New York Family Brooklyn Family Queens Family Bronx Family Long Island Family Ultimate Guide to Afterschool Programs Annual Guide Long Island Special Child New York Special Child Ultimate Guide to Schools Ultimate Guide to Summer Camp
Ultimate Guide to Fall/Winter Fun New York Family Brooklyn Family Queens Family Bronx Family Long Island Family Ultimate Guide to Afterschool Programs Annual Guide Long Island Special Child New York Special Child Ultimate Guide to Schools Ultimate Guide to Summer Camp
Blogs

8 Swimming Lakes Near NYC to Check Out in Summer 2020

By Posted on

8 Swimming Lakes Near NYC for Summer 2020

Lakes are a great option for a change of scenery away from the city. Many of them just outside of Manhattan are now open to the public while ensuring that they follow state COVID-19 regulations. The following swimming lakes near NYC listed are perfect destinations for swimming day trips. 

When visiting any of these sites, be sure to establish safety for you and your family. Swimming with a buddy, making sure every member of your family can swim, and encouraging the use of life jackets are just some tips to follow when enjoying these lakes safely. Be sure to check out more steps to follow on the Red Cross website.

Want to stick around NYC for some water fun? Check out The Best Water Playgrounds and Sprinkler Parks for Kids in NYC for 2020

New York

Lake Welch – Stony Point, NY
800 Kanawaukee Road, Stony Point, NY 10980

A man-made lake in the midst of the Ramapo Mountains, it is the largest beach in Harriman State Park. Just a little under an hour car ride out of Manhattan and into the Hudson River Valley, this lake offers more than just swimming. Amenities include several boat launches, fishing, hiking and even various picnic areas for you and your family to choose from.

parks.ny.gov/parks

Lake Tiorati – Southfields, NY
2300 Seven Lakes Drive, Southfields, NY 10975

Another beach located in Harriman State Park is Lake Tiorati and is surrounded by various meadows and rolling hills, providing visitors with a big change of scenery. This is a great additional option for swimming, boating, fishing and picnicking as well. Alongside these activities, campsites are available right near the beach. 

Lake Taghkanic – Ancram, NY
1528 Route 82, Ancram, NY 12502

Located further up the Hudson Valley is Lake Taghkanic, just under a two-hour drive north of the city. Nestled in the forests and hills of Columbia County, this state park features its swimming beach equipped with rowboat, paddleboat and kayak rentals. Hiking and biking trails are also in and around the park for you to explore before or after a dip in the water. 

Canopus Lake – Kent, NY
1498 Route 301, Carmel, NY 10512

An hour drive up the valley, Canopus Lake is located within Clarence Fahnestock State Park. After a hike on one of the many trails in the state park, dip your feet in at the large sandy beach. Rowboats are available for renting and opportunities for great fishing can be found here. The easily rated swimming area comes with beautiful scenery and is perfect for a full day trip with the kids. 

New Jersey

Lake Marcia – Sussex, New Jersey
1480 Rt. 23, Sussex, NJ 07461

In Montague Township, an hour and a half away from the city, High Point State Park has trails for all hikers and quiet spots for campers. But on hot days, the park has Lake Marcia for you to cool down with the family. Camping, fishing and picnicking essentials are also available for visitors.

Lake Wawayanda – Hewitt, New Jersey
885 Warwick Tpk., Hewitt, NJ 07421

Located within Wawayanda State Park, it attracts hikers, campers, boaters and swimmers alike. Nestled in the forested hills, the lake creates an atmosphere like no other for canoeists, boaters, and swimmers. Surrounded by serious mountains, visitors have the opportunity to experience a 20-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the park. Go for a swim in the lake after discovering the amazing views from the top of Wawayanda Mountain.

Connecticut

Bantam Lake – Morris, Connecticut
East Shore Dr., Morris, CT 06763

Just under a two-hour drive from Manhattan, Bantam Lake is home to two beaches. Morris Town Beach is a smaller scale beach that’s great for relaxation with a boat launch nearby. Sandy Beach is a large sandy beach with a boathouse, canoe launch and even picnicking. This lake is known to be the largest natural lake in Connecticut and is also a great spot for sailing, boating and freshwater fishing. 

bantamlakect.com

Lake Waramaug – New Preston, Connecticut
30 Lake Waramaug Rd., New Preston, CT 06777

This picturesque setting of Lake Waramaug two hours away from the city is paired with many activities for families to choose from. Camping, fishing, picnicking, and most importantly, swimming can be found in this state park. Additionally, the park’s campground offers over 77 sites in both wooded and open settings which is perfect for a weekend getaway. 

See more NYC events Post an event

About the Author

Katrina Makayan

Katrina is a student at Northeastern University studying Journalism and International Affairs (Class of 2023). A Syracuse native who now resides in Brooklyn, NY with passions running deep for travel, photography, creative writing and music. On campus, she contributes to HerCampus and participates in creating playlists with group members for WRBB Radio Station based in Boston. In her free time, she loves to work out in the city and go for long walks.

More from Blogs

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

The Ailey School – First Steps and Bounding Boys

<blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div dir="ltr"> <div class="m_-3740164643787738207m_4977048992707393770WordSection1"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">At The Ailey School, FIRST STEPS offers a structured creative movement curriculum that allows girls (ages 3-6) and boys (age 3), to develop body awareness and control and learn the basics of dance technique. BOUNDING BOYS (ages 4-6) provides a more athletic experience, and an energetic approach to teaching dance skills.</span></p> </div> </div> </blockquote>

Speakitaly NYC

<p>SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.  Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress. </p> <p>Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge.</p> <p>Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City… Who doesn’t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history & in the arts?</p> <p>Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor’s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"</p>

TADA! Youth Theater

<div> <div style="text-align: center;"><strong>TADA! Youth Theater </strong>- Camps & Classes</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! Gotta Act!<br /><br />Join TADA! this fall for after-school and weekend musical theater classes available to students ages 4-12!</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Throughout the semester students will:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br />ENGAGE IN MUSICAL THEATER TRAINING</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">STAY ACTIVE</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">LEARN VOCALS & CHOREOGRAPHY TO FUN, UPBEAT BROADWAY SONGS</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">RECEIVE INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION AND SOLO OPPORTUNITIES</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">EXPERIENCE ENSEMBLE-BASED INSTRUCTION BY TWO PROFESSIONAL NYC TEACHING ARTISTS</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH NEW FRIENDS!</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Limited spots available! All of our classes take place in person at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/15+W.+28th+Street?entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/maps/search/15%2BW.%2B28th%2BStreet?entry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg&source=gmail&ust=1726934764446000&usg=AOvVaw0VHbAyCvA7tMsvjssdURPg">15 W. 28th Street</a> (between Broadway & 5th) and culminate in a final sharing for an invited audience.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Classes Schedule September 28 - December 17, 2024 (10 Sessions)</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br />Mondays: </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Mondays, Ages 4-5 | 3:45PM-5:15PM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Mondays, Ages 6-8 | 3:45PM-5:15PM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Wednesdays:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Wednesdays, Ages 8-12 | 4PM-5:30PM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Saturdays:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Saturdays, Ages 5-7 | 10AM-11:30AM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Saturdays, Ages 8-12 | 12N-1:30PM<br /><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Class Descriptions:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">AGES 4-5, MUSICAL THEATER MINIS:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Creativity takes center stage! In this upbeat, high-energy class, your Musical Theater Mini will learn new introductory skills in the areas of singing, dancing, and acting. Each session, students participate in fun, creative-play activities as well as learn vocals and choreography to popular Broadway songs. </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br />AGES 5-7, 6-8 JAZZY JUNIORS and AGES 8-12, RISING STARS: This class offers the perfect blend of musical theater exploration and fun theater games to keep kids creative and active all semester long! Each session, students participate in musical theater training as well as learn vocals and choreography to popular Broadway songs. </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">REGISTER TODAY!<br /><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Link: <a href="https://tadatheater.com/education-overview/fall-classes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tadatheater.com/education-overview/fall-classes/&source=gmail&ust=1726934764446000&usg=AOvVaw0H9gU2AKJIVibL0qw-2lOn">https://tadatheater.com/<wbr />education-overview/fall-<wbr />classes/</a><br /><br /></div> </div> <div> <div dir="ltr" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>