To cool off on a hot day in Middle Tennessee, check out one of these many fun destinations. You might find your new favorite swimming hole, splash under one of the many waterfalls in Tennessee, enjoy a community pool, party at the cove or just float around with your feet in the water.

Percy Priest Lake at Long Hunter State Park has a public beach as well as the popular Party Cove; Nashville Shores waterpark is nearby. The Anderson Road Day Use area is a popular spot that offers a public beach for swimming along with picnic tables, grills, a shelter and two playgrounds.

Party Cove is where boats gather for people to socialize and swim. Boaters come to this area on the east side of the lake to tie up, float and relax in the cove. This area can also be accessed by foot via the Long Hunter State Park Day Loop Trail. The water at Party Cove is deep, and precautions to prevent drowning should be taken.

Bryant Grove Recreation Area, a separate portion of Long Hunter State Park, as well as the Fall Creek Recreation Area, also offer swimming access on Percy Priest Lake. Find Bryant Grove on the southern end of Long Hunter State Park off of Couchville Pike, not far from the Fate Sanders Marina just outside of Smyrna. Fall Creek Recreation Area is located just off of the Bill France Boulevard exit of I-840, the opposite direction off of 840 from the Nashville Superspeedway.

Laguardo Recreation Area on Old Hickory Lake has a sandy beach that is popular with families. The lakeside area is a good spot for bank fishing, boating, canoeing and kayaking. Laguardo offers a playground and easy-access boat ramp. There is a $5 fee per vehicle for day use parking. Laguardo is located 34 miles from Murfreesboro, near Lebanon, Tennessee.

Henry Horton State Park is located on the Duck River, where you can kayak, canoe and have a classic summer day hanging out along the water’s edge. For swimming, visitors can swim in the pool by The Lodge at Henry Horton. The pool is open to the public during summer months; admission is $6 per person. There is also golfing at Buford Ellington Golf Course. Henry Horton State Park is located 18 miles south of Interstate 840, between Murfreesboro and Franklin and near Chapel Hill, Tennessee.

Foster Falls waterfall has a huge swimming hole with cold, clear water. It is a part of South Cumberland Park. There is a lookout above the falls and you can hike down to the bottom and swim in the large pool at the base of the 60-foot waterfall. The hike to the bottom is steep and rocky, so bring your hiking gear. Foster Falls Recreation Area is located near Tracy City, 71 miles from Murfreesboro.

Rock Island State Park contains multiple areas where swimming is allowed, most notably a designated swim beach on the Caney Fork River with a sand shoreline, boat ramp and picnic pavilions. This sits far enough downstream from the dam to avoid dangerous currents, but swimming closer to the dam is strictly prohibited. Other popular swimming areas at Rock Island include below Great Falls, in the Cold Hole—located on the river upstream from the dam—and the Warm Hole, a large, shallow basin of water heated by the sun and is not subject to colder water temperatures coming from the lake. Rock Island State Park is located 53 miles from Murfreesboro on the Warren and White County border.

Machine Falls is accessible from Machine Falls Loop Trail, a moderate 1.6-mile, dog-friendly loop trail. Bring water shoes if you want to get wet at Machine Falls, or to swim in the nearby Normandy Lake, since you will need to walk in ankle-deep water to get to the falls by foot. The surrounding Short Springs Natural Area features miles of scenic trails with several other waterfalls. Machine Falls is located near Tullahoma, 43 miles from Murfreesboro.

Rutledge Falls is a fairly easy-to-get-to waterfall accessed by a roughly one-third-mile out-and-back trail, which takes an average of less than 10 minutes to descend. There is a small swimming area and places to picnic and splash around at the falls. Rutledge Falls is near Manchester, Tennessee, at 1400 Rutledge Falls Rd., located 38 miles from Murfreesboro.

For More Fun, visit one of these community pools that are open seasonally. Check online for hours of operation:

Boro Beach by Jim Davis / Murfreesboro Parks and Rec

– Boro Beach (located at Sports*Com), 2310 Memorial Blvd.
– Patterson Park Pool at Patterson Park Community Center, 521 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
– Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center, 100 Sam Ridley Pkwy. E., Smyrna
– Manchester Swimming Pool, 557 N. Woodland St., Manchester

Other Middle Tennessee swimming areas include:
– Lock 3 in Hendersonville
– Cedar Creek in Mt. Juliet
– Old Hickory Beach, near Old Hickory Dam
– Defeated Creek Park and Campground, near the Cordell Hull Dam