Where to Swim in Brown County, Indiana (A Complete Guide from a Local)

If you’re looking for somewhere to swim or cool off in Brown County, you’re in the right place – whether you want an outdoor summer swim, a sandy lake beach, a free creek to splash in, or an indoor pool you can use any time of year.

Brown County is known for its hills and woods, so it probably won’t shock you that we don’t have a giant pool complex or a water park on every corner. We’ve got good options, though. They’re just spread all over, and there’s no single place that tells you what’s open, what it costs, and whether it’s worth the drive that day.

That’s the part that trips people up. A beach can be closed because the water level of the lake is too high and the beach is flooded. An outdoor pool can drop to weekends-only by August. The water park can sell out of day passes. If you don’t know where to check, you show up, and you’re disappointed.

So I pulled it all together. We’ve lived five minutes outside downtown Nashville since 2016 and raised our two girls here, and we’ve swum, paddled, and splashed our way through pretty much all of these spots. Below you’ll find every swimming option in the county, what it costs, what to expect, and the ones I’d actually send you to.

At a Glance

Short on time? Here’s where I’d point you, with jump links to the full details:

• 🏊 Best indoor swim – the YMCA pool or the Abe Martin Lodge water park
• ☀️ Best outdoor pool – the Brown County State Park pool
• 🏖️ Best swimming beach – Lake Lemon at Riddle Point Park
• 💦 Best free splash – creek and stream exploring
• 👪 Best for families – the state park pool or a creek day
• ✅ Before you go – hours, lifeguards, what to pack

Heads up: the lakes inside the State Park and Yellowwood State Forest are for paddling, not swimming. More on that below.

Indoor Swimming in Brown County

Indoor swimming is the year-round option, and the one I point people to when the weather falls apart, or it’s too cold for an outdoor swim. There are two indoor pools the public can actually use, plus a few that are for hotel guests only.

Brown County Community YMCA

The Brown County Community YMCA, located in Nashville at 105 Willow St, has an indoor saltwater pool, and you don’t have to be a member to swim. A day pass is $8 for adults and $5 for youth (or anyone with a military ID).

The day pass covers the whole facility, not just the pool. They don’t do a pool-only rate, so the day pass is the way in.

A few other ways in, if any of these fit:

• Members of another Indiana YMCA get 3 free visits a year here through the AWAY program.
• On the first Saturday of every month, Brown County residents swim free (they call it Community Day).

It’s a 25-yard pool with lap lanes on one side and an open family-swim area on the other. One thing to know about the water, though – it’s kept at a lap-swimming temperature, so it feels cool when you first get in. That’s comfortable if you’re swimming laps or in a class, but a little chilly if you just came to float and play. The Y also runs water aerobics classes and kids’ swim lessons (both our girls learned to swim here).

Coast Guard approved life jackets are welcome and available to borrow, but leave the inflatable rafts, rings, and water wings at home, since those aren’t allowed. If you’ve got little ones, note that swimmers 7 and under need an adult in the water with them.

One thing to plan around. The pool runs its own schedule, separate from the building, and it closes every weekday from 2 to 4pm for a cleaning cycle. It’s also closed Sundays. Those hours shift through the year, so check the current pool schedule on the YMCA website before you head over, and confirm there are no last minute closures via their Facebook page, or calling the front desk at 812-988-9622.

The Aquatic Center at Abe Martin Lodge

This is the closest thing we have to a water park, and it’s a favorite with families. The indoor aquatic center at Abe Martin Lodge has a zero-entry pool, a waterslide, a lazy river, fountains, water basketball and volleyball, and a hot tub. It’s open daily from 10am to 9pm.

If you’re staying at Abe Martin Lodge or in one of the state park cabins, access is included. You’ll get wristbands with your stay. (This is one of the big reasons to book in the park if you’ve got kids.)

If you’re not staying there, you can still get in with a day pass, but read this part carefully. Day passes run $20 per swimmer, and the number available depends on how full the lodge is that day.

On a busy weekend they can sell out, and you’d be turned away at the desk. Call ahead at 812-988-4418 to check availability before you make the drive. The aquatic center sits inside the state park, so you’ll also pay the park gate fee to get in, then the day pass on top of that.

One more thing to set expectations: it’s not a huge space. Limiting day passes keeps it from getting wall-to-wall, but on a packed weekend it can still feel busy, and there’s not much room to spread out. If elbow room matters to you, the state park pool is the roomier choice.

I’ve written more about the lodge, the rooms, the cabins, and the water park in this post, if you want the complete picture.

Hotels with Pools (Guests Only)

A handful of Nashville hotels have their own pools, including the Brown County Inn (indoor, and the one people ask about most), Salt Creek Golf Retreat (outdoor), Quality Inn, and Hotel Nashville (both indoor).

These are for registered guests only – none of them sell day passes – so a hotel pool is only an option if you’re already booked there. Worth knowing so you don’t count on one as a backup.

The Outdoor Pool at Brown County State Park

If you want to swim in an outdoor pool in Brown County, this is really your only public option, and it’s an especially good one for families. My girls love this pool, and it’s our go-to on a hot summer afternoon when we want a real swim without leaving the county.

The pool sits near the north entrance gate of the State Park. It’s an old-school, Olympic-sized pool – no slides or splash features, just a big pool with a deep end and two diving boards, plus lifeguards, lounge chairs, a snack bar, and locker rooms.

The layout is unusual, in a way that works great for families. Instead of getting deeper along its length like most pools, this one runs shallow-to-deep across its width, so there’s a long stretch of shallow water (about 2.5 feet) the whole way down.

There’s no separate kiddie pool anymore, since the old wading pool was filled in. That 2.5-foot shallow stretch is shallower than what you get at most pools this size, and my girls have always loved it, but 2.5 feet is still 2.5 feet, so it’s not really enough for real toddlers who need to touch the bottom. Confident swimmers get the deep end with the diving boards.

One nice thing on a busy weekend: there’s plenty of room here to spread out, more than you’ll get at the indoor water park or the Y.

Cost & Hours

Two things to sort out before you go:

First, the money, because you’ll pay twice. There’s the park gate entrance fee to get into the state park (charged per vehicle), and then a separate $3 per person pool admission once you’re inside. Kids 2 and under are free. The pool fee isn’t included in your park entry, so plan for both.

Second, the season and hours. The pool runs summers only, roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day, usually daily from noon to 7pm. But the open and close dates swing with lifeguard staffing and aren’t guaranteed – some years it opens late, and once local schools go back (usually early August) it drops to weekends only.

Early and late in the season, especially, call ahead to confirm it’s actually open before you make the drive. Try the pool’s direct line at (812) 988-6406, or the park office at 812-988-5240 for specifics.

Check out this post for the full rundown on the Brown County State Park Pool, including more photos and details on depths, lockers, shade, rules, and my honest take on whether it’s worth it.

Lakes and Swimming Beaches

Brown County sometimes surprises people here, because we have some beautiful lakes, but you can’t swim in most of them.

The lakes inside Brown County State Park (Ogle and Strahl) and Yellowwood Lake (plus other lakes inside Yellowwood State Forest, like Bear Lake and Crooked Creek) are for paddling and fishing only – there are no designated swim areas, and swimming isn’t allowed.

If getting out on the water sounds as good as getting in it, I’ve got a whole guide to paddling and kayaking in Brown County that covers those lakes in detail.

For an actual lake swim, here are your real options:

Lake Lemon (Riddle Point Park)

This is your best bet for a lake swim. Lake Lemon sits right on the Brown-Monroe county line, and Riddle Point Park has a designated swimming beach with a bathhouse for changing and rinsing off.

The beach is open daily 8am to 8pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with an entrance fee charged. It’s a true sandy-beach setup, which is hard to find around here, so it’s worth the short drive even though it’s just over the county line.

Lake Monroe

Lake Monroe is the giant just south of us, and it does have public swimming beaches at the Paynetown and Fairfax State Recreation Areas. There’s a catch, though, and it’s a big one. Lake Monroe is a flood-control reservoir, so after a wet spring the water rises, and the last several summers (2026 included) it has risen enough to put those beaches completely underwater for much of the swim season.

I’m not exaggerating. There have been stretches where the beaches sat closed for weeks because they were literally submerged. So Lake Monroe is worth knowing about, but never drive out assuming the beach is open.

Check the Monroe Lake Facebook page (that’s where they post closures) before you go. Even when the beaches are closed, boating and fishing usually carry on, so the lake isn’t shut down, just those swimming access points – and if you’re out boating, you can always jump in and swim from the boat.

Cordry-Sweetwater Lake

If you’re looking at a map, you’ll spot Cordry and Sweetwater Lakes up in the northern part of the county, and Sweetwater has a genuinely nice beach, but it’s private.

The lakes and the beach are for property owners and their guests only, not the general public. If you’re renting a place on the lake or visiting someone who owns there, you’re set. If not, it’s not an option for swimming.

Creek and Stream Exploring

Not every water day has to mean a pool or a beach. Some of the best summer afternoons we’ve had with our girls were spent wading around a creek, flipping rocks, hunting crawdads, and relaxing in the shade. It’s free, it’s low-key, and kids love it.

To be clear, this isn’t swimming. The creeks here are shallow and rocky, more for splashing and exploring than diving in. If you came searching for a deep swimming hole, this is honestly the closest Brown County gets – but on a hot day, it’s still plenty.

My top pick is Jackson Creek in Yellowwood State Forest. It’s a local favorite for exactly this kind of lazy creek afternoon, easy to reach and shallow and rocky in the best way for wading and rock-hopping. My ultimate guide to Yellowwood State Forest has the lay of the land if you’ve never been.

Close behind is Brown County State Park. There’s creek access right behind the Strahl Lake shelter house, and if you follow the road from there toward the Horseman’s Camp, you’ll pass a string of little picnic areas with their own spots to climb down to the water. My roundup of more things to do at the state park covers that corner of the park.

After that, just keep your eyes open wherever you hike. You’ll cross creeks throughout the Hoosier National Forest, and the county’s nature preserves and hiking trails – basically, any time a trail meets a stream, that’s a built-in place to cool your feet.

A couple of common-sense notes. The rocks in creek beds can be slippery and sharp, so water shoes beat bare feet. And water levels can rise fast after a hard rain, so skip the creeks if it’s been storming, and never let little kids wade unsupervised.

Best Swimming Spots for Every Situation

Still deciding? Here’s how I’d point you, depending on who you’ve got with you and what kind of day it is.

• Best for toddlers: the Abe Martin Lodge indoor water park. The zero-entry pool lets them wade in from nothing, and there’s more to do than just swim. It’s one of the pricier options, but for little ones it earns it.
• Best for slightly older kids in summer: the Brown County State Park pool. That wide shallow end is great once kids are past needing to touch the bottom. Just remember there’s no true kiddie pool anymore, so it’s less suited to real toddlers.
• Best beach day: Lake Lemon. It’s the only proper sandy swimming beach that’s within reach and open to the public, and it actually feels like a lake day.
• Best for serious swimmers: the indoor pool at the YMCA. It’s the only spot with real lap lanes, and it’s the least crowded of the bunch.
• Best free option: creek exploring. Doesn’t cost a dime, and it’s the thing my girls ask for most.
• Best rainy-day pick: the Abe Martin Lodge water park, hands down. Indoors and genuinely fun, which is exactly what you want when the weather turns.
• Best for families: the state park pool or a creek afternoon. Both give everyone room to spread out, which the smaller water park and the Y can’t always match on a busy day.

A Few Things to Know Before You Go

Brown County runs on its own clock, and that goes for the water options, too. A few things to keep in mind so you don’t end up disappointed:

• Call ahead early and late in the season. The state park pool and the YMCA pool both run lifeguard-dependent hours, and openings can shift. A quick phone call beats a wasted drive.
• Check lake closures before heading to Lake Monroe. Those beaches flood. The Monroe Lake Facebook page is where closures get posted.
• Pack a swimsuit even when swimming isn’t the plan. After years of trips with kids, “always pack a swimsuit” is one of our family’s golden rules. You’ll find water somewhere, and someone will want in.
• Bring water shoes. They earn their keep on rocky creek beds and lake beaches alike.
• Plan for sun. Shade is limited at the state park pool, so sunscreen, hats, and water bottles matter on a hot day.
• Watch for ticks if you’re creek-wading or cutting through the woods. Tick season here generally runs April through November, but really they can be found year round.

Now Pick Your Spot and Go Cool Off

So that’s the whole list, every place to swim, splash, or wade in Brown County, in one spot. Quick recap: the YMCA and the Abe Martin water park have you covered indoors, the state park pool is your outdoor swim, Lake Lemon is the one real swimming beach, and the creeks are there when you just want to cool your feet for free.

And if all this water talk has you thinking less about getting in the water and more about getting on it, that’s a whole other Brown County summer worth having. My complete guide to paddling and kayaking in Brown County covers every lake and launch worth knowing.