Are there places around town/nearby via public transport, to swim outdoors? Lakes, rivers, etc.? Will be there in March
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It's far too cold to swim outside in March without a wetsuit...
Closest hot springs is a 90 minute drive, but no public transit to there http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/dc/berkeley-springs-washington-dc/
I agree that it will be far too cold to swim in March. I also don’t know of too many natural outdoor swimming areas in DC. There are a number of boathouses along the Potomac river in DC offering boat/kayak/paddle board rentals, but I believe most of those are only open April-October.
Keep in mind that DC area gets its last snowfall usually around 3rd week of March. It has been the case for the last several years, I don't expect this year to be any different. So, you can take a dip at the aforementioned places above, but it will be very "refreshing" dive. 😰
Thank you all for your suggestions, and for your concerns for my health! Usually I swim outdoors through the winter here in London, so the cold doesn't tend to bother me; we have lidos and lakes that are open year round. But perhaps there's just not a culture of that in the D.C. area. (To be fair, many people in London would also see my aquatic behaviour as strange!)
If you decide to venture into the Potomac River, definitely do some research first. There are some spots where the current is quite strong and there have been a number of drownings. It's also technically illegal to do so from DC proper (fine in most of VA and MD), and the pollution level is not great. Sandy Point State Park is probably the closest decent option, but there's no public transit out there.
London is a bit warmer than Washington at that time (39F average low there on 20 Mar, vs 34F here). Average coastal water temperatures in this area are about 5-8C: https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/all_meanT.html
The various state parks listed in the link above will be open, but will be unpatrolled and are not accessible by transit. As for the obvious water body, the Potomac River has questionable water quality downstream of DC, a swimming ban within DC, and dangerous currents upriver -- especially during the spring thaw.
Your best bet at that time is probably a bus to Annapolis (get schedules within Google Maps), then a ride to Sandy Point to swim in the saltwater Chesapeake Bay. Most of the water accesses nearest town are for boats, and swimming near the Naval Academy probably runs afoul of security restrictions.
Historic water quality (always stay out of the water for two days after rainfall): https://www.theswimguide.org/find/#38.86408694087235/-76.78221913769532/39.05709912157749/-76.3022539277344/12