Wet and chilly weather made for a mostly damp Memorial Day weekend in Lackawanna County, but the unofficial start of summer does mean the beginning of swim season for kids, families and other local fun-seekers.

With some public pools and water amenities now open and others slated to open soon, here’s what residents should know if they’re looking to take a dip:

Scranton

Scranton opened Monday the splash pad at Novembrino Park and its outdoor pool at Weston Park, with the outdoor pools at Connell Park and Weston Field slated to open June 13, per information provided by city Communications Director Chris Hughes.

Openings of the new Capouse Avenue Park splash pad at the former Penn Ridge pool site in Pine Brook and the new activity pool at Nay Aug Park are expected to follow later in June. Constructed last year and featuring a walk-in beach entry, in-water seating and a circular slide, the activity pool will have its inaugural summer season this year.

Both it and the Capouse Avenue Park splash pad represent major investments by the city.

After their respective openings, outdoor city pool and splash pad facilities will remain open daily from noon to 6 p.m. through Labor Day.

Weston Field’s indoor pool is open year-round on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for adult swim, and from 3-5:30 p.m. for adults and kids.

Lackawanna County

Lackawanna County Parks and Recreation Director Paul Bechtel said the designated lake swimming areas at Aylesworth and Covington parks will officially open with lifeguards June 5. Park patrons are allowed to swim without lifeguards at their own risk.

How the summer swim season might look at Merli-Sarnoski Park is less clear amid a pending project targeting the lakefront facilities there, including replacement of the dilapidated bath house building. The swimming and beach area will be closed once that project begins, but when that might be remains to be seen.

The splash pad at McDade Park, meanwhile, will open for the season June 5. The county is still in negotiations with a contractor to complete necessary repairs to McDade Park’s pool, but Bechtel said officials hope the pool will open for the 2026 swim season once those repairs are complete.

Lackawanna State Park

The pool at Lackawanna State Park opened over the weekend and will be open on weekends only until at least June 14. It’s tentatively set to open daily thereafter, though all pool dates and times are weather permitting.

Normal pool hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Prospective swimmers can call the park at 570-945-3239 to check its status.

Admission is $7 per person and free for kids under 38 inches tall. Cash and cards are accepted at the pool ticket booth.

Season and family passes are available at the main park office. Family passes are $200 for a family of five, and $40 for each additional family member.

No glass, alcoholic beverages or outside food are allowed in the pool complex.

Swimming is not permitted in the state park’s lake.

Swimming at Nay Aug Gorge is still prohibited and dangerous

Swimming, diving, bathing, fishing, boating and climbing the area known as the Nay Aug Gorge is strictly prohibited. Anyone who violates these provisions faces a $300 fine. The area is routinely patrolled by Scranton police and is monitored by cameras.

Scranton Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator John Judge said swimming at the gorge is extremely hazardous.

“We’ve had multiple incidents over the decades and several fatalities. … Kids like to jump off some of the cliffs into the pooling area that’s over the falls. And you know that’s dangerous,” Judge said. “The thing about the falls is the power of hydraulics sucks them in. You don’t know how deep it is. There’s been logs that have gone over that. … We’ve had other occasions where after a rainstorm it moves pretty fast there. So, I mean, it’s a very dangerous area.”

In addition to public safety concerns, Judge also worries about water rescues at the gorge and the danger to emergency personnel.

“Problem for us is when somebody gets into danger there, it calls for a lot of resources from the Fire Department, and it puts our men and women in a real, real peril to try and make a rescue up there,” Judge said. “I mean, I know that what we do is inherently dangerous to begin with, going in burning buildings, but nothing keeps me up at night like when the weather starts to change, and I know that we’ll be up there for somebody that’s in trouble, gets stuck in the water or possibly gets brought underneath, and then the men and women from this Fire Department have to do some highly technical skills to be able to get down there.”

According to Times-Tribune archives, 48 people have died at the Nay Aug Gorge since 1890. The last death occurred in 2020.