I’m going to come right out and say it: I prefer swimming in waterholes to swimming in the ocean! It might be unusual for a Sydneysider, but there’s just something about the experience of swimming under a waterfall or in a secluded pool in the bush. I love it.
We spent a whole summer making our way around all the best spots close to Sydney, so I guarantee you’ll find one you love on this list. There is something for everyone from those that require little effort to reach, to some that are a bit more adventurous. All are absolutely beautiful.
Here are the best wild swimming spots close to Sydney.
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1: Karloo Pools - Royal National Park
2: Jingga Pool - Dharawal National Park
3: Glenbrook Gorge - Blue Mountains
4: Kellys Falls - Royal National Park
5: Kariong Brook - Central Coast
6: Curracarrang Falls - Royal National Park
7: Victoria Cascades - Blue Mountains
8: Emerald Pool - Central Coast
9: Upper Gledhill Falls - Ku-ring-gai National Park
10: See Thru Pool - Bargo
11: Kingfisher Pool - Heathcote National Park
12: Paradise Pool - Blue Mountains
13: Olympic Pool - Royal National Park
14: Minerva Pool - Dharawal National Park
15: Southwest Arm Pool - Royal National Park
16: Jellybean Pool - Blue Mountains
17: Winifred Falls - Royal National Park
18: Lovetts Pool - Ku-ring-gai National Park
19: Goburra Pool - Heathcote
Leave them wild
The vast majority of places on this list have no facilities whatsoever. Please take all your rubbish with you and leave these spots pristine so we can continue to keep sharing them with you. We know that the vast majority of people would never dream of littering, but the odd person spoils it for everyone!
The best wild swimming spots close to Sydney
1. Karloo Pools, Royal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 40km, one hour drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Walk length required: 5.4km return
Karloo Pool is no secret, but it’s poplar for a reason. The deep emerald swimming hole is divine. It’s surrounded by bushland and incredibly picturesque.
It’s a big enough pool for a proper swim and it’s easy to get in and out of the water. It’s basically wild swimming heaven and wows me every time.
However, there is one caveat: it can get crowded on sunny weekends and that definitely spoils the vibe. If you can’t come midweek, I’d recommend coming very early in the morning in order to experience it in absolute serenity.
The walk to get there is not difficult, but the path is not manicured, with rocks and tree roots to walk over. There’s also a fair amount of uphill on the way back.
You can read more about it in our detailed guide.
2. Jingga Pool, Dharawal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 70km, 1.5 hour drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 3.4km return
Jingga Pool is stunning. It’s huge yet secluded and even has its own waterfall cascading into it. In terms of room to swim and lack of rocks to bump into, it’s probably one of the very best on this list.
Swimming here is so relaxing and one of those experiences that makes you feel lucky to be alive.
Access to the water is not difficult, but you do have to climb over a couple of rocks. The walk to get to the pool is mainly downhill on the way and a short, but steep climb on the way back up. The path is stony, but in proper shoes with grip, I don’t find it slippery.
You can read more about it in our Jingga Pool guide.
3. Glenbrook Gorge, Lower Blue Mountains
Distance from Sydney CBD: 65km, 1 hour 20 drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes, but extra walking required
Walk length required: From 2km return
Glenbrook Gorge is wild. It might be only minutes from a town centre but you’d never know it when you get down there. It’s a truly incredible spot and one that sort of reminded me of places we’ve swum in the NT.
Swimming in the river, inbetween giant boulders and under the towering gorge walls, is nothing short of jaw dropping.
You do need to be mindful of currents though, particularly when the water levels are high. Don’t swim near any rapids and stick to the edge if the current feels strong.
The walk to get there can be as adventurous as you want, depending on how far into the gorge you go. The track deteriorates the further you go, but you don’t need to go that far for a dip. Getting into the water is easy, you can walk straight off the sandy beaches.
You can find out more about the track and our favourite spot in our Glenbrook Gorge guide.
4. Kellys Falls, close to Royal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 55km, 1 hour 10 drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 640m return
Kellys Falls is a fantastic place to go for a dip, right underneath the gorgeous waterfall. The pool is a reasonable size and deep, so it’s more than just a waterfall shower.
The bottom of the falls is surrounded by beautiful bushland, making it feel like you’ve walked much further than 320m! Getting into the pool is easy as you can walk straight on to the shallow rock shelf and then it quickly gets deeper from there.
There are a couple of different ways of reaching the pool, but none are signposted or maintained. However, we think the route we used is pretty easy.
There is one very short scramble that is aided by a rope, but there’s no exposure and you could easily do it without the rope - just tread carefully if you’re not used to unmaintained paths.
You can find out all the details on exactly how to get there in our full guide to Kellys Falls.
5. Kariong Brook Falls, Central Coast
Distance from Sydney CBD: 85km, 1 hour 20 drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes but only on via a much longer route
Walk length required: 6.4km (via the quickest route)
The first time I set eyes on Kariong Brook Falls I couldn’t believe it had taken us so long to visit. It’s absolutely beautiful, particularly after rain.
The pool is a good size and surrounded by cliffs and dense trees which gives it a lovely secluded feel.
The water doesn’t see a lot of sun so it’s pretty cold, and you’ll want to visit when the air temperature is quite warm. Getting into the water is easy from various points.
The walk to reach the falls is on flat fire trail for the majority of the way, but then becomes a bush track for the final 800m. It is quite rocky and steepish in places, but nothing too difficult.
Here are all the details on the walking track. If you want to make a longer day of it, Kariong Brook Falls is located close to the Woy Woy trough waterfall and you can easily combine the two.
6. Curracurrang Falls, Royal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 50km, 1 hour 20 drive
Accessible by public transport: No but you could use the park shuttle
Walk length required: 4.2km circuit
This has to be one of the very best swimming holes close to Sydney. It’s honestly like entering a little dream world, with a small picturesque waterfall cascading into a deep emerald pool.
To get here you pass by a little palm jungle and a huge overhang and it feels like a secret oasis.
The pool is one of my favourites to swim in, with deep water and very few rocks to bump into. It’s also easy access, with a sandy bottom and no slippery rocks to negotiate.
The walk to get here is easy too, but once you leave the main Coast Track, it’s unmarked. We have all the details to get you there in this post.
7. Victoria Creek Cascades, Blue Mountains
Distance from Sydney CBD: 120km, 1 hour 50 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 4km return
Swimming under the glorious Victoria Creek Cascades is a pretty magical experience. It’s a truly beautiful spot which feels incredibly remote, despite being just a 2km walk from the car park.
The pool does have quite a few submerged rocks, so I wouldn’t say that you can have a long uninterrupted swim, but it’s so spectacular that it really doesn’t matter!
If you’re ticklish though, be warned: as soon as you stop moving, lots of those little fish that nibble at your feet will suddenly appear!
Once you’ve finished swimming at the cascades, we’d highly recommend carrying on a little further (550m) to Victoria Falls, where you can have another dip, albeit a shallow one!
Getting into the water at the cascades does require climbing over a few submerged rocks, which are a tad slippery, but nothing major if you take it slow.
The walk to get to the cascades is on well formed track that zig zags down the cliffside, easy on the way down and a grunt on the way back up!
All the details of the walk and both swimming spots can be found here.
8. Emerald Pool, Popran National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: km, hour drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 9.6km (8.1km if you have a 4WD)
Reaching Emerald Pool does involve a bit of an investment, it’s one of the longer walks on this list. It’s definitely worth it though and the walk generally keeps this pristine spot wonderfully quiet.
It’s a small pool but it’s in such a picturesque location, and it has a really lovely feel about it. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but I felt so incredibly at peace here.
The water is easy to access and the pool is deep enough for a proper swim. You’ll probably share it with a few little yabbies! The walk to get here, whilst long, is easy. It’s almost all fire trail and whilst there is some elevation gain over the course of the track, there are no steep hills.
We’ve got all the details in our Emerald Pool guide.
9. Upper Gledhill Falls, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 30km, 40 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 5 minutes
Upper Gledhill Falls is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s just over the main road through Ku-ring-gai National Park, but it’s not signposted and remains relatively unknown. Whilst the waterfall is quite modest (unless there’s been a lot of rain), the swimming hole is stunning.
It’s not a wilderness experience due to the road (you can hear cars passing from time to time) but when you think that a spot this gorgeous is less than a five minute walk, you have to forgive that!
It’s quite easy to get into the water, you just have to climb over a couple of rocks, but the path to get to the falls from the road is a little rough. You’ll want decent shoes with grip or go barefoot if it’s been raining, as it does get quite muddy.
There are a couple of rocks to climb down and a narrow ledge to traverse (no exposure) but it doesn’t take long and is well worth it to access one of the easiest waterfalls to swim under close to Sydney.
We have a detailed guide to visiting Upper Gledhill Falls here.
10. See Thru Pool, Bargo
Distance from Sydney CBD: 100km, 1 hour 20 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 3km return
See Thru Pool is yet another delightful waterfall you can swim beside. The pool is large and deep and it’s a wonderful place to take a dip. You do have to watch for submerged rocks though - I did bump into a couple here and there.
The water is lovely and deep and it’s fully exposed to the sun, so it’s actually pretty warm during the summer! Getting in and out of the water can be done in one of two ways.
Either sliding off the rock (it’s not high by any means) or walking to the far right end of the pool, and simply stepping off the rocks into the shallow water. I slid in, but used the shallow route out, although there is a rope to help you up the rock if required.
The walk to get to the pool is easy and mainly on a flat path, although there are some rocks to climb down as you get close to the pool.
It’s very close to a series of other sublime swimming holes further along the gorge, which we highly recommend if you have the time. Full details on the all the pools can be found in our guide to Tahmoor Gorge.
11. Kingfisher Pool, Heathcote National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 55km, 1 hour drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes with extra walking
Walk length required: 3.5km return
Kingfisher Pool is a little bush haven in Royal National Park. It’s a big, deep and very picturesque waterhole which never seems to get busy.
You can swim proper lengths in here if you’re so inclined and despite swimming back and forth for ages I never hit a pesky rock! Getting into the water is easy as you can just walk off the rocky platform and straight in.
Access to the pool is via the Bullawarring Track, but the main path will take you along the top of the pool. You need to head off the main track, down the little path in the bush and follow it downhill to the edge of the pool.
The walk is generally easy enough, although there is some rocky terrain and a bit of a hill on the way back.
12. Paradise Pool, Blue Mountains
Distance from Sydney CBD: 80km, 1 hour 20 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes with extra walking
Walk length required: 2.8km return via the quickest route
With a name like that, Paradise Pool has a lot to live up to. When you get there it’s hard to imagine it being called anything else. It’s simply gorgeous. The pool is huge and deep with a lovely sandy bottom - no slippery rocks to contend with here!
The waterfall is a real beauty too and the setting - between tall fern covered cliff walls - is divine. It’s easily one of my all time favourite swimming spots.
The walk to get there is short but rocky, nothing involving a scramble, but we’d recommend wearing proper shoes to get down. There are steep sections, but again nothing too challenging.
We’ve outlined the walking route (including where to park as it’s not signposted) and everything else you need to know in this guide.
13. Olympic Pool, Royal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 40km, one hour drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Walk length required: 5.3km return or 8.6km
Olympic Pool is just that. An absolutely giant waterhole, possibly the biggest that I’ve swum in close to Sydney.
If you love a proper swim, much like you would in a swimming pool, this is the one for you! It’s a fabulous pool and surrounded by pretty bushland and small cascades.
Accessing the water is easy, although you do have to negotiate quite a long period of walking over shallow rock under the water (it wasn’t very slippery though).
There are a couple of ways of getting there, but the one we opted for begins at Karloo Pools. You pass two other incredible secret swimming spots along the way, so you can make a whole day of it! It’s not signposted and there is some flood debris to climb over at points, but it’s pretty much flat the whole way.
We have all the details, including finding the hidden trail in this post.
14. Minerva Pool, Dharawal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 40km, one hour drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 3.4km return
Minerva Pool is located close to Jingga Pool and visiting both on one afternoon is hard to beat! Like Jingga, Minerva Pool is huge and swimming here is an absolute delight.
We hate to break it to any men reading this post, but Minerva Pool is a sacred Aboriginal site and only women are allowed to swim here. As mentioned though, you can swim at nearby Jingga Pool, which is just as beautiful.
To get into the water you need to walk along the cliff on the left side of the pool and then walk down the slope and into the water. It’s nice and grippy in dry weather.
The walk to get to the pool is a mix of fire trail and bush track. There are some rocks and tree roots, as well as some uphill sections (on the way back), but nothing difficult.
We have the full details on the walk and both pools (as well as a third option) in this post.
15. Southwest Arm Pool, Royal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 40km, 1 hour 15 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 4.2km return
Southwest Arm Pool is another huge and spectacular swimming hole in Royal National Park. There’s even a rope swing if you’re feeling adventurous!
The pool is deep and you can swim for a long time if you head down the river, but most people stick to the area you can see in our picture.
The route to Southwest Arm Pool begins at Winifreds Falls, so it’s another one of those two for one specials that Royal National Park has so many of! It’s a bit of a bush bash on the 500m route from the falls, but it’s not awful.
It also keeps it much quieter than other swimming holes which are signposted. We detail exactly how to find Southwest Arm Pool in this post.
16. Jellybean Pool, Glenbrook
Distance from Sydney CBD: 60km, 1 hour 10 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes with a little extra walking
Walk length required: 200m return from closest car park
Jellybean Pool is a long meandering swimming hole, surrounded by sandstone cliffs and plenty of pretty gum trees. The water is an unusual colour - almost tea coloured - which makes it a little bit different to the blues and greens of the other pools.
You can simply walk straight from the sandy banks and into the pool, and in the summer months the water is actually really warm! So warm in fact that I almost wanted it colder, which is certainly not the norm with Blue Mountains swimming holes!
There are some huge rocks in there though, so watch out for those and don’t jump from the cliffs for the same reason.
The ridiculously easy access means that Jellybean Pool has a downside. On warm weekends, expect crowds. If you can’t visit midweek, we’d recommend coming the minute the gates open for a more serene experience.
We detail everything you need to know about Jellybean Pool, as well as two other great wild swimming spots in the same area in this post.
17. Winifred Falls, Royal National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 40km, 1 hour 15 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 3km return
Winifred Falls is a small but fabulous waterfall you can swim under. Well that is assuming that you’re not visiting during a long dry spell when they can be reduced to a mere trickle. The pool is a good size and is surrounded by bushland and high cliffs which makes for a wonderful setting.
If you are lucky enough to get this spot to yourself (come early on sunny weekends), it’s such a treat.
To get into the pool you do need to walk for a couple of minutes down a rocky path but it’s easy enough. The walk to the falls is mainly on fire trail and is quite steeply downhill on the way and a bit of a climb on the way back.
We have all the details on the walk to Winifred Falls in this post.
18. Lovetts Pools, Ku-ring-gai National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 33km, 40 minutes
Accessible by public transport: No
Walk length required: 3km return
Lovetts Pools is a gorgeous little haven in the bush. It's incredibly picturesque and one of those places which instantly feels relaxing.
It's tucked away down an unmarked side trail which keeps it wonderfully quiet and secluded.
The pool is quite small and the water shallow, so it's not one for a proper swim, but absolutely perfect for lazing around in the water.
You usually only have to share it with the resident yabbies - a good sign of just how clean it is! The walk to get there is easy and predominantly flat.
You can read more in our detailed Lovetts Pool guide.
19. Goburra Pool, Heathcote National Park
Distance from Sydney CBD: 40km, 45 minute drive
Accessible by public transport: Yes with a little extra walking
Walk length required: 1.2km return
Lovers of warm water will rejoice when they dip their toes in the beautiful Goburra Pool. It's easily one of the warmest pools I've swum in, and in summer can almost feel too warm to be refreshing. Almost!
It's a gigantic swimming hole and incredibly picturesque, with a lovely bush setting and pretty lilly pads along one side.
Accessing the water is easy and swimming is really relaxing, with virtually no submerged rocks to contend with along the middle of the pool.
There are additional swimming holes both up and downstream of Goburra if you want to make a day of waterhole hopping.
The walk to get there is easy but not flat. Here are all the details, including how to find the pool which is not signposted.
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