Swimming at Onondaga Cave State Park

While there is no actual “advertised” swimming area in the park, there is access to the Meramec River via a trail in the basic camping loop. There is a small parking area right at the trailhead or in a small parking lot just before exiting the loop. We recommend packing a wagon and a source of shade. A few things to keep in mind: 1. It will be busy on Saturdays, and 2. The water level varies on the Meramec River so make sure you have the proper water safety devices. The water is also pretty fast flowing, so we had string attached to the tubes.