Lesser-Known New Hampshire Swimming Holes
These New Hampshire swimming holes are quieter picks than the headline summer stops, but they are still places we can describe clearly with usable access notes.
The goal is not to promise empty water or secret access. It is to give you lower-profile New Hampshire options with enough context to compare the day before you drive.
Rank 1: Agassiz Basin — Woodstock
A short-walk gorge of potholes and small pools on Moosilauke Brook in North Woodstock; also known as Indian Leap.
- Can you swim?
- Conditional swim or wade access. Check flow and signage
- Walk
- 5-10 min one way
Rank 2: Sawyer Rock — Bartlett
A WMNF Saco River swim-and-ledge stop in Bartlett, 2.8 mi west of the village on US 302.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 10-15 min one way
Rank 3: Lady's Bathtub — Lincoln
A small informal brook pool near Lincoln referenced in older White Mountains guides.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 4: Garnet Pool — Conway
A small brook-tributary swim pool in Conway — a quieter alternative to the busier Saco stops.
- Can you swim?
- Conditional swim or wade access. Check flow and signage
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 5: Humphreys Ledge — Conway
A Saco River swim at a low bedrock ledge south of Conway village.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 6: First Bridge — Conway
The classic Saco River swim and tubing stop at the first bridge on West Side Road in Conway.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 5-10 min one way
Rank 7: Cascade Park — Woodstock
A small North Woodstock village-park swim stop with a ledge-and-pool feel in the Western White Mountains.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 10-15 min one way
Rank 8: Davis Park — Conway
A small Saco River park in Conway with casual river-swim access and canoe put-in.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 5-10 min one way
Rank 9: Smarts Brook Swimming Hole — Thornton
A clear brook pool about a mile up the Smarts Brook Trail from NH 49 in Thornton.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 15 min
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