Pools at some state parks free for summer 2024

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — New York waived entrance fees at a selection of state park pools, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in early July. New Yorkers in all corners of the state can participate as part of the governor's "Get Offline, Get Outside" initiative.

Free swimming is available at:

• Capital Region: Peerless and Victoria pools at Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs
• Finger Lakes: Letchworth State Park in Castile
• Hudson Valley: Bear Mountain State Park, FDR State Park in Yorktown, High Tor State Park in New City, and Rockland Lake State Park in Valley Cottage
• Mohawk Valley: Mine Kill State Park in North Blenheim
• Long Island: West Bathhouse Pool at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh and Montauk Downs State Park
• New York City: Riverbank State Park's indoor and outdoor pools in Manhattan and Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx
• North Country: Keewaydin State Park in Alexandria Bay, Jefferson County
• Southern Tier: Watkins Glen State Park
• Western New York: Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown

Reached by phone, staff at Watkins Glen, Letchworth, and Keewaydin State Parks said that their pools were already included with regular entry fees. Those range in price from park to park, but they are still in place, they said.

A pilot program also offers free sunscreen at state park pools, but regular vehicle parking fees still apply. If you have passes like the Empire Pass, they'll waive those day-use and vehicle fees at many state parks. The Empire Pass doesn't include High Tor, Riverbank, or Robert Clemente from the list above on its eligibility list. Call or visit the local library to see if they have passes to borrow, instead.

Hochul also said that there's $1.5 million in grant money for programs that bring kids to swimming lessons. That's part of her New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) iniaitive to give free swimming lessons to pre-K through twelfth graders in the Empire State. It aims to address drowning—the leading cause of death for children under 5—in the face of increasing extreme heat.

The “Get Offline, Get Outside” campaign promotes physical health and mental wellness by playing outside instead of doomscrolling. “We’re making it easier for our young people to put down their phones and computers, enjoy time with friends and family, and stay active all cross our state,” Hochul said in a written statement.

Applications opened on June 13 for a $90 million statewide grant program geared toward building swimming facilities and developing natural swimming areas.

Extreme heat is likely to become the new normal, experts say, and it must not be underestimated. Last year, the U.S. experienced the most heat waves since 1936, according to the Associated Press. In New York City, for example, the 2024 Heat-Related Mortality Report counted an average of 350 deaths due to hot weather.