Rooster Rock State Park (Columbia Gorge beach)
A large, easy-access sandy beach on the Columbia River about 30 minutes east of Portland — note this park includes
Oregon
Collins Beach (Sauvie Island)
A Columbia River beach on Sauvie Island close to downtown Portland — worth noting this specific beach (unlike others on
Rogue River (Grants Pass / Gold Hill area)
A classic Southern Oregon river swimming and tubing destination in its calmer lower stretches near Grants Pass — the same
Umpqua Hot Springs
A series of natural, terraced hot spring pools overlooking the North Umpqua River — a warm-soak destination rather than a
Punchbowl Falls (Eagle Creek Trail)
One of the most iconic swimming holes in the Pacific Northwest — a 36-foot waterfall dropping into a deep, bowl-shaped
Lake Billy Chinook / Cove Palisades State Park
A 72-mile-shoreline reservoir framed by 400-foot rimrock cliffs where three rivers converge; developed day-use areas offer sandy beaches and floating
High Rocks Park (Clackamas River)
A popular, close-to-Portland (under an hour) river swimming spot on the Clackamas River known for multiple cliff-jumping heights of varying
Deschutes River (Bend — Farewell Bend Park to Drake Park)
A gentle, steady-flowing stretch of the Deschutes running right through downtown Bend, popular for floating, tubing, and casual swimming between
Tumalo Creek / Tumalo State Park
A locally popular creek near Bend offering a cooler alternative to the Deschutes, with several easy-access swimming spots within the
Metolius River (Camp Sherman area)
One of Oregon’s most pristine spring-fed rivers, running a constant, icy temperature year-round near the small community of Camp Sherman