The Catskill Mountains in southeastern New York are laced with cold, clear creeks fed by mountain runoff and natural springs — and where those creeks pool up behind rock ledges, beneath waterfalls, or in carved-out streambeds, you get swimming holes. Some are well-known and crowded (especially on summer weekends), others require a longer hike to reach, and a few of the best are technically in the neighboring Shawangunk Ridge rather than the Catskills proper. Here are eight of the best, with the practical details you need to actually visit them.
1. Peekamoose Blue Hole
Location: Sundown Wild Forest, Town of Denning, Ulster County
Walk from parking: ~0.6 miles
The most famous swimming hole in the Catskills — and the most regulated. The Blue Hole is a natural depression in the streambed of Rondout Creek where swirling sand and gravel carved a deep, turquoise-blue pool. The water is strikingly clear and cold. The Rondout Creek feeds into the Rondout Reservoir, which provides nearly half of New York City’s drinking water, so the area is under strict DEC protection.
Permit required: A $10 permit is mandatory 7 days a week from May 15 through September 15. Each permit covers one vehicle and up to 5 people. Permits must be reserved through Reserve America at least 24 hours in advance (up to 7 days ahead). Only 50 permits are issued per day. No walk-in registration. Display the permit in your vehicle — cars without permits will be towed. There is no cell service in the Peekamoose Valley, so get your permit before you arrive.
Rules at the Blue Hole: No alcohol. No glass containers. No coolers larger than 12 inches in any direction. No fires, grills, or stoves of any kind. No radios or audio devices. No generators. Day use only (half hour before sunrise to half hour after sunset). Carry in/carry out — there are no trash facilities. Port-a-johns are provided near the Blue Hole.
The Blue Hole is beautiful and worth the permit logistics, but know what you’re getting into: on summer weekends, even with the 50-permit limit, the area is busy. Weekday visits are significantly quieter. Buttermilk Falls, a nearby waterfall, is accessible from the same parking area and worth combining with your visit.
2. Kaaterskill Falls
Location: Kaaterskill Wild Forest, Haines Falls, Greene County
Hike: ~0.5 miles from the upper trailhead (Laurel House Road) or ~1 mile from the lower trailhead (Route 23A)
Kaaterskill Falls is a two-tiered, 260-foot waterfall — one of the tallest in New York and one of the most iconic sights in the Catskills. There’s a shallow wading/swimming area at the base of the upper tier (the middle ledge between the two drops), but it’s small and typically only about 3–5 feet deep. This is more of a “cool off after the hike” spot than a proper swimming hole. The falls are extremely popular and can be crowded, especially on weekends. Do not stand directly under the main cascade — falling rocks and debris are a real hazard. Swimming at the base of the lower tier is generally not practical due to shallow, rocky terrain. The DEC has installed railings and improved trails in recent years to manage the crowds and reduce accidents.
3. Fawn’s Leap
Location: Kaaterskill Creek, off Route 32A near Palenville, Greene County
Access: Short walk from roadside parking (limited spaces)
Fawn’s Leap is one of the most popular cliff jumping spots in the Catskills — a narrow gorge section of Kaaterskill Creek with rock ledges ranging from roughly 10 to 30 feet above pools that are 10–15 feet deep. The swimming area itself isn’t large, but it’s dramatic and photogenic. Cliff jumping here is genuinely dangerous — serious injuries and deaths have occurred. Water depth varies with flow levels, submerged rocks are present, and the landing zones are not always obvious. If you choose to jump, check depth carefully first and never jump into water you haven’t personally verified.
The area is also accessible from a bridge on Route 32A about 500 feet upstream, where a smaller unnamed waterfall drops into another swimming pool — roughly 15 feet deep and less crowded than the main Fawn’s Leap area. Both spots share the same limited roadside parking down Route 32A. Weekends are packed.
4. Rat’s Hole
Location: Kaaterskill Creek, further downstream from Fawn’s Leap, off Route 32A
Access: Short hike from parking lot
Despite the unappealing name, Rat’s Hole is a popular swimming area on Kaaterskill Creek downstream from Fawn’s Leap. The pool is roughly 12 feet deep with some cliff-jumping spots around 10 feet high. There was historically a rope swing here, but the tree was cut down. The area is accessible from one of the Route 32A parking lots — you can hike downstream from Fawn’s Leap to Rat’s Hole and combine both in one visit. Like everything on this stretch of Kaaterskill Creek, it gets busy on summer weekends.
5. Vernooy Kill Falls
Location: Sundown Wild Forest, near Kerhonkson, Ulster County
Hike: ~1.8 miles each way (3.6 miles round trip) from the Upper Cherrytown Road trailhead
Vernooy Kill Falls is a beautiful waterfall with a swimmable pool at its base, and the hike to reach it is the reason it’s less crowded than anything else on this list. The trail is relatively flat and well-maintained — it follows an old road along the Vernooy Kill creek through hemlock forest. The swimming hole at the falls is modest in size but clean and cold, and on weekdays you may have it to yourself. This is the best option on this list for people who want a quieter experience and don’t mind earning it with a nearly 4-mile round trip hike.
6. North Lake Beach
Location: North-South Lake State Campground, Haines Falls, Greene County
Access: Drive-up (day-use fee in summer)
If you want a supervised swimming area with actual lifeguards, bathrooms, and changing facilities, North Lake Beach at the North-South Lake State Campground is the best option in the Catskills. It’s a designated swimming beach on a mountain lake surrounded by Catskill peaks — scenic, clean, and family-friendly. A day-use fee applies during summer season. The campground is also the starting point for several of the Catskills’ best hikes, including the trail to Kaaterskill Falls and the Escarpment Trail. This is the right choice for families with young children or anyone who wants a no-risk swimming experience in a gorgeous setting.
7. Plattekill Falls (Platte Clove Preserve)
Location: Platte Clove Preserve, Elka Park, Greene County
Access: Short hike from Steenburgh Road parking lot
Plattekill Falls is a stunning 60-foot waterfall managed by the Catskill Center, with a pool at the base that’s swimmable when water levels are right. The hike in is short and relatively easy. The Platte Clove area is less visited than the Kaaterskill Falls corridor, making it a good alternative when the main Catskills swimming spots are overrun. Platte Clove Road itself is narrow, steep, and seasonal — check conditions before driving it.
8. Split Rock Swimming Hole (Mohonk Preserve)
Location: Mohonk Preserve, near New Paltz, Ulster County
Note: This is technically in the Shawangunk Ridge, not the Catskills — but it’s close enough that most people include it in Catskills swimming guides.
Split Rock is a popular swimming spot on the Coxing Kill within Mohonk Preserve. The pool is relatively shallow — about 5 feet at its deepest — making it more of a wading/cooling-off spot than a deep swimming hole. Access requires a Mohonk Preserve day pass (fee required; check mohonkpreserve.org for current rates). The area gets crowded on hot weekends, but the shallow, cold water deters many people from actually getting in. The surrounding rock formations are striking, and you can combine the visit with hiking on Mohonk Preserve’s extensive trail network.
Safety at Catskills Swimming Holes
Catskills swimming holes are unsupervised natural water — no lifeguards, no posted depth markers, no guaranteed safe conditions. A few things to keep in mind:
Water temperature: Mountain streams in the Catskills are cold even in midsummer. Expect water in the 55–65°F range at most swimming holes. Cold-water shock is a real risk, especially if you jump in from a cliff without acclimating. Wade in gradually.
Water levels: Conditions change dramatically with rainfall. A pool that’s 10 feet deep in June might be 3 feet deep in August, and a calm creek can become a dangerous torrent after a heavy rain. Check recent weather before visiting any swimming hole, especially for cliff jumping.
Cliff jumping: Multiple people have been seriously injured or killed cliff jumping in the Catskills. Never jump into water you haven’t personally checked for depth and submerged obstacles. Depth can vary by several feet depending on flow. Rock surfaces are often slippery. If you’re not experienced, don’t do it.
NYC watershed: Much of the Catskills is part of the New York City drinking water watershed. Swimming is tolerated in most areas but not officially encouraged. Respect the water — no soap, no sunscreen in the water if you can avoid it, and always carry out all trash.
Parking: Parking at popular swimming holes (especially Fawn’s Leap, Rat’s Hole, and Peekamoose) is extremely limited. Arrive early on weekends or plan a weekday visit. Do not park on road shoulders where prohibited — your car will be ticketed or towed.
For more swimming and outdoor destinations, see Fall Creek Falls swimming, New Hampshire swimming holes, Beavers Bend State Park, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
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