These swimming lakes near New York City add to the bounty of options local families have for taking a plunge on a scorching day. While New Yorkers are lucky to be surrounded by water, including family-friendly beaches right here in NYC, plus those on Long Island or at the Jersey Shore, for families with little kids, the ocean can be intimidating, with its choppy waves and miles of hot sand without an inch of shade. If you're itching to get the kids out of the city to enjoy a swim in the great outdoors, what better place than one of the area's beautiful, tranquil, freshwater swimming lakes?

We've rounded up 11 swimming lakes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut ripe for summertime visits. Some are even close to our favorite family-friendly campgrounds, making them perfect for a weekend away. Speaking of getting out of town, our Guide to Day Trips and Weekend Getaways has more picks for all seasons family travel.

When the summer heat descends on the DC area, there are plenty of nearby swimming lakes and watering holes where families can make a splash and cool off. These swimming lakes (all within a two-hour drive) are a fun, natural alternative to the area's swimming pools and water parks. Many of them are within state parks and national forests, which offer a variety of other fun activities like hiking, fishing, and camping.

Here are our favorite swimming lakes and watering holes near DC where families can beat the heat and reconnect with nature. Many of these awesome swimming spots even offer a Tom Sawyer-like adventure that will have the kids swinging, diving, and absolutely grinning.

Check out our Ultimate DC Kids Summer Vacation Guide for even more fun ways to cool off this summer.

Swimming lakes in Westchester and the Hudson Valley are ideal destinations for cooling off in the great outdoors. While you'll only find a few local swimming lakes and rivers in Westchester County, the greater Hudson Valley region offers plenty of places for freshwater swimming. 

Here, we've rounded up several lakes and rivers perfect for swimming with kids this summer.

Looking for even more fun in the sun? Check out our Summer Fun Guide.

The super-popular Bethpage Air Show returns to Jones Beach this Memorial Day weekend, featuring show-stopping aviation acrobatics. Hundreds of thousands of visitors attend this unofficial kick-off to summer, so we've put together the guide below to help make your visit to the Jones Beach Air Show as smooth as possible. 

For other open-air cultural offerings, check out our rundown of the best beaches and pools in the area, and bookmark our comprehensive Guide to Summer Activities.

New Jersey has some of the best swimming lakes in the Northeast, so make a plan to dive into one this summer. From Cheesequake to High Point, most of these lakes are on the grounds of majestic state parks that offer other recreation opportunities, like hiking trails. Some, like Sunrise Lake, are even outfitted with incredible inflatable water parks.

If you're looking for other ways to cool off on hot summer days, check out our rundown of the best NJ pools that offer day passes or our look at the Garden State's top water parks.