There are swimming pools that are lovely for a few laps or a quick dip. Then there are swimming pools surrounded by trees, perched by the ocean or even suspended above the street. Others are notable for their elegant architecture, or offer swimming with a side of fascinating history. From pools formed naturally in freshwater springs to rooftop swimming spots with epic city views, these are no ordinary places to plunge.
Click through this gallery as we dive into America’s best swimming spots...
The small, southern Californian city of Ojai is known for its bohemian spirit and 'pink moments'. These happen at sunset, when the sky swirls candy-floss pink, lilac and apricot and the Topatopa Mountains glow in the soft light. One of the best places to watch this daily show is from the adults-only Indigo Pool at Ojai Valley Inn, surrounded by palm trees and with clear views of the mountains. Non-hotel guests can use the pool when buying food and drink, or splash out on a cabana.
Austin’s Lady Bird Lake weaves tantalisingly through the city but swimming is prohibited here. Not so at nearby Barton Springs pool, whose refreshing waters flow into the lake. This natural pool is tucked within Zilker Park and surrounded by woodland and gardens. It’s fed by underground springs and water temperatures hover around 20°C (68°F), so it’s perfect for cooling off in summer, yet not too chilly for a winter dip.
One of the best things about Astoria Pool, in New York City’s Queens neighbourhood, is the views. The equivalent of two Olympic-sized swimming pools combined, the pool is edged by parkland and two bridges: Hell Gate and the Robert F. Kennedy or Triborough Bridge (pictured). On clear days, swimmers might even spy the Manhattan skyline in the distance. The pool was built in 1936, during the Great Depression and one of the hottest summers on record.
The rooftop pool at New Orleans’ Ace Hotel is small but perfectly formed – and positioned. It's tucked beneath a mural, looking over a plant-dotted terrace towards the city skyline, and splashing about here feels like hanging out with the cool kids. Because, you probably are. The rooftop garden also has a restaurant and bar. It’s open to outside guests on weekdays for a cover charge, and on any evening for free, though it’s reserved for guests only on weekend daytimes.
Set right by Puget Sound, Colman Pool is a favourite with locals (and visitors lucky enough to find out about it). The enormous heated pool, reached through Lincoln Park, is filled with saltwater drawn from the sound and has a range of lanes and areas to suit serious swimmers and leisurely bobbers. There’s a huge corkscrew tube slide too. Visitors can purchase day passes on the door.
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The Joule takes pool hanging to new levels – ten storeys up, to be precise, where the glass-sided, cantilevered pool juts out so it can be seen from the street below. The rest of it is safely tucked onto the roof terrace, which is also home to cosy, chic cabanas and day beds, with potted plants dotted about and poolside bar service. Those not staying overnight can reserve a day pass in advance (Monday-Thursday only) and book cabanas on arrival.
Overnight guests and anyone who books a spa treatment can take a dip in this elegant, 1929-built swimming pool, suspended on the 14th floor of the InterContinental Hotel on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. It’s definitely worth splashing out on, because it might just be one of the loveliest indoor pools anywhere. The junior Olympic pool and its surroundings are covered with Spanish Majolica tiles, while loungers sit under elegant light fixtures and arches.
This Glenwood attraction is apparently the world’s largest hot springs pool, and the setting is epic too. Guests can swim and float surrounded by views of the Rocky Mountains on all sides. There are lanes for those happy to swim in the heat, though it’s also just lovely to soak up the mineral waters – and the vistas. It’s part of the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort with a lodge right by it, though it’s also open to day guests.
There are many Hollywood sign viewing points across Los Angeles but few are as chic as the pool at the Mondrian hotel’s Skybar. The sun lounges are usually reserved for guests but the outdoor area opens to the public after 1pm each day with tables lined up by the water. Picture windows perfectly frame the sign and its surroundings, which are bathed in an orange glow at sunset and glitter after dark.
This 1920s pool, which is included on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the most famous attractions in Coral Gables, and justifiably so. This is the country’s biggest freshwater swimming pool, holding a staggering 820,000 gallons and fed by an underground aquifer. It’s also exceptionally beautiful, inspired by lagoons in Venice and with islands, caves, grottoes, towers and a bridge carved into an old coral rock quarry.
The zero-entry pool at Hansen Dam Aquatic Center has been here since the 1940s, serving as a popular playground in the San Fernando Valley. Fed by water from the adjacent dam, the huge, 1.5-acre pool is edged by a sandy beach and lifeguard towers, with glorious mountain views all around. It opens for swimming seasonally for a small fee, though the park – which also has sports areas and a lake for boating and fishing – is accessible year-round.
The 50-foot (15m) indoor pool at Chicago’s Four Seasons is a real stunner: like something straight out of Ancient Rome, in fact. The water is flanked by columns with a domed glass ceiling and, though swimmers can see some of the city’s famed architecture outside, the spot feels deliciously tucked away and private. Those not staying at the hotel can spend some time here by booking a treatment or package at the spa.
Sitting pretty 12 storeys up in The Colonnade hotel, and tucked within the Boston skyline, this rooftop pool is one of the most coveted locations in the city on sunny days. Lounge beds and cabanas surround the water, while there’s also a restaurant serving cocktails and light bites. People not staying at the hotel can enjoy the pool with an advance reservation, and you can sometimes book a yoga class too – though the pool is reserved for guests on weekends.
This natural swimming hole is a popular stop for road-trippers following the classic Route 66 through New Mexico, and it’s a little different to the usual retro diners, quirky museums and giant sculptures dotted along the journey. It’s a little different full stop, really: a cool, clear roadside swimming and scuba-diving spot, surrounded by rocks made for sunbathing on, and with access to underwater caves.
Formerly known as Mr. C’s Beverly Hills, Cameo's rooftop pool is right in the heart of the busy, upscale city, though it feels in a world of its own. The pool is set in 4,500 square feet (418sqm) of lush landscaping, with an outdoor bar area and plentiful seating (and lounging) options. The decor is suitably chic, with teak decking, bright white walls and manicured hedging. Outside guests can book a cabana and purchase a day pass.
This rooftop pool club at Ravel Hotel in Long Island City is a real find, and a saviour on sweltering summer days. With fun cocktails, sunbeds and cabanas strewn with colourful cushions, and music adding to the holiday vibe, this is basically Club Tropicana in the city. Reservation prices are based on minimum drinks orders, while poolside snacks can be purchased separately.
Day guests can reserve passes to use the Wet Deck pool area on weekdays or book a cabana for a group. It’s worth it, because this isn’t just a beautiful pool – it’s one of the hippest hangouts in downtown. On the fourth floor of the stylish W, it’s a tranquil place to relax in the daytime, with its comfy beds and chilled-out tunes, and it becomes a party spot in the evenings.
Who knew you could take a dip on the river in New York? You can when this clever floating pool is open, anyway. The seasonal outdoor pool is on a barge that docks by Barretto Point Park on the East River. Bathers can access it via the grassy waterfront spot in Hunts Point, the Bronx, in summer, when there’s also a manmade sandy beach. There are plans for a cross-shaped pool that filters water directly from the river too. It's scheduled to open as early as 2025, if all goes well.
Book a spa treatment for access to this wonderful pool, otherwise reserved for overnight guests and beach club members. The treatments and spa area are lovely, though it’s worth splashing out for the pool alone. It faces Biscayne Bay, with views across to downtown Miami, and it’s decked out prettily enough to match the setting. Grab a sunbed under a spearmint-striped parasol, breathe in the scent of bougainvillea and take a dip in the bow-shaped infinity pool.
Part of the Homestead Resort, this geothermal hot spring must be a strong contender for the most unusual swimming pool in the US. Hotel guests and those with day tickets can access the crater, believed to be more than 10,000 years old, via a passage the resort has tunnelled through the rock wall. Once inside, people can swim, soak, snorkel, scuba dive or take a yoga class on a stand-up paddleboard.
An unusual but very necessary summertime oasis in downtown NYC, The Beach is designed to bring a slice of the Hamptons to the city. The urban beach even has sand imported from the upscale holiday destination, while the narrow pool has a glass bottom and is surrounded by chaise lounges and cabanas. People can reserve a spot by the pool or come for a bite and a sip at the attached bar and grill.
The Edge Infinity Pool at the Sheraton Waikiki is billed as North America’s longest oceanfront infinity pool, though measuring it would presumably require working out where the pool ends and the ocean begins. It’s just glorious, and even those not staying at the hotel can enjoy it by booking a spa treatment or reserving a poolside bed or cabana. The infinity pool, right on the beach, is adults-only, while the equally fabulous Helumoa Playground Pool – with water slides and Waikiki Beach views – is ideal for families.
The pool complex at Caesars Palace is called Garden of the Gods and it’s certainly fitting. Well, for hedonistic gods, perhaps. Visitors can book day beds or cabanas to get use of the seven pools surrounded by lush landscaping, mostly named in honour of Roman gods or goddesses. There’s the elegant Temple (pictured), the relatively serene, adults-only Venus, surprisingly peaceful Apollo, and Fortuna, which has swim-up blackjack tables.
The aptly named Altitude Rooftop and Pool situated on the sixth floor of the Marriott Marquis in Houston boasts something a bit more special than your average rectangular hotel pool (there's one of those here too). Created in the shape of Texas, this quirky Instagrammable (from a floor higher at least) lazy river pool helps guests drift along aimlessly. There are rentable cabanas, pergolas and day beds for guests and those wanting a day of indulgence (day passes are available). Plus there are poolside events all year round, where live music and artisan cocktails make that illuminated, heated lazy river and its surroundings even more inviting come nightfall.
Sure, there are plenty of extravagant swimming pools in Vegas, but none quite so novel as Tank Pool at the Golden Nugget hotel. Brave swimmers can take a thrilling dip right next to live sharks, rays and fish by plunging down a 300-foot (91m) see-through slide. The $30 million (£23.4m) pool enthrals both hotel guests and those who want to paddle with predators for the day (reservations required). You don't have to tackle the slide to see the VIPs, you can simply swim up to the aquarium's glass from the main pool area, but where's the fun in that?