The Park District closed the swimming hole at Lowell Johnson Park on May 8, 2026. It is a temporary closure, tied to construction on the park’s well, which is being prepared to also supply water to Rick Anderson Place next door
(the former Guthrie Center).
What’s closed
The swimming areas, the public bathrooms, and the parking are all closed while
the well work is underway. Because it is an active construction site, the
District can’t safely let the public into the area. There is also no park host
this summer, since without water the District can’t offer the usual free RV
spot that attracts one.
How long
The District is hoping for state and county approval by mid-summer, but can’t
promise a date, the well work has to be finished and then signed off by both
the Washington Department of Health and Pierce County before the well can go
back into use. It’s the same permitting process slowing the Rick Anderson
Place renovation.
Other places to swim
There aren’t any public ones. All other freshwater swimming access on the
island is privately held by the Riviera Community Club and its homeowners.
Please don’t trespass on those beaches; they’re members-only even when the
swimming hole is closed.
We’ll update this when the District has a reopening date.