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Southern Oregon is full of great places to swim along the rivers. With the many rivers in Southern Oregon, you’re sure to find a swimming hole that’s perfect for you. The Applegate River runs through the Applegate Valley (about an hour outside Grants Pass, 45 minutes outside Medford) offering swimming holes without too much of a current in most places.
The Applegate River is fed from Applegate Lake, a reservoir in Southern Oregon formed in 1980 in the middle of the Rogue River / Siskiyou National Forest. With access to the river both above Applegate Lake and below, there are many sites to choose from. Swimming holes on the Applegate near Murphy are easier and quicker to access from Grants Pass.
Please remember, when swimming in the river, always watch your children closely. Be sure to know your swimming capabilities, and test the strength of the current before getting in.
You can always throw a stick in the water to see how fast the water is moving! And please, do not jump or dive in the water without first checking how deep the water actually is!
Free Places To Swim On The Applegate River
Murphy Pull Out | roughly 15 minutes outside Grants Pass | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on the Murphy Pullout Swimming Hole
- No garbage cans. What you pack in you must pack out. Even better if you leave the place cleaner than you found it!
- It’s a dirt parking lot, with little shade to park under. While the majority of the parking lot can be accessed by any type of car, a high clearance vehicle is needed to park near some swimming spots.
- Plenty of parking for RVs and campers, though no overnight stays allowed
- Completely free to use
- There isn’t really a sandy beach or even stone area to relax at on the water’s edge. You’ll mainly find blackberry bushes lining the river and a couple of small dirt areas to set up for the day.
- The river bottom at this swimming hole is rocks, and they can be rather slippery, so do take care when walking in/across the river.
- Sun exposure is limited unless you’re in the middle of the river
We’ve driven by this parking area many times and on any given day when the sun’s out, there have been cars there. In fact, even when it’s not warm there are always a couple of cars parked there. In the countless times we’ve driven by, we’ve never actually stopped to see what the hype was about – we’ve always just thought of this place on the Applegate to be a fishing hot spot, not a swim area. But boy, we were wrong.
While you won’t find the typical spots to jump in the water or float down the river for miles, at this river pullout near Murphy, you’ll find multiple river access points to simply relax or even sit in the middle of the river while the water washes by around you. There are even a couple places that are a bit deeper to actually swim in too. With multiple little nooks to park in, you’re sure to find a swimming spot that’s perfect for you, your dog, and your family!
Speaking of dogs, the Murphy pullout is the perfect swimming hole for dogs! We saw people training their dogs for duck hunting, and multiple people swing in just to play fetch with their dogs in the river for a few minutes before loading back into the car!
McKee Bridge | 35 miles from Grants Pass + 22 miles from Medford | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on the McKee Bridge Swimming Hole
- Access is free, but for day use only
- Toilets and potable water are both available
- There are trash bins in the parking area and a big dumpster just outside the day use area
- Easy access to the water, with a few steps to walk down
- Grassy/dirt/rock along the water to lay out blankets and chairs
- Mix of rock and gravel in the water, so not too slippery to walk around at
- Sitting area shaded in late afternoon, but swimming area still has some sun!
Swimming in the midst of some rich history is what you’ll find at McKee Bridge near Applegate Lake. I don’t know why we didn’t spend more time at McKee Bridge growing up in Southern Oregon, but this might just be our favorite free swimming hole on the Applegate River.
With a massive day use area, complete with picnic tables, BBQ setups, and even a piano in the main meeting area, McKee Bridge is an absolute hidden gem on the Applegate. There are a few places to jump off rocks, a (rather dangerous looking) rope swing, places to wade in the water, and on the opposite side of the river places to float down with the current. This swimming spot near Applegate Lake has it all!
Applegate River Pullout at Applegate Bridge | 19 miles outside Grants Pass + 21 miles from Medford | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on the Applegate River Pullout Swimming Hole
- Access is free, not really parking or space for more than five vehicles
- No garbage or toilets, so this is a complete pack it in pack it out swimming hole
- Easy access to the water, with a trail leading down to the river
- Rocks and small pebbles along the river with areas for blankets and chairs
- Along the river is completely shaded, so a great place to go with the kids!
This little river pullout is big enough for maybe five groups of people.. all together in one area, but is a great place to spend the day nonetheless. There are small rapids here making it the perfect place for kids a little bit older, and also some built-up areas with no current at all and super shallow for the younger kids to play in.
While you won’t find jumping rocks or rope swings, this secret spot below the bridge in Applegate is perfect for a day of escaping the heat and relaxing on the river. If you’re looking for a more private river experience with space for yourself, this won’t be an ideal location for you. But if you don’t mind sharing space with other river goers, the rapids drown out the noise of the road, and we think it’s a lovely spot for a river day!
Day Use Fee Places To Swim On The Applegate River
Turtle Lane | roughly 17 minutes outside Grants Pass | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on the Turtle Lane Swimming Hole
- Paid for swimming hole .. $5 per vehicle $20 per bus … cash only!
- No campfires or Charcoal stoves
- Porta-potty and trash bins available
- Flat dirt trail, well maintained, but a couple minute walk from your car
- Deep water, sandy bottom, and little current in area below the rapids
- Poison oak and potentially ticks line the trails, though most are wide enough to avoid both
- Sandy beachy areas with sun in early day
- Dogs are allowed, though they must be kept on a leash
Jason grew up going to the swimming hole at Turtle Lane. For years, access to Turtle Lane was free, and though there was the parking lot that is there today, it was completely closed and visitors would simply park along the road. It wasn’t up until recently that the Turtle Lane swimming hole is a day-use fee area, however, that may not be a bad thing!
The five-dollar day use fee (for cars, buses are $20) covers parking in the shaded, paved parking lot, access to a porta-potty and trash bins, and well-maintained paths leading to the different swimming areas along this stretch of the Applegate River. A simple two to three-minute walk from the parking lot awards you with some amazing swimming holes and even places to float down small rapids!
Fish Hatchery | 16 minutes outside Grants Pass | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Fish Hatchery Swimming Hole
- $5 day use fee.. covering picnic tables and trash services and a few porta potties for use.
- Paved parking in large parking lot, but not best suited for RVs or campers.
- About a minute walk to the river access from parking area
- No current and the river bed is big rocks and sand, awesome for little kids!
- Loads of people (very busy) on the weekend
- Lots of shade on the south side, mix of shade and sun on the north side of the river access
- Grass and dirt area huge for setting up for the day… And super flat too!
When talking with my dad about swimming holes on the Applegate River, he was quick to mention Fish Hatchery. Neither of us remembers ever going to Fish Hatchery though, and when we visited on a weekend in the middle of July, we were quick to understand why. This place was jam-packed!!
With access to this swimming hole from both sides of the river, there were literally hundreds of people swimming and relaxing along the river. BBQs were going, lots of people were smoking and playing loud music, and man, it was just chaotic and busy. But… we went on the weekend, so we’re still including it because maybe it would be better on a weekday!
It’s rather understandable why Fish Hatchery is a hot spot for swimming on the Applegate though. With little to no current, access to the water on both sides of the river, and loads of space for BBQs hammocking and setting up camp for the day, this could be a great swimming hole. Or I guess we should say it is a great swimming hole for all those who do go! The water is shallow and calm making it a great place for kids, just beware that it may be a bit overcrowded for your liking – it certainly was for us!
Cantrall Buckley Park | 27 miles from Grants Pass + 16 miles from Medford | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Cantrall Buckley Swimming Hole
- $4 day use fee
- Porta potties are available, but no trash cans… pack it in and pack it out, please.
- Some shaded parking in the dirt parking lot, but a lot of the parking is exposed to sun
- Lots of private like areas without direct river access, have to go down a foot-tall bank to access the river in the more private spots.
- Some shade in river access points, but mainly in the sun.
A bit out of town for most people from Grants Pass, but so worth the drive! Cantrall Buckley is a great swimming spot along the Applegate River. This swimming hole boasts lots of tucked away private spots, and one larger spot for people looking to enjoy the river with other swimmers.
It has areas of little current, perfect floatable currents, and is just deep enough to really swim in too. While we’d probably say it’s not too safe to jump off the rocks in the area, the swimming channels along the river are great!
Don’t mistake the Cantrall Buckley swimming hole for the day use area. The day use area is great if you don’t want access to the river, but for swimming along the Applegate, you’ll want to go just passed the day use area and straight over to the dirt parking lot right off Hamilton Road.
We saw families with kids in diapers and older couples with no kids running around enjoying this place. It really is great for all ages!
Places To Stay Near The Applegate River
Hotel Stays | If staying in someone else’s home doesn’t tickle your fancy, search for hotels in either Grants Pass or Medford. You’ll have a bit of a drive to most of these places. However, with the google map links above, they will be easy to find! Medford is a bigger city with more hotel options than Grants Pass, but you’ll find some nice ones in Grants Pass too.
Camping | There are not many places to boondock / wild camp along the Applegate River, but there are loads of proper campgrounds right on the river! Do a quick Google search to find many of them! There’s even one at Cantrall Buckley swimming hole!
LEARN MORE | How To Camp For Free + Rules To Follow
Getting To And Around The Applegate River
Flying | The closest airport to the river access spots on the Applegate is Medford International Airport. Look for flights from your location to MFR(or Medford, Oregon).
This is the search engine we use when booking flights.
Rental Cars | If you’re not from the area and don’t have your own car, you’ll want to rent a car to explore these swimming holes on the Applegate. There is no public transportation accessing these river spots, so you’ll certainly need your own!
