Lareau Swim Hole
Plan your visit to Lareau Swim Hole
Swim: allowed. Day-of planner for the Mad River at Lareau Swim Hole: easy roadside access and a short walk, cold water, mixed use (waders, floaters, jumpers), and busy fair-weather weekends. Map holds the pin; Conditions holds live weather plus a down-valley river graph that shows 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, 29°F. National Weather Service forecast, updated Apr 7, 1:06 AM.
- River flow: 524 cfs. MAD RIVER NEAR MORETOWN, VT · updated Apr 7, 12:00 AM · USGS
- Crowd & parking: Summer pressure. Fair-weather weekends mean more cars and people at the banks.
Details
Parking
Primary access is across Vermont Route 100 from the Lareau Farm area. Park only where posting clearly allows; keep through traffic and driveways clear. Summer weekends add shoulder pressure—have a backup plan if the corridor feels full.
Driving approach
Waitsfield on Route 100 in the Mad River Valley. Use the Map tab for the maintainer pin and driving link; approach from the north (Waterbury) or south (Rochester / Warren) depending on your trip.
GPS clarification
**Navigate your car** to main parking / entry—not a specific ledge or pool depth. **Walk** is usually **a short stroll** from typical parking to the river edge, depending on where you stop (see Walk-in). Match the pin to what you see before you unload.
Trail map, pinned coordinates, and turn-by-turn links: Map.
Seasonal note. Spring snowmelt and summer thunderstorms are the usual drivers of high, fast water. Mid-summer can look gentler at the surface while the water stays cold.