Rcr 129, Clark, CO 80428, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (738)
Paradise Cove / Guffey Gorge
- Address: 13999 Main St, Guffey, CO 80820, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (516)
Clear Creek White Water Park
- Address: 1201 10th St, Golden, CO 80401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (437)
Bakers Bridge
- Address: Durango, CO 81301, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (327)
That’s it for our list of the best swimming holes in Colorado! If you have any arguments or additional information, please leave a comment. We love to hear from our readers. And don’t forget to check out some of the other posts on our blog for more travel inspiration. Happy beachcombing!
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Beautiful walking trails, the wetland is superb! During our camping trip, we walking just before dusk and the landscape was such a sight to see! We saw a family of dear and found some cool little paths. can’t believe I’ve lived in Denver all my life and never knew all of this natural beauty was right here in the heart of Aurora. This park definitely comes highly recommended!
Great bike trails, running, walking, etc. Also features a swimming beach! Certain trails you cannot bike on, but are great for walking or running. There are picnic benches near the lake and lots of places to park throughout.
Entrance fees are included in the colorado state parks pass, or are a separate cost.
Worth it as it is a great bit of nature in the middle of the Denver / Aurora metro. Highly recommend!
We stayed here for 3 nights as part of a 2 week road trip. We’ve previously stayed at a Colorado State campground and from our experience they are all very well taken care of and clean. Our campsite was very spacious and private as our door was pointed towards the exterior of our loop. The campground is also conveniently located 20-25 min from downtown Denver. We would definitely return if we are in the area.
Excellent place! Extremely pleasant camping area. The representatives are useful and pleasant. The camp hosts were excellent. Our site was truly perfect and faultless. There are a lot of bicycle and climbing trails. There is an exceptionally huge ocean side region with a lot of regions to excursion. Mainly, there is by all accounts some wrongdoing in the recreation area. There are various signs posted about keeping things secured, particularly bicycles. Be back soon.
Been to the Dog area so far, but love this State Park. Even if you don’t have a dog, come here on a low day & you’re guaranteed to smile with all the pups off leash about. Our pup Tali had a blast. My watch said it was about 2miles around the loop. They even have a beach area & river your pups can play in on a hot day.
Will be back!