Wild Swimming
All over the world, natural waters have had the miraculous power to cure. It’s a great way to connect with nature, feed creativity, assuage mental stress, and cool down on a hot day. Forest bathing was a favorite pastime of romantic poets, the Walden Pond crowd, and the Gold Country’s original native population. For parents, it’s wonderful internet-free off-grid activity. Whether it’s our mountain lakes, waterfall and river pools, or a calm eddy — you’ll feel alive, your skin will tingle, and when you immerse in water you’ll experience what is known as the mammalian effect, your heart will slow, your breath will ease, and you will instantly feel calm.
“Life in us is like the water in a river.” — Henry David Thoreau
We’re lucky in Gold Country. We’re surrounded by wild swimming holes, from the intimate waters of Hidden Falls to the scenic waters below the Forest Hill Suspension Bridge. They’re all like a double dip into nature: a hike in the woods and lovely immersion into the natural world.
Swimming Holes
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