Jasper Swimming Holes

Some of the best Jasper swimming holes are found along the Little Buffalo River and not just the Big Buffalo River! The Little Buffalo River is just a couple of miles from Boulder Bluffs and has plenty of opportunities for Jasper swimming holes! If you drive down county road 8650 past the turn off onto 8656, you will find Keys Gap. At Keys Gap, you will have the option to take a left or continue to go straight. If you take a left, you will be able to follow a gravel road into the valley.

We highly recommend that you take a 4×4 or all wheel drive vehicle down this road as you will encounter many bumps and some water crossing the road.

As you go down this unpaved road, you will continue around 3 miles until you reach a low water bridge. If you continue past the bridge, you will drive between the little buffalo and an open field for about half a mile before you come across another bridge. This next bridge will be at the curve of Shop Creek and lead you onto highway 190 into the small township of Parthenon. 

You can feel free to park anywhere along the Little Buffalo River and discover endless Jasper swimming holes. There are some incredible Jasper swimming holes if you head back past the two bridges but instead of going back into the mountain, you stay along the Little Buffalo River. This road will lead you to the great Warhouse Hollow. You can park your vehicle here and walk down the Little Buffalo River where there are many Jasper Swimming Holes. 

There are many places along the road that, if you have a reliable all wheel drive vehicle, you can venture off onto the river licked rocks and get almost onto the river. You can park, set up a picnic and hop into the many Jasper swimming holes. This is one of the most enjoyable ventures to take while at Boulder Bluffs and one of the most convenient since it is just 3 miles away from the wonderful cabins. Since the early 1900’s the folks of Newton county have been enjoying these fresh water swimming holes and making memories to last a lifetime. 

We greatly encourage you to venture off to find the best swimming holes. The locals are extremely friendly as long as you remain respectful of their property. They enjoy sharing the beautiful nature with all and don’t mind telling you the history of the towns and their memories of those Jasper swimming holes. Please do not violate any privacy of any locals that ask you to keep off of their property and respect everyone. Most of these people have lived here for all of their lives. Here recently, the tiny town of Jasper has been exploding with visitors and our goal is to maintain the history and the feel of the town. When you walk into the Jasper Square, it almost feels like you have stepped foot onto a Hallmark movie where some story is unfolding all around you. 

Make sure to remember the sunscreen! It is easy to enjoy an entire day at one of the countless swimming holes near Jasper. If you do find a new swimming hole that you feel more people should know about, please send in the location and more information so that we can share the local beauty with more guests! 

Also, make sure to share your fun summer days with everyone on social media! You can tag Boulder Bluffs on Facebook and Instagram or you can use our hashtag #BoulderBluffs to make sure we see your post.

If you want to discover more swimming holes along the Big Buffalo River, it is best to drive and hike along the river to spot a great swimming hole. You can also spark up a conversation with one of the locals and they will be happy to tell you where some of the best spots to hop in the river is! Again, most of the locals here in Jasper have lived here all of their lives and have spent their childhood in this river. They know what the best swimming holes, trail heads, and launch points on the entire Buffalo River. I have found myself learning more by speaking with the local Harps employees and the guests at the Ozark Cafe than I have found searching online. 

Jasper, Arkansas is a historical town filled with great places to visit. The experiences you can have here are endless so don’t be afraid to explore!

Sometimes, you can even find great entry points into the little buffalo river off of highway 327. There is a road just half a mile North of the entering back into the blacktop. It will lead you to Brasel Creek that has a low water bridge. I found this bridge by accident while exploring the local roads. You can park your vehicle on the nearby river rock and enjoy cooling off in the Little Buffalo. Be very careful as this river is an active river and flows quite rapidly during most of the year. 

We recommend that you stick with a quiet pool or swimming hole as opposed to hopping directly into the Little or Big Buffalo River as that can be quite dangerous. There is no shortage of swimming holes along the entire river. You will also come across many large rock formations and piles of rocks that have been built by the locals. 

You have no need to find a man made swimming pool to cool off this summer when you can hop right into the freshwater swimming holes! Make a day out of it. Skip rocks over the Little Buffalo River, pack a lunch, and hang out all day along this picturesque river. We are sure you will be back after you create some of the most memorable moments of your summer along this beautiful river! 

Please submit your photos to #BoulderBluffs so that we can share your memories with our guests!