These Rock Hill area family fun options this summer cost less than a gallon of gas

It’s hot. The kids are home from school. Everything is expensive. What’s a parent to do this summer without breaking the bank?

The Rock Hill region has plenty of options that combine water, playgrounds and music to keep families together and having fun until school starts back in the fall. And many of them are free, or cost less than a gallon of gas.

Here’s our list of options for parents to try:

Take a swim in Lake Wylie

Two parks have public swimming beaches on Lake Wylie, and they’re free for York County residents.

Ebenezer Park in Rock Hill is the old favorite with a new twist, having opened nearly four decades ago but undergoing two big renovations in the past five years. There’s a marked swimming area with a watertop boardwalk around it, complete with swings and fishing areas.

The 26-acre park also has a campground, boat ramps, kayak launch, playground, grills, covered picnic tables, a snack bar, beach volleyball and a pickleball court.

York County residents get into the park at 4490 Boatshore Road free, while non-residents pay $12 for adults and $8 for seniors or children.

Another new option is Rock Hill Lake Park. The 21-acre park at 4037 India Hook Road has fishing stations, a kayak launch and a mile-long natural trail in addition to its swim beach. Admission is free except during events. The park is open dawn to dusk.

Find a public swimming pool

Prefer chlorine to lake water?

Rock Hill has public swimming pools at Boyd Hill and Emmett Scott recreation centers. They’re both open through Aug. 1. Boyd Hill, at 1165 Constitution Blvd., is open 2-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Emmett Scott is open 1-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Both are open noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

They cost 75 cents per kid and $2 per adult.

There’s also Wylie Street Swimming Pool in Lancaster. It opens daily at 3 p.m., except on Saturdays when it opens at 11 a.m. and Sunday when it’s closed. It closes most days at 6 p.m. But check its online calendar here to know when it’s being used for swim lessons or swim meets.

The Wylie Street pool costs $3 per person.

Chester’s Aquatic & Fitness Center at 157 Columbia St. in Chester also has a pool that offers free day passes to some seniors, though for most people it’s $5-$10.

Take kids to a splash pad around Rock Hill

For a quicker way to cool down, the region also has several splash pads.

Steele Street Park in Fort Mill has one that’s open 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. The park at 600 Steele St. also has a basketball court, playground, picnic area and restrooms.

City Park in York has another splash pad. Recent improvements at the 245 Raile St. site also include an outdoor state, playgrounds, picnic shelters and a walking trail.

The 50-acre New Centre Park in Clover has a seasonal splash pad along with a playground, soccer fields, walking trails, an amphitheater and a disc golf course.

Splash pads are free to use.

Hit the library and state park combo

Libraries are a great place to cool down for free on their own, and there are plenty of area options. The York County Library has branches in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, York, Clover and Lake Wylie. The Lancaster County Library has Lancaster, Indian Land and Kershaw locations.

The Chester County Library has branches in Chester, Great Falls and Lewisville.

But in addition to the books, online access, programs and often quiet play areas for children, many libraries allow members to check out state park passes for free. Park access by itself isn’t much, but the passes allow for a vehicle of people to get in for free which can help with large families of older children.

The Rock Hill region has plenty of state parks to try.

There’s Kings Mountain State Park in York County, Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster County and Chester State Park in Chester County. Landsford Canal State Park nearly sits in all three, as it’s split by Lancaster and Chester counties just south of York County.

June is an ideal time to visit Landsford Canal, as paddlers and trail hikers can get a view of the renowned rocky shoals spider lilies in bloom.

Find a cool trail to explore

A long walk in summer heat can be tough, but the area has plenty of shaded options to try.

The newly opened Catawba Bend Preserve has a couple of miles of trails through wooded stretches along the Catawba River, with more coming. The Piedmont Medical Center Trail in Rock Hill also follows the Catawba shoreline.

So does the Masons Bend Trail in Fort Mill. All are free (Catawba Bend is for York County residents) and have ample trailhead parking.

For more options, Carolina Thread Trail lists hundreds of miles of trails with details on difficulty level, surface and location. Pick a new one each day for the summer. Just find one with trees to block the sun, and it’s still probably best to venture out in the morning or later afternoon.

Enjoy a summer concert or movie around Rock Hill

Once the heat of the day cools into evening, the region has plenty of scheduled events to catch a concert or food truck.

Between Music in the Park in Tega Cay, Food Truck Thursdays in Clover, Field Day Park concerts in Lake Wylie and summer concerts in Fort Mill, there are dozens of live music events with food for purchase. Rock Hill also has Food Truck Friday and Movies in the Park.

Lancaster and Chester counties have several events planned, too. Those lineups don’t include a whole host of scheduled events just for July 4th. There’s also a list of Juneteenth events, plus local summer staples like Summerfest in York.

Most events are listed on Facebook or Instagram, or by searching online by community.

Do you have other ideas for free or cheap summer fun for the family? Email ideas to jmarks@heraldonline.com.