Savage Gulf – Greeter Falls & Blue Hole
A natural swimming hole at the base of lush Greeter Falls within Savage Gulf, part of South Cumberland State Park.
Tennessee
Foster Falls
A large swimming hole with cold, clear water at the base of a dramatic 60-foot waterfall, popular with rock climbers
Stone Door / Laurel Falls (South Cumberland)
A 25-foot waterfall behind the Stone Door Ranger Station with a small pool, part of the South Cumberland trail network.
Machine Falls / Normandy Lake (Short Springs Natural Area)
A moderate hike to a waterfall, with the option to also swim in nearby Normandy Lake; part of the Short
Chickamauga Creek (“Blue Hole”)
An unofficial “Blue Hole” and other swimming spots along Chickamauga Creek near Chattanooga.
Midnight Hole (Big Creek)
One of the most famous swimming holes in the Smokies — an emerald pool between boulders fed by a small
Carmac Falls
A lesser-known waterfall and swimming spot near Smithville, in the region bordering the Cumberland Plateau.
Townsend Wye (“The Y”)
A fork in the Little River popular for tubing and swimming, with small rapids, a jump-off rock, and large pools.
Fort Dickerson Park Quarry
A scenic flooded Civil War-era quarry turned swimming hole, just minutes from downtown Knoxville.
Metcalf Bottoms (Little River)
Family-friendly picnic area with several shallow swimming holes ideal for wading, floating, and tubing.