Cool Down This Summer: Best Places to Swim and Play

Without water, a summer vacation is incomplete! If you’re planning to come to Williamsburg, Virginia, this summer, be sure to cool down this summer with our list of Best Places to Swim and Play. Add at least one of these splashy activities to your itinerary. From kid-friendly park rides to sightseeing cruises and fresh-air shoreline swims, the memories are just waiting to be made!

Swimming Spots

If there’s one thing all kids have in common, it’s a love for swimming. King’s Creek has three beautiful outdoor pool complexes for owners and guests located in our Cottages, Townes and Estates neighborhoods. Live it up with spacious decks, kiddie pools, hot tubs, fluffy towels and access to our beautiful locker rooms!

If you’re looking to venture beyond home base, pack everyone up and hop in the car. A quick 15-minute ride will take you to Yorktown Beach, a gorgeous two-acre stretch of sand along the scenic Yorktown River that includes a fishing pier and grassy areas to enjoy a picnic lunch! You’ll also have access to great dining, shopping and concert performances at Riverwalk Landing. 

Water Rides

If there’s one thing we know all about here in Williamsburg, it’s rides. 

If you’re looking for water + thrills, then we’d recommend Water Country USA, Virginia’s largest water park and home to thrilling rides like the Jet Scream, Surfer’s Bay Wave Pool, and brand-new to the park on May 29, Riptide Race™. Hop aboard a two-person raft and take your mark for a race through 520 feet of high-speed tunnels and slides!

If you have little ones in tow, bring them to one of the park’s four little-kid-friendly splash zones for amazing photo opportunities and memory-making! 

River Cruises
The sight of Virginia at sunset from the vantage point of the York and James Rivers is something special. Bring your family to the Yorktown Waterfront for an unforgettable sightseeing cruise with Yorktown Sailing Charters. A schooner takes you through the surrounding waterways, past historic sites like the Yorktown Battlefield and Victory Monument. The kids will love everything about this experience, especially since they’re allowed to help steer and assist the pirate costume-adorned crew to fire the cannon!

 If you’re interested in a more laid-back experience, try a cruise with Jamestown Discovery Boat Tours, where you’ll tour the James River and learn about its amazing history. Williamsburg Charter Sails also has exciting daily charters and lessons along the lovely York River.

Kayaks and Canoes

Williamsburg’s unique geography includes beautiful blueways, or water trails, that are just begging to be explored. Waller Mill Park rents out rowboats, canoes and pedal boats, and you can borrow canoes, kayaks and paddleboards from the facilities at Chickahominy Riverfront Park.

If you’d prefer to go on an ecological adventure with a knowledgeable guide, Bay Country Kayaking offers eco tours of the area’s tidal wetlands near Colonial Williamsburg at New Quarter Park. This is a truly unique experience that combines the joy of being on the water with the thrill of learning something new!

Don’t forget to bring plenty of sunblock, because summer at King’s Creek is packed with outdoor fun for the whole family and to definitely cool down this summer for best places to swim and play.