If an athlete had time and resources to do an open water swim in all 50 states of the USA, this state-by-state list could be one possible starting point.

This is only a small sliver of the outstanding number of swims across America. It is just one mere point of discovery – similar to the 50 Great Open Water Swimming Locations in the Americas list.

From the perspective of an open water swimmer, this land truly is America The Beautiful.

Alabama – That Dam Swim in Muscle Shoals
Alaska – Pennock Island Challenge in Ketchikan
Arizona – Arizona Open Water Series in Pleasant Harbor Marina
Arkansas – DeGray Lake Open Water Swim in Bismarck
California – La Jolla Rough Water Swim in La Jolla
Colorado– Horsetooth Long Distance Swim in Fort Collins
Connecticut – St. Vincent’s Swim Across The Sound in Bridgeport
Delaware– Lums Pond State Park in Bear
Florida – Ft. Myers Beach Open Water Festival in Ft. Myers
Georgia – SwimForYourLife in Lake Lanier in Atlanta
Hawaii – Waikiki Roughwater Swim in Honolulu on Oahu
Idaho – Lake Coeur d’Alene in Coeur d’Alene
Illinois – Big Shoulders in Lake Michigan
Indiana – Masters Championships in Morse Reservoir in Noble
Iowa – Lake Okoboji in the Iowa Great Lakes Region
Kansas – Shawnee Mission Park in Shawnee
Kentucky – Cave Run Lake south of Morehead
Louisiana– Aqualung Open Water Swim in Bush
Maine – Peaks Island to East End Beach in Portland
Maryland – Great Chesapeake Bay Swim
Massachusetts – Boston Light Swim in Boston Harbor
Michigan – Mackinac Island on Lake Huron
Minnesota – Lake Minnetonka near Minneapolis-St. Paul
Mississippi – Gator Bait in Eagle Lake in Vicksburg
Missouri – Swimmin’ in Moonshine Open Water Swim in Table Rock Dam in Branson
Montana – Whitefish Lake Open Water Swim> near Glacier National Park
Nebraska – Cornhusker State Games in Holmes Park in Lincoln
Nevada – Trans Tahoe Relay in Lake Tahoe
New Hampshire – Squam Lake near Lake Winnipesaukee
New Jersey – Pageant Ocean Swim on Absecon Island in Atlantic City
New Mexico – Mescalero Lake
New York – Liberty Island Swim around the Statute of Liberty
North Carolina – Triangle Open Water Swim Series in Jordan Lake
North Dakota – Lake Sakakawea in Riverdale
Ohio – Ohio Open Water Championships in East Fork Lake in Batavia
Oklahoma – Tallchief Open Water Swim in Sand Springs
Oregon – Cascade Lakes Swim Series in Elk Lake
Pennsylvania – Search for Monongy in the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh
Rhode Island – Second Beach Swim in Sachuest Beach in Middletown
South Carolina – Death Valley Open Water in Hartwell Lake in Clemson
South Dakota – Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills
Tennessee – Swim the Suck in Tennessee River Gorge in Chattanooga
Texas – Highland Lakes Challenge in Austin
Utah – Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim near Heber City
Vermont – Kingdom Swim in Lake Memphremagog in Newport
Virginia – Jim McDonnell Lake Swims in Lake Audubon in Reston
Washington – Fat Salmon Swim in Lake Washington in Seattle
West Virginia – Summit Lake near Richwood
Wisconsin – Manitou Monster Lake Swim in New Auburn
Wyoming – Jenny Lake in Gran Teton National Park

Photo of Lake Willoughby in the state of Vermont.

Copyright © 2010 by World Open Water Swimming Association