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Swimming Holes & Natural Swimming Spots Near Rochester NY
Creeks, gorges, and undeveloped shoreline across Monroe, Livingston, and Ontario counties — not the lifeguarded beaches.
⚠️ Read this before you go
Most of the spots below are informal, unguarded local swimming holes — not designated, lifeguarded beaches. A couple are genuinely "swim at your own risk." Water depth and current strength can change with rainfall and season, rules and access can change too, and we've flagged the one nearby spot where swimming is officially prohibited so you know to steer clear. Always check current on-site signage, never dive into water you haven't checked for depth, and supervise kids closely.
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If you grew up around Rochester, you already know the difference between "going to the beach" and "going to the creek." A developed beach means sand, a parking lot, and usually a lifeguard chair. A natural swimming spot means a gravel pull-off, a trail down to the water, and the kind of quiet you only get away from a crowded shoreline. If you've already checked out our roundup of public beaches around Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes, this is the other side of that coin: the creeks and undeveloped pockets where locals actually go to cool off.
We kept this list intentionally short. There are plenty of "secret swimming hole" lists floating around online that include spots where swimming is actually restricted or that have since closed — we'd rather give you five real, current options than fifteen that don't hold up. These span Monroe, Livingston, and Ontario counties, and we've noted exactly how supervised (or not) each one is.
Canawaugus Park, Scottsville (Monroe County)
This is the closest true local swimming hole to the city, and longtime Rochester families already know it. Oatka Creek runs through the Village of Scottsville's Canawaugus Park, where the water varies from shallow enough to wade in to a deeper pool under the George Street bridge that's long been used for jumping and rope-swinging in summer. It's unguarded and informal — there's no official swim designation, no lifeguard, and depth changes with rainfall — so this is squarely a "know the water before you jump" spot, not a place to bring young kids unsupervised.
It's free, it's a five- or ten-minute detour for a lot of Rochester's western suburbs, and it's also a known trout stream, so expect to share the water with anglers earlier in the season — something we touched on in our guide to fishing spots around Rochester.
Sandy Bottom Park, Honeoye Lake (Ontario County)
Honeoye is the smallest and shallowest of the Finger Lakes, which means it warms up faster than its neighbors — a real advantage in late May and early June when the bigger lakes are still bracing. Sandy Bottom Park, at the north end of the lake, officially permits swimming and is genuinely shallow near shore, which makes it one of the easier options on this list for families with younger kids who want to wade in gradually rather than drop off quickly. It's a county/town park rather than a developed concession beach, so don't expect the amenities of a state park — just a parking area, a pavilion, and a quiet shoreline.
Grimes Glen, Naples (Ontario County)
This is the most genuinely "wild" spot on the list. Grimes Glen is a roughly two-mile, in-and-out creek walk through a gorge south of the village of Naples, passing two 60-foot waterfalls along the way. There's no designated swim area and no supervision — it's explicitly a swim-at-your-own-risk creek, with shallow wading pools in places and deeper, colder pools near the falls. It's best treated as a hiking-and-wading destination rather than a true swimming beach, and it's not the spot for young kids without close, constant supervision.
Naples is about an hour south of Rochester, right in the heart of Ontario County's wine country, which makes it an easy add-on to a day already spent around the southern Finger Lakes. If you're building out a full outdoor day in that part of the county, our guide to hiking trails near Rochester covers more of the same general area.
Thinking About Buying Near the Water?
Properties near the Finger Lakes or one of Monroe County's creek-side parks come with their own set of considerations — Kyle can walk you through what to look for.
Talk to KyleBlack Creek, Churchville (Monroe County)
Black Creek runs through the Riga/Churchville area west of Rochester, and pockets of it have long served as a low-key local wading spot rather than a full swimming destination. It's a good pick for families who want a natural-water outing without the drive to Ontario County, especially paired with a visit to the area's trail network on the same trip. Don't expect anything designated or supervised here — it's informal, shallow in most spots, and best treated as a wading and cooling-off stop rather than a swimming hole.
It pairs naturally with a broader outdoor day in western Monroe County — our guide to dog-friendly parks and trails near Rochester covers several nearby options if you're bringing the whole family, four-legged members included.
Letchworth's Highbanks Pool (Livingston/Wyoming County)
We're including this one with an asterisk, because it isn't natural water — it's a constructed swimming pool at the Highbanks Recreation Area near the north end of Letchworth State Park. We're listing it anyway because it's the answer to a question a lot of people ask: "can you swim at Letchworth?" The Genesee River within the gorge has genuinely dangerous currents and swimming there is prohibited — the park is direct about that. The Highbanks pool, fed and supervised seasonally (typically late June through Labor Day), is the only sanctioned place to get in the water on a Letchworth visit, and it lets you pair a gorge-and-waterfall day with an actual swim without the river risk.
There's a separate swimming fee on top of the park's vehicle entrance fee, and hours vary by season, so it's worth checking current park postings before you go.
Local tip: If you want a lifeguard, sand, and a parking lot, our guide to public beaches near Rochester covers the developed options on Lake Ontario and the larger Finger Lakes. This list is the other half — the spots without any of that infrastructure.
If a natural-water lifestyle is part of what you're after in a home search, it's worth looking at how that overlaps with where you'd actually want to live. Western Monroe County suburbs near Oatka Creek and Black Creek, and the Naples/Honeoye corridor in southern Ontario County, both put you within a short drive of at least one spot on this list. For a broader look at outdoor access by area, our guides to kayaking and canoeing spots near Rochester and campgrounds near Rochester cover a lot of the same ground from a different angle.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions — Swimming Holes Near Rochester NY
Are these swimming spots free?
Yes, with one exception. Canawaugus Park, Sandy Bottom Park, Grimes Glen, and Black Creek are all free to access. Letchworth's Highbanks pool charges a separate swimming fee in addition to the park's vehicle entrance fee.
Is it legal to swim in the Genesee River at Letchworth?
No. The river within the gorge has strong, unpredictable currents, and swimming there is prohibited. The only sanctioned place to swim at Letchworth is the constructed pool at the Highbanks Recreation Area.
Which spot is best for young kids?
Sandy Bottom Park on Honeoye Lake is the easiest for younger kids thanks to its gradually sloping, shallow shoreline. The other spots on this list are informal and unsupervised, so they're better suited to older kids and adults with close supervision.
Looking for a Home Near the Water?
From the Finger Lakes to the creeks that run through Monroe County's western suburbs, Kyle can help you find a property close to the spots you actually want to spend your summer at.
Get In Touch
Kyle Hiscock
Lead Agent • Hiscock Homes at REMAX Realty Group
10 Grove St, Pittsford NY 14534
(585) 704-7095 • Licensed 2011 • Full-time since 2013 • REMAX Hall of Fame
| 443+ Verified Closings | $74M+ Total Sales Volume | 5.0★ Client Rating |
Kyle Hiscock is the lead agent at Hiscock Homes at REMAX Realty Group in Pittsford, NY — a second-generation real estate business serving buyers and sellers across Greater Rochester and the surrounding region. With over 14 years of full-time experience and more than 443 verified closings, Kyle brings deep local knowledge to every transaction.
Kyle operates RochesterRealEstateBlog.com as an educational resource for buyers, sellers, and anyone curious about life in the Rochester area. Since launching the blog in 2013, he's published more than 150 in-depth local articles covering home buying, selling, pricing, inspections, mortgages, and Greater Rochester community guides.
Serving: Irondequoit • Webster • Penfield • Pittsford • Fairport • Brighton • Greece • Gates • Hilton • Brockport • Mendon • Henrietta • Perinton • Churchville • Scottsville • East Rochester • Rush • Honeoye Falls • Chili • Victor • and surrounding communities
