A swimming hole is a place in a river, stream, creek, spring, or similar natural body of water, which is large enough and deep enough for a person to swim in. Common usage usually refers to fresh, moving water and thus not to oceans or lakes.
In the UK swimming at natural swimming holes has a long history and has recently become known as "wild swimming"., especially since the publication of bestselling books on the subject by Kate Rew and Daniel Start.
Nude swimming is a well-established tradition at some more remote swimming holes and is an attraction to many natural swimming fans.
Famous quotes containing the words swimming hole, swimming and/or hole:
“The swimming hole is still in use. It has the same mudbank. It is still impossible to dress without carrying mud home in one’s inner garments. As an engineer I could devise improvements for that swimming hole. But I doubt if the decrease in mother’s grief at the homecoming of muddy boys would compensate the inherent joys of getting muddy.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)
“Loosed betwixt eye and lid, the swimming beams
Of memory, blind school of cuttlefish,
Rise to the air, plunge to the cold streams....”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
“Angel of hope and calendars, do you know despair?
That hole I crawl into with a box of Kleenex....”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)