Adventure & Outdoors
Swim the Sooke Potholes
A string of cedar-ringed emerald pools drilled into solid rock by the Sooke River, and yes, you can swim in them.
Sooke Potholes Provincial Park, Sooke River Rd
More infoAdventure & Outdoors
A string of cedar-ringed emerald pools drilled into solid rock by the Sooke River, and yes, you can swim in them.
Sooke Potholes Provincial Park, Sooke River Rd
More infoThe Sooke Potholes are exactly what the name suggests and somehow better. The Sooke River has spent millennia drilling deep emerald pools into solid rock, ringed by cedar and flat sunning ledges built for pretending you have no commitments. The water is bracingly cold, and braver locals cliff-jump from the higher rocks if you need to make an impression. It is a 45-minute drive, so start early.
Pick a pool from the string of emerald rock basins the Sooke River has drilled into solid rock, ease into the startlingly clear, bracing water, then bake on a warm ledge like a contented seal, the braver locals cliff-jump, but you don't have to. It's about a 45-minute drive, parking fills early on hot days, and the footing down is steep, so go early and wear grippy shoes. Pack for a half-day by the water and budget around 3 hours of wild, free summer.
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