The Los Angeles Post

Cool Off at LA County Parks with Extended Summer Aquatics Season

by · Published · Updated

Enjoy Aquatics programs from 10 weeks to 19 weeks

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 28, 2023) — The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation (LA County Parks) just got cooler with the extension of its summer Aquatics season running until October 28. LA County Parks will continue to offer a wide range of aquatics programs for free or at a low-cost to help keep youth, families, and LA County cool, especially during extreme heat weather conditions.

“As hot days prolong the summer season, we are grateful to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for their foresight and funding commitment to respond by incorporating our pools into Los Angeles County’s climate resilience safety-net supporting families and communities,” said Norma E. García-González, Director of LA County Parks. “Extending the summer pool season expands access for learn to swim programs, Everybody Swims time for families, water aerobics for seniors, lap swim for exercise and much more.  In the next two years, LA County Parks’ summer pools will also be retrofitted with lighting to extend pool hours safely into the evenings.”

“It has never made sense that our pools close in August when September and October are often the hottest months of the year,” said Supervisor Hahn who championed the effort to extend the summer pool season. “Our County pools are some of our greatest neighborhood assets. They are great places to exercise, to bring your kids, and to cool down during heatwaves and I think it is important that we are keeping them open as long as we can for our residents.”

“As the summer heatwaves tend to continue into the fall, it was critical to ensure that families throughout LA County had more time to access our pools, splash pads, and other resources,” said Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District. “Programs like swimming classes and aquatic aerobics provide an escape from the heat while also fostering community building for our children, adults, and seniors.”

“Throughout the year, and especially in the summer season, our county parks are important to the neighborhoods they are in, offering a necessary space for fun activities, accessing resources, and connecting with others,” said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Second District. “I am thrilled that we are extending the summer season. This will allow more residents opportunities to create memories and have life enriching experiences at their county park.”

“County parks, recreation, and aquatic facilities have so much to offer the community, and now the fun will continue through an extended summer season,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District. “I hope our residents continue to cool off in our pools and enjoy the public programming for twice as long!”

“Our Board voted to extend the County’s aquatics season to increase accessibility for families in our communities so they could keep cool, stay active, and have fun,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Fifth District. “Residents will now have even more affordable access to aquatics activities in neighborhoods all over the County.”

LA County Parks will continue to offer the following wide range of facilities including swimming pools, splash pads, swim beaches, and lakes. It also offers programming for all ages and levels, from beginner swim lessons to aquatic teams.

  • 40 Swimming Pools at 29 park sites to provide a variety of aquatics programs including swimming lessons, aqua aerobics, lap swim, swim team, dive team, water polo, artistic swim, and more.
  • 18 Splash Pads are family friendly, accessible, and free. Whimsically decorated to stir the imagination of young children at play (ships, flowers and spirals are just some of the designs to be found), the colorful devices included on splash pads spray with cool water, making them one of the most popular summertime attractions for young children.
  • 3 Swim Beaches and Recreational Lakes are located at Castaic Lake Recreation Area, Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, and Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area. Swim beaches are another fun way to cool off, many have accessible picnic areas and barbeque pits with trained lifeguards on site during open hours. Recreational lakes provide a variety of water sports and recreational activities from fishing, paddle boards, kayaking, non-powered boating, powered-boating, wind surfing, and more.  Activities vary at the different lakes.

For more information on aquatics programs and hours, please visit parks.lacounty.gov/aquatics