Swimming Holes, Naturally

Swimming Holes, Naturally

By:  a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

Hey Henry,

It has been hot again,  the kind of hot that makes you start scanning maps for blue squiggles and shaded places.

So we went looking for water.

This is a Natural Dam, and depending on water levels, it can be a waterfall, a swimming hole, or both. A wide, roughly 200-foot rock shelf spans the entire width of Mountain Fork Creek, slowing the flow just enough to create a deep, calm pool below it.

Unlike many dams, this one wasn’t built.

Natural Dam exists because of geology, a resistant layer of sandstone and shale that refused to erode at the same pace as the surrounding rock. Over time, water carved away what it could, left what it couldn’t, and the result was a perfectly placed shelf that turns an ordinary creek into a summer refuge. It’s one of those places where nature solved a problem long before humans realized there was one.

We weren’t the only people who figured that out.

The area was lively,  kids splashing, people floating, a few barbecues sending the smell of charcoal through the trees. Despite the crowd, it didn’t feel chaotic. It felt communal, like the sort of place that has quietly served generations without ever asking for much in return.

Everyone was gracious about letting me grab a quick photo, though if I had wanted models, there were two very enthusiastic kids who really wanted their picture taken.

(I had to decline; I am firmly in the camp that believes other people’s children do not belong on the internet.)

Still, it was one of those stops that reminds me why I love these places.

No admission gate.

No grand signage.

Just water, rock, heat, and relief,  assembled patiently over thousands of years.

Anyway, I hope your day is cool, wherever you are.

xoxo,

a.d. elliott

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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