Smith River Swimming Holes | Free + Day Use + Camping
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Have you been to any of the Smith River Swimming Holes? The Smith River National Recreation Area is a gorgeous place to go for a swim when in Southern Oregon or along the Northern California Coast. With crystal clear waters, gorgeous mountains surrounding the river, and multiple river access points right off the highway, you’re sure to find more than one Smith River swimming holes perfect for you!
The Smith River, as talked about in this post, is borderline Oregon. When driving from Grants Pass, or Southern Oregon to the Oregon Coast, you follow Highway 199, from Oregon dipping down into California along the Smith River, and then up connect back up into Oregon on the Pacific Coast Highway 1. It’s easy to get confused and think you’re still in Oregon when visiting these places to swim on the Smith River.
We discuss areas to swim on both the middle fork of the Smith River and the south fork Smith River. Both have amazing views, clean water, and multiple river access points run by the National Forest Service.
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!
Smith River Swimming Holes Off Highway 199
The Smith River offers some gorgeous scenery and swimming holes right off Highway 199. If you’re looking for swimming holes off Highway 199 closer to Grants Pass, check out the Illinois River. It’s clear like the Smith, and offers pristine swimming as well!
Sandy Beach Smith River River Access | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Sandy Beach River Access and Swimming Hole:
- Pull off to the side of the road
- Bathrooms
- Sandy beach one way with real calm water
- Rapid/waterfall type thing the other way
- Not much room for many people on the water
- Shallow, but swimmable
- Flat trail to water after the short stair section right from the road
- No Garbage, pack out what you pack in
- Free
Sandy Beach River Access is a great place to spend a day on the Smith River. Even though the river access is right off the road, with a beautiful waterfall tumbling into the swimming area, all road sounds are drowned out. The calmer water with more of a relaxed swimming area and the actual sandy beach is located closer to the road, making the river time not so relaxing.
We saw people here swimming with boogie boards, and older couple jumping in just for a quick refreshing dip, and a family with a dog just lounging around reading in the shade.
While there’s not much space to really set up a large area with a big group of people, Sandy Beach on the Smith River is great for a couple heading out just to get some cooler peace and quiet.
Mary Adams Peacock Memorial Bridge | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Mary Adams Peacock Memorial Bridge Swimming Hole:
- Bathrooms in the parking area
- To the left, right after the bridge
- Calm water
- Deep, proper swimming hole
- Beachy area with small pebbles
- Free
The swimming hole at Mary Adams Peacock Memorial Bridge is beautiful. The parking lot is massive, making it a great place to pull off for a swim with a trailer in tow, or in a motorhome too!
The walk down to the river from the road is short but steep, but the deep swimming hole and pebble beach are worth the hike! The only downside of this Smith River swimming hole is the bathroom is back up at the top of the steep walk in the parking lot.
Middle Fork Gorge Swimming Hole | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Middle Fork Gorge Swimming Hole:
- Paved parking right off the highway
- Dirt road high Clearance necessary
- Not deep water, but good for wading in
- Clear with a small current
- Sand and big rocks
- Lots of road noise
- Small swimming hole
- Free
I’m not 100% sure this can be classified as one of the best Smith River swimming holes, or even a place to swim in general, but rather a place to wade in the water and do some fishing. The “swimming hole” area of Middle Fork Gorge is rather small, and with only one small deep area and the rest shallow water with a current, it’s not the best for actually swimming.
There is quite a bit of road noise at Middle Fork Gorge, with Highway 199 being basically level with the river at this point, making it not the most relaxing place to go. However, if you just need to let your dogs out, or need to jump in the water for a quick cool down, this is the place for you! This is the easiest Smith River access points we’ve seen.
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park River Access | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park Swimming Hole:
- Fee area
- National park pass works
- Toilets
- Trash
- Picnic area
- Parking lot or drive-up access
- Jumping rock
- Calm water
- Super busy
- Sand and rocky areas
Holy smokes!!!… is this the river hot spot on the Smith River! I’ve never seen it as busy as it was when we stopped there on a Friday evening, but boy, was it pumping! Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is probably one of the most popular Smith River swimming holes around!
Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park is one of the prettiest bits of the Redwoods in our opinion. Just driving through the park showcases the massive trees around, and swimming and picnicking within them — even better!
There is a limited amount of paved parking at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, however, if you have an off-roading vehicle, you can drive right up to the water on the rocky beach area. More cars and trucks parked in the rocks than in the parking places in the day-use area when we were there, making it super crowded.
Picnic tables, toilets, trash facilities, and even camping can be found at this swimming hole on the Smith River, making it a great place to plan a couple of days away. The hikes within the Redwoods right around this area are fantastic, and it’s truly amazing how much natural beauty you can literally drive right through here!
Even if you’re not planning to stay and swim here, do a quick drive through this park — we’ve done it countless times and it still leaves us in awe!
Under Bridge Swimming Area | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Swimming Area Under Bridge:
- Walking down under the bridge
- Steep walk
- Small rocky area
- Smooth river
- Free
Right across from North Bank Road (Highway 197), this swimming area only has space for two or three cars, and is a rather steep walk down to the water. However, this place provides shade right under the bridge, and a massive area to swim around at!
Looking upriver from this swimming hole, you’ll see Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park just filled with people, and downriver (really just across the swimming hole) you’ll see loads of people accessing the river from the next place on this list. Stopping here grants you an area where you won’t be directly surrounded by others while sunbathing and relaxing on the water.
Just Over Bridge Swimming Hole | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Swimming Hole Just Over Bridge:
- Dirt road on right– immediately after crossing the bridge
- Fantastic place
- Large open area
- Rock shore
- Lots of kayaks and paddleboards
- Drive-up access
- Free
This swimming area is located just over the bridge as you pass the Highway 197 turn off. Be careful not to miss it, as the turnoff is immediately when the bridge ends. You’ll see a yellow road sign reminding you to share the road with cyclists, and the right-hand turn is just before that.
We weren’t too comfortable driving our little car down the dirt road and onto the rocks, but if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, this is a great place to swim on the Smith River!
There is a huge rock parking area, and it’s really just an unbelievably massive swimming hole. The water is crystal clear, and is the perfect place to put in to paddleboard or kayak around!
Smith River Swimming Holes Off North Bank Road | Highway 197
Ruby Van Deventer County Park | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Ruby Van Deventer County Park Swimming Hole:
- Day use $5
- Camping $20
- Paved parking area, however, also drive-up river access
- Super calm water
- Bushes all along the water with a small cleared rocky area
- Not much room for privacy at river or space
- No trash
- No bathrooms
If we’re being 100% honest here, we don’t really see the attraction to this swimming hole. However, we know not everyone shares the same opinions we do, so we’re including it within this post. Ruby Van Deventer is a campground and day-use river area right off Highway 197.
Half the campsites are right on the road, while the ones on the river area all at angles, and the ones in the middle are all stacked right on top of each other. The river access here was slim to none with lots of river bushes along the river bank.
With the day-use fee, you do not get bathrooms or trash services, and instead get a sign that says, “no toilets, no trash, nothing is free.” — maybe that was our big turn off! The plus side of this Ruby Van Deventer is the river is quite calm!
Pullouts Along Highway 197 | Find Them Scattered Along the River Side of the Road
Quick Facts on Swimming Hole Pullouts Along North Bank Road:
- No bathrooms
- Pack it in pack it out
- Multiple pullouts all along Highway 197
- Free
There are a number of pullouts along the road going up to the Oregon Coast. Some are easier to access the Smith River than others, and all require a small hike down the bank.
These spots are great though because there aren’t many parking spots, so there won’t be too many other people around you. We didn’t feel it was necessary to mark each and every spot along the water, as the pullouts are rather obvious. Just be careful of the fast cars on the highway, as you cross over to a pullout and with getting in and out of your vehicle.
Swimming Holes On The Smith River | Off South Fork Road
Myrtle Beach Swimming Hole | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Myrtle Beach Swimming Hole:
- Free
- Paved parking area
- Steep & rocky walk down
- Great beach area to hang out at
- Jumping rocks and pristine swimming
Myrtle Beach is a fantastic Smith River swimming hole. It’s a bit tricky to access with the steep and rocky trail to the water, but once you get to the bottom the hassle is worth it.
The water is pristine, there’s jumping rocks and sandy sunbathing areas, and again, a great place to float around on tubes! While we’re not fishers, we’ve read that this is a great place to fish as well!
The Forks Swimming Hole | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on The Forks Swimming Hole:
- Vault Toilets
- Trash
- Paved parking area
- 5-minute walk to jumping rocks spot
- Unload at the boat launch and swim there too
- No beachy area at jumping rocks just rocks above water
- Jumping rocks not for little kids
- Watch for poison oak
- Good for paddleboarding
- Free
The Forks Swimming Hole is a rather popular swimming hole on the Smith River. From the parking lot, you can take three different trails to different river access points.
Taking the trail from the bathrooms and going right, leads to a very scenic area where the middle and south forks of the Smith River join together. This has great jumping rocks and makes for some lovely photos. This is where Jay has fond memories of heading when he was younger with his buddies. We’d not recommend this place for young kids, as the river is only accessible by jumping off the rocks!
Taking the same trail from the bathrooms in the parking lot, but heading to the left, leads to a beachy area great for sunbathing, swimming, and floating in tubes around the water and even down some small rapids.
The last trail, which is really more of just the boat ramp access area, is great for people bringing a lot of stuff to the river, as you can drive most the way down to the water, and then unload your river day fun! This is a great place to paddleboard, as you can drop your board off, park your car, and then get on the water and paddle up and down both forks of the Smith River!
Craig’s Beach Swimming Hole | Find Exact Location Here
Quick Facts on Craig’s Beach Swimming Hole:
- Picnic table
- Pit toilets
- No garbage, pack our what you pack in
- Proper swimming hole deep water
- Shallow below the hole for tiny tots play
- Small rapid above for play!
- Dangerous rapids below
- Quiet area
- Shallow upstream
- 5-minute walk to water
- Shaded rock area for hanging at 4:30
- Free
We walked down to Craig’s Beach expecting to browse the area and take a few notes and photos for this post, but ended up jumping in the water in our underwear and dress because the water was just so inviting!
Craig’s Beach swimming hole is a big deep water area with a strange current wrapping around the outer part of the swimming hole. The rapids causing the current at the top of the swimming hole are not very safe to go in without a floaty, as they pulled Heather down underwater swiftly.
However, the swimming hole flattens out and offers a great place to wade in the calm water, while also offering a large and peaceful area to swim in for more experienced swimmers.
Like most other places, the bathrooms are located at the parking lot (a five-minute walk from the river access), and the path is all downhill, to the water, though not too steep as it zigzags up the bank.
Places to Stay Near These Smith River Swimming Holes
AirBnB | With the Smith River not really flowing through any big towns, there aren’t too many AirBnB options on the water. You can look into staying in the town of Smith River, or Crescent City, or possibly even Gasquet. AirBnB is a great option to be able to stay at a beach house not too far from the Smith River!
Hotel Stays | If staying in someone else’s home doesn’t tickle your fancy, search for hotels in either Crescent City or Brookings. 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! Crescent City is a good option if traveling through California and into the Redwoods, while Brookings would be the way to go if you plan on heading up the Oregon Coast.
Camping | Jedediah Smith State Park offers camping right in the Redwoods and along the Smith River, or you could look into camping on the coast at Harris Beach State Park in Brookings. There are also a number of smaller campgrounds that run along the Smith River not listed in this post that a quick Google search can help you find!
READ MORE | Vanlife + Travel Apps to Find Free Parking + Camping + More
Getting To And Around The Smith River
Flying | The closest “international” airport to the river access spots on the Smith River is Medford International Airport. Look for flights from your location to MFR (or Medford, Oregon), although fair warning the Smith River is roughly 100 miles from the Medford airport. This is the search engine we use when booking flights.
Rental Cars | If you’re not from the area or don’t have your own car, you’ll want to rent a car to explore these Smith River swimming holes. There is no public transportation accessing these river spots, so you’ll certainly need your own! If you want to access the drive up river places on the Smith River, then be sure to rent a 4×4 vehicle and/or a vehicle with high clearance.
Find The Cheapest Rental Car For You Here.
