A few thoughts on the best places to take a dip in Kitsap, out of the 15 lakes and nine marine areas the county monitors as swimming beaches.

Point No Point Beach

With sandy beaches and some of the cleanest water samples of anywhere in the county — not too mention incredibly rad, handmade driftwood shacks — Point No Point Beach takes top honors out of Kitsap’s Best Swimming holes.

Located at the North end of the county, near the town of Hansville, Point No Point affords panoramic views of the Puget Sound, a historic light house and a wildlife refuge, in addition to a fine place to cool off on a sunny summer’s day. And if you happen to be a lake lover, just up the road, about a mile from the beach is the popular Buck Lake.

Scenic Beach State Park

With every warm summer, the waters of Hood Canal undergo a process called a thermal climb — which makes swimming there blissful experience.

“In the warm weather, you get the top two meters of the water column, is this warm, tropical, water,” Kitsap County Health District beach monitor Jim Zimny said. “You get below and its 45 degrees, but that top layer, it’s tropical.”

Dive in at Scenic Beach State Park in Seabeck and you can match a tropical dip with stunning views of the towering Olympic Mountains.

Wildcat Lake

For the lake lover, Wildcat Lake is one of the best Kitsap has to offer in terms of both swimming quality and overall ammenities. Barbecues, birthday parties and impromptu baseball games are all just part of the atmosphere at one of the county’s most popular park.

Located on Seabeck Holly Road, just a few miles outside of Bremerton.

For more info on these beaches and full list of swimming beaches in the county, visit the Kitsap County Health Department website at www.kitsapcountyhealth.org or the Kitsap County Parks at www.kitsapgov.com/parks.