How we check a spot

A pin on a map is not permission to swim. Before a spot is published, we check four things.

1. Public access

The spot is on public land, in a park, or on private land that openly welcomes visitors. If access is unclear, the spot is not published.

2. The official source

Seasons, booking rules, fees and closures come from the body that manages the place: a city, a state park, a national agency. Each page names its sources.

3. Water quality, where it is measured

Where a government tests the water, we show the latest result and its date: the EU and England bathing water lists, and the US EPA beach programme. Where nobody tests it, we say so.

4. A real date

Every page shows the date it was last checked. Rules change, so always check the official page on the day you go.

Photos

Photos are free-licence images, mostly from Wikimedia Commons. The photographer and the licence are shown on each photo.