Yes, you can swim in most parts of the Hudson River — but timing and location are key. Thanks to decades of effort to reduce pollution and enhance our wastewater infrastructure, most areas of the Hudson River are safe for swimming during dry weather. However, it's not safe everywhere, and swimming should generally be avoided after heavy rains, when stormwater and sewage overflows can impact water quality.
Even though water quality has improved significantly, the Hudson River estuary has only four official public swimming areas along its 150-mile stretch, compared to the 224 beaches available on Long Island Sound. New York City, where less than 1% of the 520-mile coastline is open for public swimming, has no swimming access on the Hudson.
The official public swimming beaches on the Hudson River estuary are (north to south):
- Saugerties Village Beach, on Esopus Creek near the Hudson River in Saugerties, Ulster County
- Kingston Point Beach, on the Hudson River in Kingston, Ulster County
- River Pool at Beacon, small floating pool in the Hudson in Beacon, Dutchess County
- Croton Point Beach, on the Hudson River in Croton, Westchester County
As we face a warming climate, everyone should have access to clean, natural water where they can cool off. Join our Beaches for Everyone campaign to support more Hudson River beaches.
Is it legal to swim where there isn’t an official beach in the Hudson?
Yes, it is legal to swim in the Hudson River even in areas that aren’t designated public beaches, though land owners can and often do prohibit access to the shoreline. This limitation makes river swimming in many locations accessible only to people who have boats, kayaks and paddleboards, further widening the equity divide on who can cool off in the river.
Without lifeguards and regular water quality monitoring by health departments, unofficial swim spots are riskier than official bathing beaches. During beach season, caution is advised in non-designated areas, especially since water conditions can change with rainfall and tide. As public interest in the river grows, the need for sustained investments in water quality improvements and accessible swimming areas becomes increasingly urgent, particularly to address climate-driven precipitation extremes and to offer safe water access to historically excluded communities.
How can I know when and where it's safe to swim?
Safely recreating in the Hudson River is possible when you’re informed. Unfortunately, municipalities, counties, and New York state agencies only test the water for safety at official swimming beaches, and at those beaches they typically test water quality just one day a week. Since 2006, Riverkeeper has led extensive monitoring of water quality that now extends along the entire Hudson River from New York City’s Battery to the Adirondacks as well as in many tributaries throughout the watershed, collecting data with the help of community scientists. This monitoring focuses on fecal indicator bacteria, like enterococcus, which can measure the presence of harmful pathogens (read: poop). The EPA sets safety thresholds for recreational water; if the bacteria count exceeds these concentrations in a location, you should consider swimming elsewhere, or using extra caution (i.e. don’t get water in your mouth or eyes, and wash your hands when you get out). Riverkeeper’s findings help residents help residents and visitors make informed decisions about safe recreation along the river and its tributaries.
However, even with these data, certain environmental factors can quickly make swimming unsafe. Heavy rainfall, for example, is one of the biggest contributors to poor water quality. Because of the aging and outdated design of many of our sewer systems, precipitation can cause sewage to overflow into the river. In areas with inadequate land and stormwater management, it can also wash pollutants from urban and agricultural areas into nearby waterways. After rain, Riverkeeper generally recommends avoiding swimming in the Hudson for 24 hours. In the waters where combined sewer systems (“CSOs”) discharge discharge untreated sewage in rain events, especially New York City, Yonkers, and the Capital District, avoiding swimming after rain is essential.
Thankfully, some locations remain safe even through most rain, and some recover within hours (see Riverkeeper data to identify these locations). In many places, such as Westchester County, specific guidelines for beach closures are triggered by rainfall amounts, with different rain thresholds applying to different beaches based on site-specific characteristics. Riverkeeper supports these site-specific beach management protocols which allow beaches to remain open as much as possible, and only when it’s safe.
Beyond water quality data, additional factors like tides, currents, weather, water turbidity, boat traffic, skill level of the swimmer, and the presence of lifeguards play a role in swim safety. Swimmers should always be mindful of factors like these when deciding where and when to swim.
Why aren't there more beaches on the Hudson?
The limited number of public beaches on the Hudson River reflects a range of historical and regulatory barriers. A century ago, before pollution prompted their closure, beaches and floating bath houses dotted the shores. Although the river is cleaner today than it’s been in decades, creating new swimming areas faces numerous hurdles. Complex regulations, outdated water quality standards, aging stormwater and sewage infrastructure, and untreated sewage overflows (CSOs) have all stalled efforts to establish more beaches along the Hudson. In fact, over the past several decades, only one new river pool has been permitted, while no new beach permits have been granted. These barriers not only restrict recreational access but also prevent communities from enjoying the full benefits of a clean, natural waterway that can offer critical cooling relief during increasingly hot summers.
Aren't there other contaminants I should be worried about?
The Hudson River does contain contaminants beyond fecal bacteria, but most of these pose minimal risk for recreational users when it comes to swimming. One of the most persistent pollutants is polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were released into the river by General Electric between 1947 and 1977. While some PCB cleanup has been done, these "forever chemicals" remain in the riverbed and pose serious health risks primarily through fish consumption, as they accumulate in fat tissues and become more concentrated up the food chain. For this reason, the general public is advised against eating fish and crabs from much of the Hudson, with stricter restrictions for women under 50 and children under 15.
Other potential contaminants include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals, microplastics, radionuclides, mercury, and heavy metals. While these pollutants are sometimes detected, they generally stay within safe limits for water recreation. In recent years, harmful algal blooms have increased in frequency and duration. These blooms produce harmful cyanotoxins which can pose a risk to swimmers and pets who enter waterways. If you see what could be a harmful algal bloom, we recommend that you stay out of the water and report it to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
What can be done to make more places to swim?
Within the next 60 years, the number of hot days is expected to double or even quadruple, making access to natural water bodies increasingly essential to public health. For disadvantaged communities along the Hudson, however, swimming in the river — or swimming at all — is often not an option, due to barriers like funding gaps, outdated regulations, and ongoing pollution from our sewer and stormwater systems.
Increasing swim access along the Hudson requires strategic investments and policy changes to support safe, accessible waterfronts for everyone. The NY SWIMS initiative, launched in 2024, is a step in the right direction, providing resources to expand municipal pools in high-need areas, improve access to state rivers and lakes, and enhance amenities at existing pools and state park beaches. This initiative also addresses the statewide lifeguard shortage and expands swimming instruction, ensuring that more New Yorkers can swim safely.
While water quality in much of the Hudson is often safe for recreation, to truly make a difference, we need to reopen closed beaches, create new river pools, and continue our efforts to reduce water pollution. Join us in advocating for more swim access by signing our petition and supporting the expansion of safe, enjoyable places to swim along the Hudson.
Dive deeper
Learn more about Riverkeeper's advocacy to promote safe swimming in the Hudson and sign the petition to add your voice.