Hike down the trails to the South Chickamauga Creek with some water access points along the way. At the end of the creekside trail there is a deep spot with space for swimming. In addition, once crossing the creek there is a place to safely explore a protected bat cave.
Ringgold Recreational Complex
Address: 16 Gale St, Ringgold, GA 30736
There is a short walking path along the South Chickamauga with some accessible water access points along the way. However, you can just drive along the path all the way to the creek.
Rainbow Lake Wilderness Park
Address: 304 Ohio Ave, Signal Mountain, TN 37377
Just off of Ohio Avenue there is parking that gives access to a hiking trail which goes behind the golf course and leads to the Middle Creek. There are points at the bottom of the hill to go for a dip in the water.
Glen Falls
access from Ochs Highway between Sanders Road and the Ochs Highway turn off, technically in Chattanooga, but on Lookout Mountain.
The short hiking trail leads to the shallow Glen Falls stream that connects with the Chattanooga Creek off of the mountain. You can access the trail from the formal parking area where the sign is, but you can park just before the sharp curve on Ochs Highway to hike down the steep hill to Glen Falls.
Pot Point Nature Trail
Address: 17805 River Canyon Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37405
If you want to hike all the way up the mountain and then back down you can, but you can also start down by the wooden boardwalk that goes by the river. There are places to pull off the trail and swim in the Tennessee River. We stopped about .9 miles from the parking area, but there are many suitable places.
North Chickamauga Blue Hole
Address: 354 Montlake Rd, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379
After a short hike from the parking areas you will find multiple areas to swim in deep pools. The area is littered with massive boulders for sunbathing, just make sure to check for water depth before jumping into the creek!
Big Soddy Creek Gulf
Address: 11721 Back Valley Rd, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379
There is a large parking area with a mile (or so) long path that leads down to the water. It gets pretty busy in the warmer months, so just be aware of the potential limited parking spaces.
After parking and taking a short hike you will find a spectacular 60-foot waterfall pouring into a deep pool of water. It can get very crowded in the warmer months, but it is well-worth it!
Papanooga