Outdoors

Echo Lake & Weston's Beach: Best Swimming Near North Conway

If Emerald Pool feels crowded, these two are the backup plan — and worth a visit either way.

Our own favorite swimming holes sit closer to Stow, but the North Conway side of the valley has two more spots worth knowing about, especially if you're already over there for the day.

Echo Lake Beach

Tucked into Echo Lake State Park, this sandy swimming beach sits right beneath the dramatic granite face of Cathedral Ledge — you're swimming with a real cliff rising above the far shore. In season it has lifeguards, changing facilities, and picnic areas, which makes it the more set-up-for-a-full-afternoon option of the two. It pairs naturally with a stop at Cathedral Ledge itself; see our Diana's Baths & Cathedral Ledge guide for how to combine them.

Weston's Beach

A public beach on the Saco River with a real parking area, Weston's is the easier stop if you want river swimming or tubing rather than a lake. The current here is gentle enough for families, and the sandy banks make it comfortable to just sit for a while rather than only swim.

Lake or river?

Echo Lake is the better pick for a longer, more amenity-equipped afternoon — bathrooms, lifeguards, a defined beach. Weston's and the Saco River generally are the better pick if you want to float, tube, or just find a quiet sandbar without a crowd.

Timing

Like most popular water spots in the valley, both get busy by midday on summer weekends. Morning arrivals get the best parking and the quietest water.