Family-friendly swimming holes in Indiana

Choosing a Indiana swimming hole with kids

The two things that actually matter with children are the approach and the entry. Every listing here has an easy approach — short, marked, and walkable while carrying a cooler — and facilities on site, which usually means parking, restrooms, and somewhere to sit.

The entry matters just as much and varies spot to spot. A gradual sand or gravel shelf is very different from a ledge that drops to eight feet a step from shore. Read the individual listing, and walk the entry yourself before the kids get in.

Flooded limestone quarries are strikingly clear and very deep; lakes are warm and turbid by August.

Facilities are not supervision

A restroom and a picnic table do not mean a lifeguard. The large majority of natural swim areas in Indiana are unguarded, including many inside state parks, so an adult needs to be watching the water the whole time — not reading, not on a phone.

Keep young or weak swimmers in a properly fitted life jacket rather than arm bands or inflatable rings, which drift and flip. Designate one adult as the water watcher and rotate the job every fifteen minutes; drownings are quiet and fast.

Check for advisories before you drive. Indiana Department Of Environmental Management publishes the water-quality and algal-bloom notices for Indiana. Discolored water, surface scum, or a strong smell means keep everyone — and the dog — out.

Timing and conditions in Indiana

Indiana swims june through early september, best july to august. Warm afternoons in late May and mid-September are workable at quarries and lakes.

Most Bloomington-area quarries are posted private property with real trespassing enforcement and a long fatality record. Quarry water stratifies into a warm surface layer over a shockingly cold deep layer, and submerged equipment and vertical walls make rescue difficult. Use the permitted, supervised sites.