Where to swim, splash and take swim lessons in Charlotte

Cool off this summer with this list of places to swim and splash in the Charlotte area summer of 2024.

Read on to learn about indoor and outdoor places to swim in the Charlotte area.

We’re focusing on pools and spraygrounds in Charlotte, as well as some other unique outdoor swimming areas that are worth the drive. You might want to also look into the pools and spraygrounds in neighboring towns and cities.

Underwater picture of a child swimming, with goggles and a snorkle — Photo: Depositphotos

Swim lessons in Charlotte

Mecklenburg Park and Recreation offers swim lessons in its indoor and outdoor pools.

There are lessons for children as young as six months. The cost of the lessons at the indoor pools vary. Search and register for indoor swim lessons.

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department offers FREE swim lessons at the outdoor pools, Cordelia Pool and Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center. The lessons start when Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools close for the summer.

You’ll need to register in person at the pool.

Registration takes place every Saturday morning, starting June 22, 2024 for the lessons in the upcoming week. The lesson slots are filled in a first-come first served basis. The lessons will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, at 10 to 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.

Outdoor Pools in Charlotte

Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center

Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center is an outdoor pool at 2014 Statesville Avenue, Charlotte. It will open for weekends starting Memorial Day Weekend (May 25, 2024, is the first day) and then also on weekdays once Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are out for the summer, starting June 11.

The cost is $2 per person.

Cordelia Pool

Cordelia Pool is an outdoor pool at 2100 N. Davidson Street. It will open for weekends starting Memorial Day Weekend (May 25, 2024, is the first day) and then also on weekdays once Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are out for the summer, starting June 11.

The cost is $2 per person.

Indoor Pools in Charlotte

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation maintains five indoor pools. Read on to learn the information about each of them.

Admission:

Adult Mecklenburg County residents: $10
Adult non-residents: $15
Youth (ages 1-17) county residents: $8
Youth (ages 1-17) non-county residents: $10
Seniors (age 55+) county residents: $8
Seniors (age 55+) non-county residents: $10
Dry ticket (dry admission to the pool area) for county resident: $3
Dry ticket (dry admission to the pool area) for non-county resident: $5

Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center

Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center, an indoor pool complex at 800 E Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, includes a 50-meter x 25-yard main pool, a diving well, 25-yard warm pool with accessible ramp. There’s also a hot tub and cardio and weight areas.

Call 980-314-3483 with questions.

Ray’s Splash Planet

Ray’s Splash Planet, at 215 N. Sycamore Street, Charlotte, is an indoor swimming pool and water park. It features a 3-story slide, a lazy river, an interactive water play area for smaller kids, the Vortex, beach-like entry and much more. There are also two lap lanes.

Call 980-314-4729 with questions.

Eastway Regional Recreation Center

Eastway Regional Recreation Center, at 3150 Eastway Park Drive, is one of the newest recreational facility in Charlotte. It offers an 8-lane lap pool and a kids’ waterpark with a slide, lazy river and a zero-entry toddler pool.

Call 980-314-3772 with questions.

Marion Diehl Recreation Center and Indoor Pool

Marion Diehl Recreation Center and Indoor Pool, at 2219 Tyvola Road, Charlotte, NC, includes a fitness area, multipurpose rooms, gymnasium and an indoor pool.

Call 980-314-1300 with questions.

Northern Regional Recreation Center

Northern Regional Recreation Center, at 18121 Old Statesville Road, Cornelius, NC, is the newest recreation center in the Charlotte area. It opened in June of 2022.

It includes a lap pool, and a leisure pool with a water slide and lazy river. The facility also includes fitness centers, indoor track, sports courts and more.

Call 980-314-6772 with questions.

Spraygrounds in Mecklenburg County

The Mecklenburg County spraygrounds are open from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. They are free to visit.

Clarks Creek Community Park, 5435 Hucks Road
Cordelia Park, 600 E. 24th St.
First Ward Park, 309 E. Seventh St.
Latta Park, 601 East Park Ave.
Nevin Park, 6100 Statesville Rd.
Romare Bearden Park, 300 S. Church St.
Veterans Park, 2136 Central Avenue
West Charlotte Recreation Center, 2401 Kendall Drive

Outdoor Swimming in the Charlotte Area (Not Pools)

Ramsey Creek Beach

Ramsey Creek Beach, at 18441 Nantz Road, Cornelius, on Lake Norman, is a 46-acre waterfront with a swimming area. The park also includes boat launching and docks, a playground, picnic shelters, nature trails, a fishing pier, enclosed dog park and a volleyball park.

The beach opens Memorial Day Weekend (first day is May 25, 2024, and will be open on weekends only, until June 12. Starting June 12, the beach will be open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The beach will stay open during the week until August 23, and then transition to weekends only until Labor Day. The site will shut down Labor Day, September 2, 2024, at 6 p.m.

Cost of Ramsey Creek Beach:

Walk-ins (ages 6 and under): Free
Walk-ins (ages 6 -13): $3
Walk-ins (ages 14- up): $5
Beach shuttle passengers (holiday weekends only): Free
Weekday entry fee per car for County residents: $5
Weekday entry fee per car for non-County residents: $10
Weekend entry fee per car for County residents: $10
Weekend entry fee per car for non-County residents: $15

Cane Creek Park

Cane Creek Park, at 5213 Harkey Road, Waxhaw, is part of the Union County park system. At the park there’s a 350-acre lake where you can boat, fish and swim. The park has an entrance fee of $5 for single vehicles and a fee of $8 for trucks and trailers.

The swim beach is open from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. The cost is $2 per person. Or pay $5 a person for an All Day Pass that allows you to swim, rent a pedal boat and play miniature golf.

Lake Norman State Park

Lake Norman State Park, at 759 State Park Road, Troutman, has some great hiking trails, and also a swim beach. Lifeguards are typically on duty from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. A fee is typically charged only when a lifeguard is on duty. Check soon for any updates to fees, but in the past they were: Age 13+: $6 a day. Age 12 and younger: $4 a day.

Ebenezer Park

UPDATE: Ebenezer Park has been closed for renovations since September, 2023. It will be closed until at least last summer. All the below information is from 2023.

Ebenezer Park, 4490 Boatshore Road, Rock Hill, South Carolina, is a 26 acre park on the southern shores of Lake Wylie The park has undergone renovations, and one of them is an enlarged and dredged swimming/beach area, enclosed by a semicircular pier. This is one of the only spots where there’s public access to swim in Lake Wylie.

Swimming is open from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend.

Ebenezer Park also offers boating, fishing, camping, basketball and volleyball.

In the past, passes were per vehicle. Now they are per person.

York County Resident Rates:

$3.00 per York County resident adult (ages 17+) day pass
$1.00 per York County discount seniors (60 +)/disabled/York County Employee day pass
$1.00 per York County resident children (ages 6-16)
Free for children (ages 5 & under)
$40.00 Annual Pass (also allows admission to Allison Creek Park)
$20.00 Annual Pass Seniors (60+)/disabled/York County Employee

Non County Resident Rates:

$5.00 per non-resident adult (ages 17+) day pass
$2.00 per non-resident *Seniors/disabled day pass
$2.00 per non-resident children (ages 6-16)
Free for children (ages 5 & under)
$80.00 Annual Pass (also allows admission to Allison Creek Park)
$40.00 Annual Pass *Senior/disabled

Rock Hill Park

Rock Hill Park, at 4037 India Hook Road, Rock Hill, SC, has a small sand beach and swim area. There’s no lifeguard on duty and no cost to visit. Restrooms are available, and there’s a kayak launch, but it’s some distance (and steps) from the parking area.

South Point Access

South Point Access, at 175 Boat Launch Road, Belmont, NC, includes a swim beach, picnic pads, boat ramps, and fishing piers. Right now there’s no entrance fee, but there will be one at some point, when a guard shack is installed.

Carrigan Farms Swimming Quarry

Carrigan Farms’ Swimming Quarry, at 1213 Oak Ridge Farm Highway Mooresville, is not the cheapest place to swim, and it’s not the closest to Charlotte, but it’s the most beautiful in the area.

It opens for the season on May 18, 2024. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with select evenings from 3:45 p.m. to sunset.

They’ve limited capacity. To make sure you are admitted, you’ll need to make an advance reservation. That costs $5 in addition to the cost of admission, but the $5 becomes a food and drink voucher when you arrive. The cost to swim starts at $25 (not including the dining voucher.)

YMCA of Greater Charlotte Pools

YMCA pools are popular places to cool down and swim. Learn about membership prices here.

Harris YMCA
Brace Family YMCA
Keith Family YMCA
Morrison YMCA
Simmons YMCA
Dowd YMCA
Lowe’s YMCA
Sally’s YMCA
Lake Norman YMCA

Kannapolis Spraygrounds

The Kannapolis spraygrounds are worth a mention because of what else is around them, even though they might seem like a bit of a drive from Charlotte.

Village Park, at 700 West C Street, has a sprayground, with admission of $1.50. The sprayground will be open Memorial Day Weekend. Also in the park is a wonderful carousel, and the Rotary Train Express (on weekends.)

And there’s also a sprayground at the Atrium Health Ballpark, 1 Cannon Baller Way. There’s no charge. It’s open as a park on non game days.

Learn more about visiting Kannapolis and its beautifully revitalized downtown.

Double-Check Before You Head Out!

We make every effort to make sure that everything on Charlotte on the Cheap is 100% accurate.

However, sometimes things change without notice, and we are not always notified. It’s also possible that we can make a mistake.

Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.

Upcoming Events in the Charlotte area

Check out our full events calendar, where you can enter any date, or look at the events for the next few days here: