From local beaches and creeks to pools and splash parks, there are plenty of places around Dayton and Cincinnati to stay cool. Create your bucket list now for the most epic Southwest Ohio summer!
Here are 14 outdoor destinations in Southwest Ohio to cool off at this summer:
Otto Armleder Memorial Park
705 East Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati
The Otto Armleder Memorial Park is one of Cincinnati’s newest parks and covers 305 acres. The park features paved walking and bike paths, playgrounds, picnic shelters, soccer fields, a 10-acre dog park, and canoe put-in. The park is open from 6:00am to 10:00pm and offers river access in the back of the park to swim and cool off.
Brookville Lake
14108 State Route 101, Brookville, IN
A lakefront park only an hour from downtown Cincinnati that offers camping, hiking and boating in addition to the beach that you can kick back and relax on. Please practice social distancing guidelines while visiting the lake.
Coney Island
6201 Kellogg Avenue, Cincinnati
Coney Island‘s world-famous Sunlite Pool is opening for the season May 28. There’s so much to do at Coney Island, you’ll want to return again and again. Click here to find your best ticket option for an epic Southwest Ohio summer!
Hueston Woods
College Corner, OH
Hueston Woods Beach is free to the public and open from dawn to dusk. Sit on the beach and watch boats pass by, rent a kayak or camp or stay in one of the many cabins or the lodge within this close-to-home state park. Click here to learn more about what the state park has to offer!
Land of Illusion Aqua Adventures
8762 Thomas Road, Middletown
Middletown’s acclaimed Land of Illusion attraction transforms into an epic water park during the summer. Land of Illusion Aqua Adventures is basically an inflatable-playground-meets-water-park, and it’s awesome. Click here for ticket info.
Loveland Canoe and Kayak
174 Karl Brown Way, Loveland
Loveland Canoe and Kayak is a Cincy favorite. Their 5-mile “Castle Adventure Trip” boasts amazing views of the Loveland Castle and is perfect for families. Check-in is performed outside, as the building is closed to the public. Children under 5 and dogs are not permitted. Both single-person kayaks and tandem kayaks are available for rent.
Morgan’s Canoe and Outdoor Adventures
5701 OH-350, Oregonia
Morgan’s Canoe is family-owned and operated, and open for the summer with increased safety measures. Canoes and kayaks are available. Advanced reservations are required again this summer. Click here to make your reservation.
Oakley Pool
3900 Paxton Ave., Oakley
The CRC’s Oakley Pool opens May 27, 2023 and boasts a fun, deep-water slide. It also has a diving board, sprayground and lap lanes. Limit of 10 per group (must maintain proper adult/child ratio). Children 7 years and younger must wear a red wristband and be accompanied and actively supervised with touch supervision at all times in groups of three or less by a parent, legal guardian, or adult age 18 or older. Children age 8 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent, legal guardian, or adult age 18 or older during open swim hours. CRC recommends that children age 9-11 be accompanied and supervised by a parent, legal guardian or adult age 18 or older during open swim hours. However, children age 9-11 are permitted to swim unaccompanied during open swim hours with a Permission Slip & Release of Liability Form signed by a parent or legal guardian on file at the pool.
Wake Nation Cincinnati
201 Joe Nuxhall Way, Fairfield
At Wake Nation, opening Memorial Day weekend, you’re never too old to have fun. They offer a cable park, where wakeboarders are pulled by an overhead cable system (no boat required), and an Aqua Park complete with trampolines. All cable and aqua park participants must attend a brief health/safety orientation before their adventure.
Winton Woods
10245 Winton Road, Springfield Township, OH 45231
This Great Park has it all: sprayground, canoeing, fishing and even paddleboarding! No Southwest Ohio summer is complete without a visit to at least one Great Park. Read more about Winton Harbor’s offerings here.
Washington Park Interactive Water Park
1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine
Open daily from April to October from 10:00am to 10:00pm, this 7,000-square-foot Cincy kid favorite has more than 130 pop-up jets that can be synchronized to music and light (look nearby for instructions on how to select and play music).
Don’t miss our Ultimate Guide to Splash Pads!
Ziegler Pool
216 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine
Located in Ziegler Park, the renovated OTR pool is a total hidden gem, open until September 10, 2023. There is currently a $4 flat rate per person. Click here for more information!
City of Dayton Spray Parks
The City of Dayton Recreation and Youth Services operates a number of spray parks that are free and open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year, operating from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Each splash pad offers plenty of fun ways to cool down, including water cannons, dumping buckets, water slides and more. Please review the rules and reminders posted at each spray park site before enjoying the space. Find the complete list here.
Island MetroPark
This urban oasis offers a traditional playground with with slides and climbing apparatus as well as an interactive water play system. The playground is open year-round during park hours. The sprayground opens each year on Memorial Day and has daily operation until Labor Day.
