Before air conditioning and swimming pools, which not everyone has even now, came the iconic and naturally lovely downhome, nothing fancy, swimming hole.
They have everything you could want on a hot and lazy day, a cooling treed canopy, crisp refreshing water, and a timelessness all their own. Here’s a few of our local-ish favorites.
Avery Park
An easy bike ride from anywhere in Corvallis, our first swimming hole of note sits along Marys River just behind the Parks and Rec office on the northwest side of Avery Park. While keeping an eye open for poison oak (yep, it’s out there), take the path to the left of the building for about 200 yards – or about 183 meters for the metric among us – and you’ll find a rocky outcropping with access to the river. There’s a rope swing, places to lie in the sun, and a plethora of deeps and shallows to play the day away. It can get crowded here, but a swim up or down river may get you away from others.
Willamette Park
Also plenty close to town, head over to the south edge of Corvallis, at the end of Goodnight Ave., where you will find Willamette Park. From the parking lot, there are three trails that’ll take you down to the river. You can get a good two-to-three hours’ worth of floating in on the average day, with the occasional sandbar or beach for a break from the monotony of chilling out. Land at Michael’s Landing – behind the Old Spaghetti Factory – and you can Uber-it back to the car (or, you know, pre-arrange for a pickup from a friend).
Pioneer Park (Brownsville)
If rivers behind buildings aren’t your thing, then maybe you’d like to take a hop-skip-and-a-30-minute-jump to the southeast across I-5 to Brownsville’s Pioneer Park. This place is a gem of a spot to rest your weary bod into the Calapooia under the trees.
Alsea Falls
Like Brownsville, this one is about 30 or 40 minutes away. You get waterfalls and a cool crisp river under a forested canopy. Go ahead and chill in the water at the trailhead, but save an hour for the easygoing out-and-back trail leading to the waterfall that you really don’t want to miss. Okay, maybe it doesn’t take an hour, but we’re accounting for some dilly-dallying, which in our experience, is why one finds themselves at a swimming hole. To get there, you’ll head towards Monroe on the 99W, but you’ll be turning onto Alpine Road before you get to the town, then take the Fall Creek Access Road.
Foster Lake
If you’re up for a little longer drive to start the soak, then you can stretch yourself out for a 45-minute trek along Hwy 34 through Lebanon, along Hwy 20 over to Lewis Creek Park where you’ll find Foster Lake. Bring a picnic because there are plenty of spots to sit down and eat, as well as a large, cordoned off swimming space protected from boats.
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