Mercury is on the rise, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Luckily, the DMV has lots of affordable, public pools to dip into when the heat wave leads to hot and bothered bambinos (and grown-ups). Grab your swimsuits and floaties and check out one of these five watering holes.
Photo: Willow Grove Day Camp via Flickr
Martin Luther King, Jr. Outdoor Pool
Located in Silver Spring, Maryland, the MLK Jr. Pool is great if you have kids of different ages. The Main Pool offers a diving area with two boards perfect for advanced swimmers. An entertaining Leisure Pool has a shallow water lagoon, slides, water play features, and even a circular “Lazy River” for riding inner tubes! If you’ve got real little ones, you can spend some time in the Tot Pool that comes covered in shade. This place has it all!
1201 Jackson Rd. (Silver Spring, Md)
Bethesda Outdoor Pool
Located at the entrance of Bethesda, the Bethesda Outdoor Pool or BOP is jam packed all summer with the “on the cusp suburban” fams! The Z-shaped main pool has six-lanes and even has a “drop” slide. They have two options for 0the younger crowd….a Tot Pool and a shallow water Teach Pool. Bonus for when you forget lunch or need an ice cream–there’s a snack bar as well as a lawn area with shade structures.
Little Falls Pkwy. and Hillandale Rd. (Bethesda, Md)
Upshur Pool
The Upshur Pool is located in D.C.’s, Mt. Pleasant/Petworth/16th St. zone. This public pool is one of the most charming and quaint pools in the DMV. Despite being in the middle of the city, the pool is located in a quiet neighborhood, with tall trees surrounding it. There’s a tot pool for the little kiddies and they even celebrate doggie swim day for your four legged family members.
4300 Arkansas Ave., NW (Mt. Pleasant)
Rosedale Pool
The Rosedale Pool located in NE D.C. is often referred to as “the one with the slide” because well, it has a slide! It’s one of the newest D.C. pools and quite a hit with young and old alike. Rosedale is relaxing and perfect to bring little kids as well as to lay out and get some Vitamin D.
1701 Gales St., NE (Rosedale)
Ocean Dunes Waterpark
Located within Upton Hill Regional Park in Arlington, Ocean Dunes is super fun for adults and kids. Like the above mentioned locations, Ocean Dunes has a main pool for swimming but that’s the last thing your kids will want to do when they enter this blissful space. The park includes water slides, waterfalls and squirters! There’s a 230 foot open slide and an exhilarating 170 foot closed slide which you descend in pitch black darkness! Ocean Dunes also offers a play feature with tube slides, open slides, fountains, and even a 500-gallon dumping bucket!
6060 Wilson Blvd. (Arlington, Va)
Online: novaparks.com/waterparks/ocean-dunes-waterpark
Do you have a favorite outdoor pool? Tell us about it in the comments below.
–Guiomar Ochoa
