Twenty-Foot Hole

Reading · Black River Valley

Three cold roadside-access pools with a very short walk and real depth-check cautions.

Swimming

Popular swimming…

Access

Short woods path

Parking

Limited

Water

Moderate

Footing

Slick

Light

Bright

Difficulty

Reward

Risk

Open On Map Conditions Nearby

Good fit

Hot summer swims with a short walk

Groups happy to scout depth before jumping

Visitors who like multiple pools in one stop

Skip

You want lifeguards or formal facilities

You count on cell service at the water

High water or murky depth makes you uneasy

Before you go

Park only in legal Tyson Road pull-offs.
Lower pools take a steeper walk than the upper pool.
Scout depth every time before swimming or jumping.
Storm sediment has changed old jump depth.
Water shoes help on slick ledge and dirt banks.

Photos

Swipe photos →

Clear shallow edge and deep green channel at Twenty-Foot Hole beneath tall hemlocks and ledge walls.

Low water-level view across a calm pool toward a small chute and mossy rock walls at Twenty-Foot Hole.

Overlook through trees down to an emerald pool at Twenty-Foot Hole.

Forest-framed pool and stream channel at Twenty-Foot Hole with mossy ledges and clear water.

Pebble shallows and a deeper blue-green pool at Twenty-Foot Hole on a bright summer day.

Autumn view of a calm pool and small falls at Twenty-Foot Hole with mist in the gorge.

Welcome sign at the Twenty-Foot Hole natural area in Reading, Vermont.

Nearby Spots

Cavendish Gorge5.1 mi awaySwimming Holes
Black River gorge near Route 131—USGS 01153000 is North Springfield upstream proxy; dam and utility corridors add hazard beyond any graph.View Guide
Buttermilk Falls8.9 mi awayWaterfalls
Falls Brook tiers near Ludlow—cold pools, granite ledges, and a short woods walk from the road.View Guide
Quechee Gorge Swimming Area14 mi awaySwimming Holes
Quechee Gorge Swimming Area is the easier gorge-bottom river access below the bridge and visitor center, with broad Ottauquechee River shallows, a dramatic cliff backdrop, and heavy summer foot traffic. It works better as a hot-day splash-and-wade stop than a secret swimming hole, and it is only worth it when you are ready for crowds, steep return stairs, and changing river depth.View Guide
Rainbow Rock Swimming Hole14 mi awaySwimming Holes
Rainbow Rock Swimming Hole is a Chester Williams River stop with big bedrock shelves, a deep main pool, and a very short walk from Green Mountain Turnpike. It is easy to reach and easy to love, but the rocky bank still deserves a careful scout before kids or dogs charge in.View Guide
Brockways Mills Gorge18 mi awaySwimming Holes
Brockways Mills Road lot at Williams River dam reach—USGS 01153550 is near Rockingham on the same river; secondary catalog coordinates keep the gage pin for editors only.View Guide
Clarendon Gorge20 mi awaySwimming Holes
Lower Clarendon Gorge on FPR land—swim not recommended in guide copy; USGS 04282500 downstream proxy only, not turbulence inside gorge pools.View Guide