Summer Swimming Spots in Southwest Washington State

Need a cool break from the summer heat in Vancouver, Washington? Check out these awesome public swimming spots at the rivers and ponds in the area and splash away the "dog days" of summer today!

Salmon Creek County Park
Right in the middle of the Salmon Creek portion of Vancouver, visible from the nearby I-5, is the enjoyable Salmon Creek County Park. The most noticeable feature of the park is the large Klineline Pond, less than a minute away from Highway 99. Many children and families enjoy swimming here during the summer months and this park features a large sandy beach, a roped-off swimming area, and lots of water. The park used to have lifeguards throughout the summer months, but unfortunately, due to budget issues, this service is not available this year. Salmon Creek County Park also has several miles of a paved trail alongside Salmon Creek, plus the Salmon Creek Women's Softball fields, a water feature for kids, jungle gym, picnic tables, restrooms, and lots of fishing spots. There is a fee for parking in the main parking lot adjacent to Klineline Pond. Try out this park today at 1112 NE 117th Street.

Wintler Park
Wintler is right on the Columbia River and offers one of the nicer summer beaches along the river. Loads of Vancouver residents frequent this park during the summer, many sunbathing and swimming. Mt. Hood is visible, on clear summer days, from this park and the adjacent jetty. A small parking lot and a narrow entrance road complicate this popular summer park in Vancouver, Washington, but it is definitely worth checking out. The Columbia is still a fairly cold river, even during the summer months, and no lifeguards are present at this beach, so caution is advised. Wintler is located at 6400 Beach Dr.

Daybreak Park
Situated on the beautiful East Fork of the Lewis River, Daybreak Park is a great summer getaway for the whole family. The river flows through this park and offers multiple swimming and wading spots, including several shallow rapids (especially fun once the water level drops in the summer), a narrow, volcanic-style "chute" where the water rushes through (a popular place to float a raft down), and a couple of deeper "holes" where many teenagers and young adults love to swim. Thankfully, parking and access to this park remains free, however, the parking lot fills up fast, especially on hot summer weekends, so be sure to plan ahead for this spot. Daybreak has several picnic tables and a huge grass lawn, perfect for summer picnics. There is a kid's play place with a jungle gym, and a boat launch (the boat launch is predominately used when the water is higher, especially for steelhead fishing). Daybreak park is just northwest of the city of Battleground, Washington, about a 15-20 minute drive from northern Vancouver, Washington (26401 NE Daybreak Road).

Lewisville Park
Also alongside the lovely East Fork of the Lewis River, Lewisville Park encompasses a much larger area of land and river than its downstream neighbor, Daybreak Park. A daily fee is charged for parking, and I suggest simply paying it as the walk in is fairly long if you park outside the main gate. Lewisville has tennis courts, loads of fields for badminton, volleyball and soccer, softball fields, and many covered bbq-style picnic spots (be sure to call ahead to reserve one of these). The river is very nice here, and includes a deeper, slow-moving segment popular with most swimmers, several deep pools, and plenty of faster rapids in-between the slow spots. Expect fairly large crowds as the water warms up, including sunbather, swimmers, large families, and lots of people rafting or floating down the river. Lewisville Park is just a few minutes north of Battleground, WA, about 20-25 minutes from northern Vancouver (26411 NE Lewisville Highway).