McKay Park in Bend is a popular swimming spot. Here, sun seekers enjoy the beach in mid-July 2003.

Go ahead, jump in.

It can be heinously hot this time of year, and, lucky for us, there are enough swimming holes in Central Oregon that you can pretty much wet your whistle at will.

So I’m not going to list them all, or (I hope) give away your secret skinny-dipping pool. But these are good places to take the sizzle out of your summer.

One of the most popular spots in Bend is on the Deschutes River in McKay Park just downstream from the Colorado Street bridge. On any given summer day, you’ll find dozens of people frying in the sun, splashing around in the shallows, floating by on inner tubes, even fly-fishing the riffle just upstream (I even saw a kid hook into a small trout while several churned the water to a froth toward the end of his drift).

And there’s a beach. People throw down their towels and blankets, tykes play in the sand and just about everyone gets wet.

Downriver, Tumalo Falls State Park is also an inviting swimming spot. There’s some shallow water for the kids and the reach between Bend and Lake Billy Chinook is not too cold this time of year (good for swimmers; not so good for the trout).

Farther downriver is Cline Falls, long a Redmond area favorite. People like the river within the state park and a series of pools in a basalt basin just below the Highway 126 bridge. During summer, there are usually sev-eral cars parked on the dirt shoulder just east of the bridge. There’s a path down to the river about 75 yards to the east of the informal parking area.

Lake Billy Chinook is another popular swimming destination with beaches and lots of water. It’s also a preferred boating destination, but it’s a big lake. There’s plenty of room for everyone.

To the south, La Pine State Park offers up the Deschutes River at its slow-flowing best.

Other surefire swimming spots include Prineville Reservoir to the east as well as the beaches of Elk Lake in the Cascades to the west.

Of course, the lake-rich Central Oregon Cascades are rife with water, so there are a kabillion more to choose from. Some of the more popular aquatic venues up there are Suttle Lake and Scout Lake west of Sisters as well as Little Cultus, Crescent, Todd, Sparks and Odell lakes, west of Bend.

Now the caution part. Some lakes, notably Paulina and East lakes in the Newberry caldera, are really cold and not conducive to swimming. Neither are irrigation canals, which have treacherous currents and are downright dangerous. Besides, it’s illegal to swim in them. Jumping from bridges is illegal. And, as long as we’re talking safety, always wear personal flotation devices when floating rivers or lakes in inner tubes or other watercraft.

Also, be sure to keep an eagle eye on toddlers who can go under in a heartbeat.

You swim at your own risk at most of these spots.

Just so you don’t think I’m trying hard to cramp your style, don’t worry about waiting an hour after eating to take a dip. Mom was right about a lot of things, but that wasn’t one of them.

Have fun.