John 'The River Guy'

Like all of my other out of Etowah County swim spots I discovered Smith Lake Park in the summer of 2021 during the ‘Delta’ phase of Covid. It was when I had just created my ‘tour of lakes’ open water swim adventure to see what was really out there. For whatever reason, no matter June, July or August it seems to be blazingly hot the day I arrive there. Smith Lake Park offers a fantastic beach to swim out from in regards to ingress. with a snack shack at the entrance for refreshment. Although, the area is boat traffic heavy it allows you a great route along the shoreline out of traffic and into safety. As locals know, Smith Lake is the state’s deepest lake. Make sure you are swimming along the bank or with someone. You go under there, you may not get found!

-Stay Wet