Accessible By T: 5 Best Swimmin’ Holes in Greater Boston Area

Located in the Blue Hills Reservation, Houghton’s Pond has a sandy beach and a great view of the pines. Grab your hiking boots if you want to hit the trails before or after your dip.



How to get there: Take the Red Line to the Ashmont Station. Then take the trolley to Mattapan. The Canton and Blue Hills bus services the Trailside Museum and Great Blue Hill on Route 138. For the Houghton’s Pond area, exit the bus at Blue Hill River Road. Cross the road and walk one mile east on Hillside Street.

This swimming hole is filtered!! You know what that means!! No worries about swimming in pee or other gross stuff! There are facilities and lifeguards on duty. $8 entry for non-residents.



How to get there: Red Line towards Alewife. Hop off at Porter Square Station. Grab the 77 Bus towards Arlington Heights via Mass Ave. Get off at Park Ave. Take a right onto Park Ave. Take a left onto Lowell Street. Destination will be on your left.

The avid swimmer can sign up for swims in the good ole Charles. The Charles River Swimming Club sponsors a one-mile loop course between Harvard and Longfellow Bridge. They happen on the reg so check out the schedule.



How to get there:  The closest MBTA station is the Charles/MGH station on the Red Line or Arlington or Copley Station on the Green Line. Take the Arthur Fiedler footbridge or the Charles/MGH footbridge.

Take a stroll around this sweet little pond and then hit the bathhouse with your bathing suit. It’s a relaxing little spot just outside of Boston.



How to get there: Take the Red Line towards Alewife. Get off at Park Street and get on the Green line D Train towards Riverside. Hop off at Newton Highlands Station. Head NW on Walnut Street. Take a Right onto Lake Ave. Turn Left onto Roger Street. Continue onto Lake Ave. Turn Right onto Lake Terrace. Voila, you have arrived!!

Walden Pond is the top of swimming spots in our book! Here’s what a day on the pond is all about.



Walden Pond, best known as Thoreau’s retreat, is now a public swimming hole thanks to Thoreau himself and his awareness and respect for nature and the environment. It is considered the birthplace of the modern conservation movement and is included in the Massachusetts Forests and Parks System. Perfect to both hit the trails and take a dip.



With the sun finally shining we wasted no time in getting our butts to the secluded side of the pond. With less foot traffic, you can enjoy the place as if it were your own.

The pond is 102 feet deep and after a light lunch (daring, we know) we hit the cool glasslike water for some serious swimming.

Not only does the casual cool-off go down with most folks enjoying both the water and woods of Walden, but it is also known as a place where swimmers come to get in some serious lap time.

Walden is a great place for a swim, but they make it real easy for you to enjoy yourself in a number of ways. With trails abound, you can take a hike or ride your bike before you hit the shore. Not the best swimmer? The main beach has lifeguards on duty and there are clean bathrooms and changing rooms. Fancy an ice-cream? An ice-cream truck is conveniently located up the hill from the main beach. Have a canoe or kayak? There is a boat ramp for easy access in and out of the pond.

How to get there: Head to North Station and grab the Fitchburg/South Acton line towards South Acton on the commuter rail. Get off at the Lincoln Stop. It is a 1.5 mile walk to the pond starting with heading southwest on Lincoln Road. Turn right onto Codman Road. Turn right onto Ma-126N. Destination will be on right.



Did we miss out on any sweet swimming spots? Hit us back with your own local knowledge and stay tuned for more “Accessible by T” features throughout the summer.