Last Updated on March 23, 2025
I’m not a fan of cold water or cold weather. It’s intriguing to me why people would choose to immerse their bodies in a process called a cold-water plunge.
Also known as cold water immersion, the practice, done for a few minutes, is commonly used for its purported health benefits, particularly for muscle recovery after intense physical activity.
Bracing yourself against the icy sting of a lake or ocean, feeling the rush of adrenaline and emerging with a new sense of energy, cold water plunges have surged in popularity.
The science behind cold water plunges is that cold helps reduce inflammation, alleviate soreness, and boost circulation by constricting blood vessels and then dilating them once exiting the water. Some use it for mental resilience or stress relief, as it’s thought to have benefits for mood, alertness and recovery by triggering the release of endorphins and improving overall circulation.
As a retired registered nurse, I can totally understand the benefits, and it’s fascinating to see that cold water plunges have gained popularity in wellness circles. However, if you’re going to partake in this frigid process, approach it with care and caution, as prolonged exposure to very cold water can be risky for your health.
“We’ve seen growing buzz around cold-water plunging, and it’s easy to see why,” Anand Mehta, Executive Director of A Mission For Michael (AMFM) Mental Health Treatment Center, said. “The shock of cold water can spark a flood of feel-good hormones, sharpen focus, and even help you sleep better that night. But while it’s a fantastic way to boost your mood and energy, it’s not a cure-all. Anyone with mental health concerns should talk to a professional before diving in – it’s a complement to care, not a substitute.”
That all being said, AMFM reached out to over 3,000 cold-water enthusiasts offering their favorite destinations for cold-water plunging.
1. Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York
Just a stone’s throw from Coney Island, Brighton Beach draws a tight-knit crew of year-round swimmers who revel in the Atlantic’s biting chill. Late winter sees the water at its iciest, making weekend dips a test of grit and a celebration of community against the grey urban skyline.
2. Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana
Tucked in Glacier National Park, Lake McDonald’s crystal-clear waters turn bracingly cold by late winter, offering a sharp, refreshing escape. Framed by snow-draped peaks and thick evergreens, it’s a plunge that’s as stunning as it is revitalizing.
3. Lake Erie, Headlands Beach State Park, Ohio
Stretching along Ohio’s rugged northern shore, Lake Erie’s Headlands Beach State Park boasts the state’s longest natural beach. By late February, the water’s frigid edge—sometimes dotted with ice—pairs with sweeping views, though swimmers should scout safe entry points to avoid hazards.
4. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
The Grand Strand’s famous shoreline takes on a quieter charm in late winter, with cooled Atlantic waters perfect for a bracing dip. Without the summer crowds or lifeguards, it’s a self-guided adventure so swimmers should keep an eye on currents and conditions.
5. Glacial Lakes State Park, Starbuck, Minnesota
Signalness Lake in Glacial Lakes State Park offers a tranquil, frosty plunge surrounded by snow-dusted hills. Its shallow, chilled waters and remote setting make it a peaceful retreat for those craving a crisp, uninterrupted swim.
Other locations that ranked in the top 100 list of cold-water plunging destinations include:
- 6. Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum – Historic Ice Plunge, Duluth, Minnesota
- 7. Lake Michigan at Whitefish Dunes State Park – Great Lake Winter Plunge, Door County, Wisconsin
- 8. Eklutna Lake, Chugach State Park, Alaska
- 9. Pinckney State Recreation Area – Winter Lake Plunge, Pinckney, Michigan
- 10. Van Buren State Park – Frosty Shoreline Dip, South Haven, Michigan
- 11. Burfoot Park – Puget Sound Coastal Dip, Olympia, Washington
- 12. Muskegon State Park – Lake Michigan’s Icy Embrace, Muskegon, Michigan
- 13. Delaware Water Gap – Icy River Experience, Warren County, New Jersey
- 14. Long Beach – Daily Ocean Dips, Nassau County, New York
- 15. Yellowstone River at Gardiner – Wild Winter Waters, Gardiner, Wyoming
- 16. Lake Tahoe – Alpine Winter Plunge, Stateline, Nevada
- 17. Rockaway Beach – Artistic Winter Swim, Queens, New York
- 18. San Juan River – Thermal Contrast Plunge, Pagosa Springs, Colorado
- 19. Bighorn Canyon – Chilled Reservoir Dip, Fort Smith, Montana
- 20. Skinny Dip Falls – Secluded Icy Plunge, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
- 21. Devil’s Den – Subterranean Ice Shock, Williston, Florida
- 22. Sliding Rock – Natural Winter Waterslide, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
- 23. Quarry Park and Nature Preserve – Subzero Quarry Plunge, Waite Park, Minnesota
- 24. White Lake State Park – Glacial Waters Dip, Tamworth, New Hampshire
- 25. Havasu Falls Cold Pools, Supai, Arizona
- 26. Flathead Lake – Glacier-Fed Frigid Plunge, Polson, Montana
- 27. Echo Lake – Mountain Reflections Plunge, Franconia Notch, New Hampshire
- 28. Panther Creek Falls – Wild River Submersion, Near Clarkesville, Georgia
- 29. Cummins Falls – Winter Waterfall Plunge, Cookeville, Tennessee
- 30. Lake Sakakawea – Icy Reservoir Retreat, Fort Stevenson State Park, North Dakota
- 31. Hamilton Pool Preserve – Limestone Grotto Plunge, Dripping Springs, Texas
- 32. Fossil Creek Springs, Strawberry, Arizona
- 33. Barton Springs Pool – Urban Spring Plunge, Austin, Texas
- 34. Puget Sound – Salish Sea Winter Plunge, Various Locations, Washington
- 35. Salmon River – Coldwater Rapids, Colchester, Connecticut
- 36. Warren Falls – Cascading Winter Waters, Warren, Vermont
- 37. Sargent Mountain Pond – Alpine Frost Dip, Mount Desert, Maine
- 38. Hooker Falls – Cascading Winter Refreshment, DuPont State Recreational Forest, North Carolina
- 39. Lake Willoughby – Glacial Serenity Plunge, Westmore, Vermont
- 40. Tamolitch Blue Pool – Icy Gem Plunge, McKenzie River, Oregon
- 41. Rutledge Falls – Frosty Forest Plunge, Tullahoma, Tennessee
- 42. Kinkaid Lake Spillway – Frozen Cascade Challenge, Murphysboro, Illinois
- 43. Lake Memphremagog – Cross-Border Chill, Newport, Vermont
- 44. Bell Smith Springs – Ice Basin Immersion, Shawnee National Forest, Illinois
- 45. Greeter Falls – Chilled Cascade Dip, Altamont, Tennessee
- 46. Beaver Bay at Lake Pend Oreille – Glacial Waters Await, Farragut State Park, Idaho
- 47. Granite Hot Springs – Steamy Mountain Retreat, Sublette County, Wyoming
- 48. Lake Le-Aqua-Na – The Deep Freeze, Near Lena, Illinois
- 49. Opal Pool – Pristine Wilderness Dip, Opal Creek Wilderness, Oregon
- 50. Frenchman’s Hole – Mountain’s Icy Embrace, Bethel, Maine
- 51. Devils Lake – Frosty Basin Dip, Grahams Island State Park, North Dakota
- 52. Krause Springs – Hill Country Chilled Springs, Spicewood, Texas
- 53. Fifth Water Hot Springs – Natural Hot Spring Soak, Spanish Fork, Utah
- 54. Dick’s Creek Falls – The Plunge Pool Challenge, Near Clayton, Georgia
- 55. Folly Beach – Atlantic Ocean Winter Dip, Folly Beach, South Carolina
- 56. Helton Creek Falls – Double Cascade Shock, Near Blairsville, Georgia
- 57. Turkey Fork Recreation Area – Icy Lake Dip, Greene County, Mississippi
- 58. Deep Creek Lake – Frostbite Challenge, McHenry, Maryland
- 59. Rocky Falls Shut-Ins – Cascading Cold Waters, Winona Township, Missouri
- 60. Matthews Beach Park – Urban Lake Plunge, Seattle, Washington
- 61. Collins Cove – Chilled Coastal Swim, Salem, Massachusetts
- 62. Mill Creek Canyon – Desert Oasis Plunge, Moab, Utah
- 63. Phelps Lake – Alpine Winter Plunge, Teton County, Wyoming
- 64. Lake Jocassee – Mountain Lake Chill, Salem, South Carolina
- 65. Brandywine Creek – Winter Rapids, Wilmington, Delaware
- 66. West Beach – The Lake Michigan Ice Dip, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana
- 67. Chickasaw National Recreation Area – Icy Spring Waters, Sulphur, Oklahoma
- 68. Blue Hole – Desert Freeze Plunge, Santa Rosa, New Mexico
- 69. Lake Thunderbird – Chilled Reservoir Dip, Norman, Oklahoma
- 70. Punchbowl Falls – Alpine Cascade Plunge, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
- 71. Pactola Reservoir – Chilled Reservoir Retreat, Rapid City, South Dakota
- 72. Springbrook Lake – Frozen Forest Plunge, Springbrook State Park, Guthrie County, Iowa
- 73. Lake McConaughy – Winter’s Icy Embrace, Ogallala, Nebraska
- 74. Narragansett Town Beach – Atlantic Winter Plunge, Narragansett, Rhode Island
- 75. Lake Anna State Park – Chilled Reservoir Retreat, Spotsylvania, Virginia
- 76. Natural Dam Plunge, Natural Dam, Arkansas
- 77. Toledo Bend Reservoir – Winter’s Edge Plunge, Anacoco, Louisiana
- 78. Homestead Crater – Geothermal Warm Plunge, Midway, Utah
- 79. Wilson Lake – Ice-Blue Plains Challenge, Wilson State Park, Sylvan Grove, Kansas
- 80. Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park – Natural Ice Bath, Middle Brook, Missouri
- 81. Lake Guntersville – Winter Shores, Guntersville, Alabama
- 82. Mount Storm Lake – Warmed Winter Waters, Mount Storm, West Virginia
- 83. Jump Creek Falls – High-Desert Cold Cascade, Near Marsing, Idaho
- 84. Barren River Lake – The Silent Deep Freeze, Lucas, Kentucky
- 85. Lake Claiborne – Chilled Serenity Swim, Homer, Louisiana
- 86. Devil’s Bathtub – Natural Basin Plunge, Fort Blackmore, Virginia
- 87. Pyramid Lake – High Desert Chill, Washoe County, Nevada
- 88. Lake Waramaug – Icy Shoreline Entry, Litchfield County, Connecticut
- 89. Merit Water Park – Chilled Creek Plunge, Mendenhall, Mississippi
- 90. Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs – Contrast Bathing Experience, Dyer, Nevada
- 91. Gunpowder Falls – Rapids’ Icy Rush, Middle River, Maryland
- 92. Chewalla Lake Recreation Area – Frosty Forest Swim, Holly Springs, Mississippi
- 93. Kings River Falls, Witter, Arkansas
- 94. Colt State Park – Coastal Chill Dip, Bristol, Rhode Island
- 95. Kisatchie Bayou – Frosted Rapids Dip, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana
- 96. Lake Scott – Deep Freeze Canyon Plunge, Scott City, Kansas
- 97. Blanchard Springs Recreation Area, Fifty-Six, Arkansas
- 98. Big Hill Lake – Ice Sheet Entry, Cherryvale, Kansas
- 99. Budd Lake – Alpine Meltwater Immersion (Yosemite National Park), California
- 100. Lake Wallenpaupack – Deep Chill Reservoir Plunge (Pike & Wayne Counties), Pennsylvania
