The Cornfield Swimming Hole
Plan your visit to The Cornfield Swimming Hole
Swim: allowed. Day-of planner for The Cornfield on the West River: informal Route 30 pull-off after the I-91 underpass, short worn path, wide natural river bar with shallow and deeper water, no lifeguards, and conditions that change with rain and upstream flow. Map holds the pin; Conditions holds live weather and USGS trend—not depth at your feet.
Can I go right now?
Same quick read as the top of Conditions: weather and river can update from public data when it is available; crowd, trail, and similar lines stay from the guide. For hourly detail, water sections, and sources, open Conditions.
- Weather: Partly Cloudy, 31°F. National Weather Service forecast, updated Apr 7, 1:06 AM.
- River flow: 1220 cfs. WEST RIVER BELOW TOWNSHEND DAM NEAR TOWNSHEND, VT · updated Apr 7, 12:30 AM · USGS
- Crowd & parking: Informal shoulder. Hot days stack cars at a single pull-off—have a backup plan.
Details
Parking
Informal roadside pull-off only on Vermont Route 30 at the end of the guardrail, immediately after the I-91 underpass when traveling northbound. There is no designated lot and no official parking facility—use the shoulder only where it is clearly safe and allowed; if it is not, skip the stop.
Driving approach
Route 30 north from Brattleboro toward the West River corridor. Use the Map tab for the maintainer pin and driving link.
GPS clarification
**Navigate your car** to the **Route 30 pull-off** after the I-91 underpass—not a pool centerline. **Walk** **a few minutes** on the informal path to the river bar (see Walk-in). Match the pin and road context before you stop.
Trail map, pinned coordinates, and turn-by-turn links: Map.
Seasonal note. Spring snowmelt and summer thunderstorms drive high water on the West River. Winter ice and short days make this a different access picture altogether.