California Swimming Holes: Feather River Secret Spot

Filed in archive on July 18, 2006

We're back! Just in time for summer heat and the vast array of outdoor sports activities that go along with living in California. One of the best ways to keep cool during these hot summer months is visiting your local swim hole.




An easy way to figure out where some of the good ones are near you is picking up Pancho Doll's book. I discovered his prize reference text from a friend as we headed up to High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, California over the Fourth of July Weekend.

What an amazing festival, read my review from last year. On the way there we had to stop off on the feather River past Lake Oroville Dam to investigate one of the claims made in the book

Well, we know that with weather and the natural environment things can change quickly, and my friend and I discovered quickly that what used to be a very accessible upper pool at this particular spot was not so accessible this year. Maybe too much rain. Lots of overgrowth covered what would have been a makeshift stairway of stepping-stones. Except not only were there new moss and bushes growing there, but also smaller pools and little waterfalls of water. A little too slippery to try to ascend to the top pools.

But the lower pools were easy to be contented with because they were so cool and refreshing after a ten-hour drive in the truck. We ended up with a small dose of poison oak each after rummaging through the brush trying to find another way to the top pools, but hey, it was still worth it!

ER Harris