What makes a spot swimmable is a bit subjective; what one person finds tolerable (muddy, slimy pond bottom with weeds), another person will not! Some of these suggestions are of the “pack your bathing suit just in case” variety.

If you do a search for swimming on my site, you’ll find many more places that I’ve not included in this list but have tagged for swimming.

*See/Swim is a good resource for finding swimming holes.

Southern Maine (Cumberland and York Counties)

• Massabesic Experimental Forest, Charles E. Swett Trail, Alfred
• Timber Point, Biddeford
• UNE river trail to Freddy Beach, Biddeford
• Rotary Park, Biddeford
• Coffin Pond Recreation Area, Brunswick
• Captain William Fitzgerald Conservation Area, Brunswick
• Pleasant Point Park, Buxton
• Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth 
• Sebago Lake State Park, Casco and Naples
• Broad Cove Reserve, Cumberland
• Shaw Park and Gambo Preserve, Gorham 
• Cummings Preserve, Gorham
• Indian Cellar Preserve, Hollis
• Butler Preserve, Kennebunk
• Jagolinzer Preserve, Limington
• Mackworth Island, Portland
• Tassel Top Park, Raymond
• Ferry Beach State Park, Saco 
• Prouts Neck, Scarborough
• Rogers Farm Parcel, Standish
• Spring Point Shoreway, South Portland
• Mousam Way North (at Springvale Recreation Area/Holdsworth Park), Springvale
• Sebago to the Sea Trail, Section One, and Section Two, Standish
• Bob Fay Memorial Park, Waterboro
• Mill Brook Preserve, Westbrook
• Lowell Preserve/East Windham Conservation Area, Windham
• Littlejohn Island Preserve, Yarmouth (limited parking)

Midcoast Maine (Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, Waldo Counties)

• Porter Preserve, Boothbay
• Center Point Preserve, Bowdoinham
• Pork Point Trail, Bowdoinham
• Wilde’s Road Wildlife Management Area, Bowdoinham
• Pemaquid Pond Preserve, Bremen
• Cosima’s Preserve, Bristol
• Sproul Preserve, Bristol
• Cross Cushing Preserve, Cushing
• Dodge Point Preserve, Damariscotta
• Mt. Waldo and quarry, Frankfort
• Stover’s Point, Harpswell
• Mitchell Field, Harpswell
• Reid State Park, Georgetown
• Fernald’s Neck Preserve, Lincolnville 
• Basin Pond Trails, Monroe
• St. Clair Preserve, Northport
• Craig Brook Fish Hatchery, and Great Pond Mountain, Orland
• Birch Point Beach State Park, Owls Head
• Sprague Pond Preserve, Phippsburg 
• Morse Mountain, Phippsburg 
• Denny Reed Trail, Phippsburg
• Robinson’s Rock, or Bumper Rock, and Totman Cove, Phippsburg (the place to swim is at the beach at Totman Cove, but this is restricted to Phippsburg residents and their guests) 
• Seal Cove Shore, South Bristol
• Bamford Preserve, St. George
• Clark Island Preserve, St. George
• Sandy Point Beach, Stockton Springs
• Swan Lake State Park, Swanville
• Dutch Neck Marine Park, Waldoboro
• MVLT Founders Preserve, Waldoboro
• Peters Pond Preserve, Waldoboro 
• Geele Farm Trail, Waldoboro 

Central Maine (Androscoggin and Kennebec Counties)

• Hallowell Reservoir, Hallowell 
• Beaver Park, Lisbon 
• Litchfield Community Park, Litchfield
• Range Pond State Park, Poland
• “A” Trail and Round Top Mountain (via Monataka Trail to Long Pond), Rome
• Camp Gustin Conservation Area, Sabattus
• Spectacle Pond, Vassalboro 
• Gott Pasture Preserve, Wayne
• Perkins Woods, Wayne
• Bartlett Shore Trail, Unity

Western Maine (Mostly Oxford and Franklin Counties)

• Forest Legacy Trail, Adamstown
• Forest Pond, Canton
• West Mountain Falls, Carrabassett Valley
• Burnt Mountain, Carrabassett Valley (in the pools around 0.3 miles from the trailhead)
• Poplar Stream Falls, Carrabassett Valley
• Little Bigelow, Bigelow Preserve, near Carrabassett Valley (swim in Flagstaff Lake)
• Avery Peak, Bigelow Preserve, via Safford Brook Trail, (swim at Round Barn campsite)
• Bigelow Preserve tarns: There are two ponds along the Bigelow Range Trail, Horns and Cranberry.
• Brownfield Bog, Brownfield (in Saco River)
• Stevens Brook Trail, Bridgton (in Highland Lake)
• Goose Eye Mountain (via the Wright Trail), Grafton Notch State Park
• Howard Pond Overlook, Hanover
• Step Falls Preserve, Newry 
• Lake Pennesseewassee Park, Norway (take a short walk and a long swim)
• Bald Mountain/Speckled Mountain, Peru
• Bonney Point, Rangeley 
• Hatchery Brook Preserve, Rangeley
• Students Island, Rangeley
• Whitecap Mountain, Rumford
• Walrath Woods, Strong
• Tumbledown Mountain, Weld
• Blueberry Mountain and Rattlesnake Pool,  White Mountain National Forest 
• Little Deer and Big Deer Hills, White Mountain National Forest 
• The Roost, White Mountain National Forest
• The White Mountain National Forest in general — There are so many river pools to swim in! 
• Four Ponds Trail on the AT, Rangeley Plantation
• Kineowatha Park, Wilton

Northern Maine (Somerset, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Aroostook counties)

• Blueberry Ledges, Baxter State Park
• South Branch Pond Campground trails, Baxter State Park
• Trout Brook Farm Campground trails, Baxter State Park
• South Turner Mountain (along Sandy Stream Trail), Baxter State Park
• Katahdin Lake trails, Baxter State Park
• The Owl and Katahdin Stream Falls, Baxter State Park
• Pierce Pond Stream Falls, near Bingham
• Houston Brook Falls, Bingham
• Lake George Regional Park, Canaan
• Shore Trail, near Dead River Township
• Rainbow Loop Trails, Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area
• Peaks-Kenny State Park, Dover-Foxcroft
• Blackcap Mountain, Eddington
• Woodchuck Hill, Eddington
• Barren Mountain to Cloud Pond, Elliotsville Township
• Little Wilson Falls Trail, Elliotsville Township
• Third Mountain, Chairback Mountain Loop, Near Greenville
• Lily Bay State Park, Greenville
• Mt. Kineo State Park, near Greenville and Rockwood
• Sally Mountain, near Jackman
• Slidedown Falls, near Jackman
• Oosoola Park, Norridgewock
• Owl’s Head, Scraggly Lake Public Land
• Pleasant Pond Mountain, The Forks (in Pleasant Pond or Moxie Pond)
• Mosquito Mountain, The Forks (in Moxie Pond)
• Moxie Bald Mountain, near West Forks (in Moxie Pond)
• Cold Stream Falls, near West Forks

Downeast (Hancock and Washington counties)

• Beech Mountain, Acadia National Park
• Sargent or Penobscot Mountains (in Sargent Mountain Pond), Acadia National Park
• Ducktail and Partridge Ponds, Amherst
• Harriman Point Preserve, Brooklin
• Holbrook Island Sanctuary, Brooksville
• Vining Lake Community Preserve, Cooper
• Barred Island Preserve, Deer Isle
• Lily Pond Park, Deer Isle
• Scott’s Landing, Deer Isle
• Tunk Lake and Donnell Pond, Donnell Pond Public Land
• Schoodic Mountain, Donnell Pond Public Land
• Tunk Mountain and its hidden ponds, Donnell Pond Public Land
• Dobsis Narrows Trail, Downeast Lakes Community Forest
• Dawn Marie Beach Path, Downeast Lakes Community Forest
• Little Mayberry Cove Trail, Downeast Lakes Community Forest
• Pineo Peaks Trail, Downeast Lakes Community Forest
• Branch Lake Public Forest, Ellsworth
• Fields Pond Audubon Center, Holden
• Patrick Lake Trail, Marion Township
• Acadia Mountain (in Echo Lake), Mount Desert Island
• Little Long Pond Natural Lands, Mount Desert Island
• Breakneck Road and Ponds, Mount Desert Island
• Sargent Mountain Pond (between Penobscot and Sargent mountains), Mount Desert Island
• Craig Brook Fish Hatchery, Orland
• Great Pond Mountain, Orland (in Craig Pond)
• Grotto Hill, Otis
• Roque Bluffs State Park, Roque Bluffs 
• Little Tunk Pond Preserve, Sullivan
• Baker Hill and Long Ledges Preserves, Sullivan
• Carter Nature Preserve, Surry
• Sandy Cove Trail, Trescott (sandy beach, but might be cold!)
• Rocky Lake Preserve, Whiting