Delaware Seashore State Park
A large coastal state park offering both ocean-side swimming (lifeguarded in summer) and calmer bay-side swimming near Indian River Inlet
river
Phillips Landing (Nanticoke River)
A scenic Nanticoke River access point near Laurel — primarily used for picnics and as a boat launch, though people
Indian Well State Park (Housatonic River)
A supervised Housatonic River swim beach in Shelton, with lifeguards on duty in season — one of the more reassuringly
Bulls Bridge (Housatonic River)
A historic 1842 covered bridge over a scenic but genuinely fast stretch of the Housatonic River — worth noting the
Higganum Cove
A quieter Connecticut River cove access point near Haddam, mentioned in regional social-media roundups as a family-friendly, lower-key alternative to
Eagle Landing (Connecticut River)
A Connecticut River access point near Haddam offering river swimming and access alongside boating — note the river is tidally
Quechee Gorge
Vermont’s deepest gorge (165 ft) draws crowds to its dramatic overlook bridge — but the swimmable river access is a
Jamaica State Park (West River)
A scenic West River park best known nationally for scheduled Ball Mountain Dam whitewater releases that draw competitive kayakers —
Bridge to Nowhere (East Fork San Gabriel River)
A popular but genuinely strenuous hike to a historic 1936 bridge left stranded after a flood destroyed the road it
South Yuba River (Highway 49 Crossing / Purdon Crossing)
A beloved Sierra foothill swimming river with numerous granite-bottomed pools, several popular for cliff jumping — part of California’s largest