The short answer. The closest true swimming hole to The Leeway is Big Deep in Woodstock (about 15 minutes; free, but with enforced roadside parking and no facilities). The bucket-list swim is the Peekamoose Blue Hole (about 40 minutes), which requires a $10 vehicle permit seven days a week from May 15 to September 15, capped at 50 per day — reserve ahead. Go on a weekday morning: every spot below is calmest then, and the permitted spots are now the least crowded of all.
The hard part of Catskills swimming holes isn't finding them — every listicle names the same five spots. The hard part is that the rules keep changing: the most famous hole now requires a paid permit seven days a week, the iconic Phoenicia tubing outfitter has closed, one beloved Woodstock spot has gone private, and parking enforcement at the rest is real (tickets at Big Deep are not a rumor). A guide written three summers ago will get you turned around — or fined.
This guide covers the spots we actually send guests to, organized from closest to farthest from our base in Mount Tremper. Every access rule, permit requirement, and closure below was verified in June 2026 against official or primary sources. Things still change mid-season, so reconfirm before a weekend trip — especially anything involving a permit.
One disclosure up front: The Leeway sits directly on the Esopus Creek, and we lead with what creek access at the property actually is (and honestly, isn't) before getting to the true swimming holes nearby.
What makes a Catskills swimming hole worth the drive?
A good Catskills swimming hole comes down to three things: the water, the access, and the rules. The water question is depth and source — spring-fed and creek-fed holes like the Blue Hole stay cold even in August, while shallow lake edges like Colgate warm to genuinely comfortable by midsummer. The access question is the one listicles skip: how far is the walk from the car, is the parking lot or a ticketed roadside pull-off, and what happens on a Saturday at noon. The rules question is newest: several spots now run permit systems with daily caps, and showing up without one means being turned away by a ranger, not waved in.
The honest summary for 2026: weekdays beat weekends everywhere, mornings beat afternoons, and the spots with permit systems are now often the calmest — the caps did exactly what they were designed to do.
Esopus Creek at The Leeway — Mount Tremper, NY (our backyard, with caveats)
The Leeway's six acres front the Esopus Creek — a combination of rocky beach and grassy bank, and one of the prettiest stretches of water in the valley. Here's the honest version: it's a place to cool off, not a swimming hole. Guests wade, dip their feet, and fly-fish the same stretch (the Esopus is one of the storied trout creeks of the East — you can fish it standing in the water or bone dry from the bank). When the water is low, the bank gets a little steep getting down.
Two practical notes. First, the Esopus level here changes with releases from the Shandaken Portal upstream, so conditions can shift day to day — which is why we publish real-time creek height and flow data on our website, something you won't find at any swimming hole on this list. Check it before you decide between an afternoon on our bank or a drive to one of the spots below. Second, when guests ask where to actually swim, we point them down this list — that's what it's for.
- Best for: cooling off without leaving the property, fly fishing, and deciding — with live data — whether today is a creek day.
Big Deep — Woodstock, NY (open again, packed on weekends)
About 15 minutes from The Leeway off Route 212, Big Deep is the classic Woodstock swimming hole on the Saw Kill — a jade-green pool, roughly four feet at depth, ringed by forest, with a well-worn trail down from the road. After the town closed it in 2020, it has reopened and is once again the area's most popular swim — which means weekends are genuinely packed.
What to know before you go:
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Parking is the whole game. It's a limited roadside pull-off near Casablanca Lane; police do ticket illegally parked cars, and Casablanca Lane itself is a private road — use it as a landmark, never drive down it.
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No facilities, no lifeguard. Carry in, carry out; swim at your own risk.
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Timing: weekday mornings feel like a different place than Saturday afternoons. From The Leeway, going early is easy.
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Note on the neighbors: Millstream, the other well-known Woodstock swim, is now private — access is limited to guests of the Woodstock Inn on the Millstream. Don't plan around it.
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Best for: the closest true swimming hole to The Leeway, ideally on a weekday.
Peekamoose Blue Hole — Sundown, NY (permit required — plan ahead)
The famous one, about 40 minutes away on Rondout Creek in Sundown Wild Forest: absurdly clear, absurdly cold spring-fed water that people drive hours for. The crowds nearly destroyed it a decade ago, so the DEC now runs one of the strictest access systems in the Catskills — which, honestly, has made visiting better.
The 2026 rules, verified against DEC/Reserve America:
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Permit required 7 days a week, May 15 – September 15. $10 through Reserve America; one permit covers one vehicle and up to 5 people (children count toward the five).
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50 permits per day, available same-day up to 7 days in advance. No refunds or cancellations. Summer weekends sell out — book the moment your dates firm up.
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One permit = one vehicle. A party of four arriving in two cars needs two permits.
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The entire road is a tow-away zone; park only in the designated lot. A newly built parking area and accessible connector trail (opened 2025) lead to the hole — roughly a 0.6-mile walk.
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No alcohol; no coolers larger than 12 inches in any dimension. Day use only, roughly sunrise to sunset. Expect rangers checking permits.
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The water is cold enough that most swimmers' first reaction is to get right back out. That's part of the appeal.
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Best for: the bucket-list swim — if you book the permit. From The Leeway, reserve as soon as you know your day.
Vernooy Kill Falls — Kerhonkson, NY (earn it with a hike)
A waterfall swim you hike to: about 3.5 miles round trip on a marked, moderate DEC trail from the Upper Cherrytown Road lot in Sundown Wild Forest. The payoff is a series of cascades dropping about 30 feet in stages, with a footbridge at the base and a pool around five to six feet at its deepest. (A shorter ~2-mile route exists from the Trails End side, but the access road is rough — regular cars should use Upper Cherrytown.)
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No permit required; dogs allowed on leash; bring bug spray and water shoes.
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The hike filters the crowds — this is the quiet alternative when Big Deep is mobbed and the Blue Hole is sold out.
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Best for: combining a real hike with a swim, and weekends when everything else is full.
Colgate Lake — East Jewett, NY (the easy family option)
Not a swimming hole but earning its place: a 26-acre lake in the 1,500-acre Colgate Lake Wild Forest, about 45 minutes away, free and open year-round, with DEC parking lots right on County Route 78. Several grassy, beach-y entry points, mountain views of the Blackhead Range, and water that — unlike everything else on this list — actually warms up by midsummer.
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Public swimming and picnicking; no facilities, no lifeguard.
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Bring a kayak or canoe if you have one — paddling is allowed, motorboats aren't.
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Best for: kids, dogs, picnics, and anyone who wants warm(er) water and an easy walk from the car.
A note on tubing the Esopus
For decades, "Phoenicia" meant tubing — but the Town Tinker Tube Rental, the iconic red-barn outfitter that ran the Esopus tubing operation for 40 years, has closed. There is currently no equivalent organized tubing operation in Phoenicia, so don't build a day around it based on older articles. The creek itself is class II whitewater in stretches — moving water with real rocks — not a lazy river, so we don't recommend improvising it with a store-bought tube.
Quick comparison
| Spot | Drive from The Leeway | Type | Permit / fee | Walk from car | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esopus Creek at The Leeway | 0 min | Creek (wade/cool off, fishing) | None — guests | None | Live-data creek days, fly fishing |
| Big Deep | ~15 min | Creek pool (~4 ft) | None; limited roadside parking | Short trail | Closest real swim; weekdays |
| Peekamoose Blue Hole | ~40 min | Cold spring-fed hole | $10/vehicle permit, May 15–Sep 15, 50/day | ~0.6 mi | Bucket-list swim, with planning |
| Vernooy Kill Falls | ~40 min | Waterfall pools (~5–6 ft) | None | ~1.75 mi each way | Hike + swim, crowd-free |
| Colgate Lake | ~45 min | Lake, beach-style entries | Free | At the lot | Families, warm water, paddling |
More things to do nearby — hiking, dining, scenic drives — are on our explore page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a permit to swim at the Peekamoose Blue Hole in 2026?
Yes. A permit is required seven days a week from May 15 through September 15, purchased through Reserve America for $10. Each permit covers one vehicle and up to five people, only 50 are issued per day, and they can be booked no more than 7 days in advance with no refunds. Outside those dates no permit is needed, but the water is very cold year-round.
What is the closest swimming hole to Woodstock, NY?
Big Deep, just off Route 212 on the Saw Kill, is Woodstock's main swimming hole and is open again after its 2020 closure. Parking is a limited roadside pull-off where tickets are enforced, and there are no facilities or lifeguards. Millstream, Woodstock's other well-known spot, is now private and limited to guests of the Woodstock Inn on the Millstream.
Can you swim in the Esopus Creek at The Leeway?
The Leeway fronts the Esopus Creek with a rocky beach and grassy bank where guests cool off, wade, and fly-fish — but for a proper swim we point guests to nearby spots like Big Deep (15 minutes) or the Peekamoose Blue Hole (40 minutes, permit required). Creek conditions change with upstream reservoir releases, so we publish real-time creek height and flow data on our website.
When is swimming hole season in the Catskills?
Roughly mid-June through early September for creek-fed spots, which stay cold all summer; Colgate Lake warms earlier and stays comfortable longer. The Blue Hole's permit season (May 15 – September 15) is a good proxy for when the popular spots are busy. Weekday mornings are the calmest window everywhere.
Are dogs allowed at Catskills swimming holes?
It varies by spot. Vernooy Kill Falls allows leashed dogs on the trail, and Colgate Lake is a popular dog swim with easy entry points. Rules at town-managed spots like Big Deep can change, so check current postings — and everywhere, leashes and carry-out cleanup are the norm.
Is tubing still available in Phoenicia, NY?
No — the Town Tinker Tube Rental, Phoenicia's longtime tubing outfitter, has closed, and as of 2026 there is no equivalent organized tubing operation on the Esopus. The creek runs class II whitewater in stretches, so improvised tubing isn't recommended.
Is the Peekamoose Blue Hole worth it with the permit system?
For most visitors, yes — arguably more than before. The 50-permit daily cap eliminated the overwhelming crowds that nearly closed the spot, so a permitted visit now means clear water, a maintained trail from a new parking area, and rangers keeping the rules enforced. The catch is planning: summer weekend permits go quickly within the 7-day booking window.
The Leeway is a boutique inn in Mount Tremper, NY — nine cabin-style suites on six acres along the Esopus Creek, five minutes from Phoenicia and fifteen from Big Deep. Check real-time Esopus conditions and book at the-leeway.com.
