More people swim in Jones Beach, Montauk Downs state park pools

The pools at Jones Beach State Park and Montauk Downs State Park drew more swimmers this year compared with last, a trend local and state officials attribute to abolishing entry fees earlier this summer.

On July 2, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the state would waive pool entry fees at all state parks for the remainder of the summer season. That meant Long Islanders saved $5 splashing in the pool at Jones Beach, or $7 at Montauk Downs State Park. From July 3 through Labor Day, 542,661 people visited state park pools — a nearly 36% increase from the same period in 2023, according to a news release.

Some families arrived at the facilities unaware they could swim for free and "were thrilled," said George Gorman, the Long Island regional director for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, in a telephone interview. "There were other families that came just because the fees were waived."

Attendance at all state parks rose by nearly 2.5% this summer, the governor’s office said.

"We encouraged kids and families to put down their phones, get some fresh air, and cool off at state park pools for free this summer, and I’m so glad to see that more New Yorkers took advantage of these incredible facilities than ever before," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in the release, adding that she aims "to make safe swimming more accessible to all residents who visit state parks."

Gorman said that here on Long Island, as well as throughout New York, the state parks department’s free "learn-to-swim" program also helped more adults and children this year compared with last. This summer, state parks lifeguards who became certified water safety instructors by the American Red Cross taught more than 2,000 New Yorkers how to swim at three times the number of facilities compared with recent years, according to the governor’s office.

"You had people that came in for free, and to learn to swim," Gorman said. "That combination was really a home run for us."