[harry chickpea]

My favorites used to be the Big Spring in Smuggler's Notch, the Winooski just below Bolton Falls, the dam at Waterbury Reservoir (get about four feet down in the water and it is ice cold even in August), and the brooks on various mountains. I would say more, but some of the other places were private. Huntington Gorge never appealed to me.

[vter]

Bristol/Bartlett Falls, East Middlebury Gorge, Kingsland Bay, Branbury State Park, Maple Street Pool in Essex, Shelburne Beach, a couple private spots I'm not publicly posting

[mp775]

White Rocks ice beds

[EckyX]

A map of some of my favorite spots:

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Lake Willoughby in the NEK is my favorite place to go in Vermont during the summer. A gorgeous setting between two mountains with clear cool mountain spring water. Perfect place to cool off and enjoy the scenery. A bit more crowded than it use to be.
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[squarpeg]

People posting favorite swimming holes on the internet has basically ruined them for local folks. Don't do it.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by squarpeg

People posting favorite swimming holes on the internet has basically ruined them for local folks. Don't do it.

Which is why I did NOT post the private ones. Big Spring, the reservoir, Bolton Falls are all very public and accessible. Locals have a right to private swimmin' holes, but NOT exclusive right to common and public sites.

When I lived in Florida, there were parts of the seacoast that were private. Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale understood that huge PUBLIC beaches were a relief valve for the pressures of those not able to afford beachfront property. Going further back, Central Park in NYC was designed for much the same purpose. (Psst, don't tell anyone about the Lewis Carroll statues... )

Living and working in cities can be hot and miserable. To deny any respite from that, such as a place to be cool and in nature for a few hours, in unconscionable.

[squarpeg]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Which is why I did NOT post the private ones. Big Spring, the reservoir, Bolton Falls are all very public and accessible. Locals have a right to private swimmin' holes, but NOT exclusive right to common and public sites..

True you posted common public sites, but you also started the thread. Which others will respond too. I am just warning people of the dangers of posting their favorite, somewhat secluded, swimming places on the internet. We have a beautiful spot in our little town of 1300 people. I used to take my kids there, always some local family's, high school kids. It also had a spot people use to skinny dip at. Anyway, to make a long story short it got posted on the internet and that was the end of it for us town folks. On a hot day like today there will be 100's of cars up there. 90% out of state. The place is overrun. Now it apparently has a reputation as a place for gay men to hang out without cloths on. Rescue has been there on overdose calls. A shame really, at least for the folks that live here and used to enjoy it. So I am just putting it out there, if it is special place, a secret place you love, I wouldn't dream of telling the whole planet about it.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by squarpeg

True you posted common public sites, but you also started the thread. Which others will respond too. I am just warning people of the dangers of posting their favorite, somewhat secluded, swimming places on the internet. We have a beautiful spot in our little town of 1300 people. I used to take my kids there, always some local family's, high school kids. It also had a spot people use to skinny dip at. Anyway, to make a long story short it got posted on the internet and that was the end of it for us town folks. On a hot day like today there will be 100's of cars up there. 90% out of state. The place is overrun. Now it apparently has a reputation as a place for gay men to hang out without cloths on. Rescue has been there on overdose calls. A shame really, at least for the folks that live here and used to enjoy it. So I am just putting it out there, if it is special place, a secret place you love, I wouldn't dream of telling the whole planet about it.

Yes, that does happen, but if the spot is on private land, the land OWNER has plenty of recourse. If you stop and think about it, locals trespassing are as much there despoiling it for the owner as those from out of town.

If the land is public, what part of "public" is confusing to you?

What you describe is just a variation of the tragedy of the commons. I remember happily playing in areas that were torn apart and ruined by construction of the interstate. As long as the population of humans increase, this loss of quiet places will continue to happen. I would entreat people not to have children, but I suspect I would be unheard.

[squarpeg]

If the land is public, what part of "public" is confusing to you?

I am not confused. The public/private issue is not as clear cut as you think or as happens in many instances. Sure if you have a private pond or own an extended piece of both sides of a river you can often prevent folks from being on your property. Of course it if was truly your own, you would not post it up here to begin with.

Vermont has a long history of private/public access. Most of these sites are rivers, creeks, brooks that run along, or just off roadways. It's the culvert under that dirt road, the out cropping of rocks, the waterfall, or the hole under the covered bridge. They have been used for 100 years by the town folk. Landowners are not held liable for these areas. Now if all of a sudden 10 times as many people from out of town show up, till the point it causes problems like traffic issues, garbage or whatever. Your solution is

that the land OWNER has plenty of recourse

first of all the land owner does not want this, so you ruined it for them, and the solution would be... lets post all this property and try to enforce it by driving people off.....how is that any better then the what happened in our town? private or not? No, I am sorry, I stand by my original post which is to simply ask people not to respond to your request other than, as you did, post something completely public and already known by anyone looking for a swim.